Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Realtek Semiconductor Inc.

Chun-Hsi Huang

Huang-Chu Ko

Chia-Lin Hsueh

Yueh-Hsing Huang

Li-Chen Liu

A voltage monitoring system includes a voltage dividing circuit and a voltage monitoring device. The voltage dividing circuit is configured to divide a power signal to generate an input voltage. The voltage monitoring device includes an input node, a shunt circuit, a first detection circuit and a second detection circuit. The input node receives the input voltage. The shunt circuit is configured to compare the input voltage with a voltage threshold value to selectively operate in a conducted state or a switched-off state, and configured to output a flag signal to indicate the conducted state or the switched-off state of the shunt circuit. The first detection circuit generates a first detection signal corresponding to the input voltage. The second detection circuit generates a second detection signal corresponding to the power signal according to the flag signal and the first detection signal.

Voltage monitoring system, voltage monitoring device and voltage monitoring method

A conditioning device for conditioning a polishing pad used in chemical mechanical polishing includes a base having an opening and a conditioning disk removably attached to the base. The conditioning disk includes a conditioning portion disposed on a first surface of the base and a fitting portion removably fitted into or through the opening of the base. The fitting portion is fitted through or into the opening to base to prevent dislodging of the conditioning disk from the base during a process of conditioning a polishing pad for the chemical mechanical polishing process.

Device for conditioning chemical mechanical polishing

The present disclosure describes an apparatus and a method to detect a polishing pad profile during a polish process and adjust the polishing process based on the detected profile. The apparatus can include a polishing pad configured to polishing a substrate, a substrate carrier configured to hold the substrate against the polishing pad, and a detection module configured to detect a profile of the polishing pad. The detection module can include a probe configured to measure a thickness of one or more areas on the polishing pad, and a beam configured to support the probe, where the probe can be further configured to move along the beam.

Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method

An apparatus for performing a polishing process includes: a rotatable polishing pad; a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature on a top surface of the rotatable polishing pad; a first dispenser configured to dispense a first slurry that is maintained at a first temperature on the rotatable polishing pad; and a second dispenser configured to dispense a second slurry that is maintained at a second temperature on the rotatable polishing pad, wherein the second temperature is different from the first temperature so as to maintain the temperature on the top surface of the rotatable polishing pad at a substantially constant value.

Chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus

A substrate may be loaded onto a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, which includes a polishing pad and a wafer carrier that holds the substrate. The wafer carrier includes a backside plate, a wafer carrier frame, and at least one optical vertical displacement measurement unit that includes a respective laser source and a respective pixelated image sensor. A total reflection geometry is used to reflect a laser beam off a top surface of the backside plate. A polish rate or a polish thickness of a polished portion of the substrate may be measured at each location underneath at least one reflection point during the CMP process.

Optical thickness control during a chemical mechanical polishing process and apparatus for effecting the same

Chemical-mechanical planarization system

The present disclosure describes a chemical mechanical planarization system that includes a pad on a rotating platen, a wafer carrier configured to hold the wafer surface against the pad and apply pressure to the wafer, a slurry dispenser configured to dispense slurry on the pad, and a conditioning wheel configured to condition the pad. The conditioning wheel further includes a base and one or more flexible structures attached to the base with each flexible structure having an elastic body configured to exert a downforce on a feature of the pad, where the downforce is proportional to the height of the feature.

Conditioning wheel for polishing pads

The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus to adjust a wafer's polishing rate based on the temperature of the air received by the air chambers of a polishing head. The method includes supplying pressurized air to a temperature module coupled to a polishing head. The temperature module adjusts a temperature of the pressurized air that is supplied to the polishing head. The method further includes supplying the one or more air chambers of the polishing head with the temperature controlled pressurized air from the temperature module and polishing the wafer by rotating the wafer against a polishing pad.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Chun-Hsi Huang