Intel Corporation

Speedfam-ipec Corporation

Dwfritz Automation, Inc.

Christopher E Barns

Joseph R Breivogel

Leopoldo D Yau

Michael R Oliver

Matthew J Prince

Samuel F Louke

John Andrew Adams

Robert A Eaton

Michael Lawrence Corliss

Thomas Frederick Bibby, Jr

Corbin Gene Voigt

Alan James Swan

Charles Hannes

Matthew J Price

Systems, apparatuses and methods are described herein for precision insertion. In various embodiments, a feeder device may be configured to feed an object such as wire from a wire source into a wire path. In various embodiments, a guidance device with a channel that at least partially defines the wire path may receive the wire fed from the feeder device. In various embodiments, a base may be provided for mounting at least one of a first substrate having a first aperture and a second substrate having a second aperture so that the first aperture of the first substrate is aligned with the second aperture of the second substrate. In various embodiments, the base may be configured to be movable relative to the guidance device to position the first substrate or second substrate so that the first or second aperture is aligned with the wire path.

Apparatus for precision insertion

An apparatus to generate an endpoint signal to control the polishing of thin films on a semiconductor wafer surface includes a through-hole in a polish pad, a light source, a fiber optic cable, a light sensor, and a computer. A pad assembly includes the polish pad, a pad backer, and a pad backing plate. The pad backer includes a pinhole and a canal that holds the fiber optic cable. The pad backer holds the polish pad so that the through-hole is coincident with the pinhole opening. A wafer chuck holds a semiconductor wafer so that the surface to be polished is against the polish pad. The light source provides light within a predetermined bandwidth. The fiber optic cable propagates the light through the through-hole opening to illuminate the surface as the pad assembly orbits and the chuck rotates. The light sensor receives reflected light from the surface through the fiber optic cable and generates reflected spectral data. The computer receives the reflected spectral data and calculates an endpoint signal. For metal film polishing, the endpoint signal is based upon the intensities of two individual wavelength bands. For dielectric film polishing, the endpoint signal is based upon fitting of the reflected spectrum to an optical reflectance model to determine remaining film thickness. The computer compares the endpoint signal to predetermined criteria and stops the polishing process when the endpoint signal meets the predetermined criteria.

Method and apparatus for endpoint detection for chemical mechanical

A method and apparatus for polishing a thin film formed on a semiconductor substrate. A table covered with a polishing pad is orbited about an axis. Slurry is fed through a plurality of spaced-apart holes formed through the polishing pad to uniformly distribute slurry across the pad surface during polishing. A substrate is pressed face down against the orbiting pad's surface and rotated to facilitate, along with the slurry, the polishing of the thin film formed on the substrate.

Orbital motion chemical-mechanical polishing method and apparatus

A novel method and apparatus for uniformly polishing thin films formed on a semiconductor substrate. A substrate is placed face down on a moving polishing pad so that the thin film to be polished is placed in direct contact with the moving polishing pad. The substrate is forcibly pressed against the polishing pad with pneumatic or hydraulic pressure applied to the backside of the substrate during polishing. Additionally, a wear ring is placed on the polishing pad around and adjacent to the substrate and forcibly pressed onto the polishing pad with a downward pressure from a second source so that the wear ring is coplanar with the substrate in order to eliminate edge rounding effects.

Method and apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing

Method and apparatus for chemical-mechanical polishing using pneumatic

Orbital motion chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus and method of

A method of polishing a thin film formed on a semiconductor substrate. In a method of the present invention a polishing pad is rotated. A substrate is pressed against the rotating polishing pad so that the thin film to be polished is placed in direct contact with the polishing pad. During polishing, the polishing pad is continually conditioned by forming a plurality of grooves into the polishing pad. The grooves are formed by a conditioning block having a substantially planar bottom surface with a plurality of groove generating points extending from the substantially planar surface of the conditioning block. The grooves are generated by sweeping and rotating the conditioning block between an outer radius and an inner radius of the polishing pad.

Method and apparatus for conditioning a semiconductor polishing pad

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Christopher E Barns