International Business Machines Corporation

Anne Elizabeth McGuire

Rock Nadeau

Robert K Leidy

Faye D Baker

Daniel Shaw Brooks

Leping Li

Steven G Barbee

Arnold Halperin

William Joseph Surovic

Gary R Doyle

Robert B Lipori

Francis Walter Kazak

Kevin L Holland

According to the preferred embodiment, an erosion and dishing monitor and monitor method are provided that facilitates the accurate optimization of a planarization process as in semiconductor process. The dishing monitor comprises at least two monitor structure sets embedded in a semiconductor substrate, the monitor structure sets comprising a plurality of monitor structures connected together with a plurality of connective conductors. The erosion monitor comprises a plurality of elongated conductors embedded into a semiconductor substrate, the plurality of conductors having varying conductor widths and adjacent substrate widths.

Dishing and erosion monitor structure for damascene metal processing

According to the preferred embodiment, an erosion and dishing monitor is provided that facilitates the accurate optimization of a planarization process as in semiconductor process. The dishing monitor comprises at least two monitor structure sets embedded in a semiconductor substrate, the monitor structure sets comprising a plurality of monitor structures connected together with a plurality of connective conductors. The erosion monitor comprises a plurality of elongated conductors embedded into a semiconductor substrate, the plurality of conductors having varying conductor widths and adjacent substrate widths.

Rotary signal coupling in in-situ monitoring of a chemical-mechanical polishing process. A sensor fixed to a rotatable wafer carrier for creating a signal responsive to the chemical mechanical polishing process is coupled to a bottom half of a rotary transformer fixed to a rotating portion of the polisher. A top half of the rotary transformer, coupled to the bottom half of the rotary transformer, is fixed to a stationary portion of the polisher. The signal from the sensor is thus coupled through the rotary transformer to a process monitor.

Rotary signal coupling for chemical mechanical polishing endpoint

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Colchester, VT, United States of America

Anne Elizabeth McGuire