Applied Materials, Inc.

David J Lischka

Dominic J Benvegnu

Boguslaw A Swedek

Jeffrey Drue David

Bogdan Swedek

Doyle E Bennett

Steven M Zuniga

Thomas Lawrence Terry

Hung Chih Chen

Thomas H Osterheld

Jun Qian

Benjamin Cherian

Hui W Chen

Simon Yavelberg

Jay Gurusamy

Alpay Yilmaz

Jim Kellogg Atkinson

Thomas Li

Jonathan Paul Domin

Danielle Loi

Toshikazu Tomita

Noel Manto

Andrew Liu

A polishing system includes a platen having a top surface to support a main polishing pad. The platen is rotatable about an axis of rotation that passes through approximately the center of the platen. An annular flange projects radially outward from the platen to support an outer polishing pad. The annular flange has an inner edge secured to and rotatable with the platen and vertically fixed relative to the top surface of the platen. The annular flange is vertically deflectable such that an outer edge of the annular flange is vertically moveable relative to the inner edge. An actuator applies pressure to an underside of the annular flange in an angularly limited region, and a carrier head holds a substrate in contact with the polishing pad and is movable to selectively position a portion of the substrate over the outer polishing pad.

Polishing system with contactless platen edge control

A method of polishing includes storing a predetermined location and a predetermined number as criteria for detecting an end point, polishing a substrate, measuring a sequence of current spectra of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, identifying a plurality of peaks or valleys that persist with an evolving location through at least some of the sequence of current spectra, counting a number of peaks or valleys that were identified that pass the predetermined location as polishing progresses, and ceasing to polish the substrate when the number counted reaches the predetermined number.

Peak-based endpointing for chemical mechanical polishing

A polishing system receives one or more target parameters for a selected peak in a spectrum of light, polishes a substrate, measures a current spectrum of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, identifies the selected peak in the current spectrum, measures one or more current parameters of the selected peak in the current spectrum, compares the current parameters of the selected peak to the target parameters, and ceases to polish the substrate when the current parameters and the target parameters have a pre defined relationship.

A method of operating a polishing system includes polishing a substrate at a polishing station, the substrate held by a carrier head during polishing, transporting the substrate to an in-sequence optical metrology system positioned between the polishing station and another polishing station or a transfer station, measuring a plurality of spectra reflected from the substrate with a probe of the optical metrology system while moving the carrier head to cause the probe to traverse a path across the substrate and while the probe remains stationary, the path across the substrate comprising either a plurality of concentric circles or a plurality of substantially radially aligned arcuate segments, and adjusting a polishing endpoint or a polishing parameter of the polishing system based on one or more characterizing values generated based on at least some of the plurality of spectra.

Path for probe of spectrographic metrology system

Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for detecting the presence of a substrate in a load cup. The invention includes a proximity sensor having a detection pad disposed below a contact surface of a load cup assembly and a target disposed on a lever member and adapted to move toward the detection pad when a substrate is placed on the lever member and adapted to move away from the detection pad when a substrate is removed from the lever member. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for sensing a substrate in a load cup

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a load cup used in the transfer of substrates in a chemical mechanical polishing system. The load cup includes an improved substrate edge sensing mechanism to ensure a substrate is present and correctly positioned in the load cup for transfer to a polishing head. In one embodiment, a lever actuated edge sensing mechanism is provided. In one embodiment, the edge of a substrate contacts a lever, which contacts a sensor to detect that the substrate is present and correctly positioned for exchange with a polishing head. Embodiments of the present invention provide reliable detection, while reducing contact with the feature side of the substrate during substrate transfer.

Load cup substrate sensing

A chemical mechanical polishing pad is described. A chemical mechanical polishing pad has an outer layer that includes a polishing surface, a first thinned region defined by a recess on a bottom surface of the pad, a first thick region surrounding the first thinned region, a second thinned region surrounding the first thick region, and a second thick region surrounding the second thinned region. The first thick region is not vertically extendable. The second thinned region defines one or more flexure mechanisms configured to make the first thinned region and the first thick region movable relative to the second thick region in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the polishing surface.

Reducing polishing pad deformation

A polishing pad, polishing system, method of making a polishing pad and method of using a polishing pad. The polishing pad includes a polishing layer having a polishing surface, a backing layer with an aperture and a first portion that is permeable to liquid, and a sealant that penetrates a second portion of the backing layer adjacent to and surrounding the aperture such that the second portion is substantially impermeable to liquid. The aperture is positioned below a substantially fluid-impermeable element.

Sealed polishing pad, system and methods

System with sealed polishing pad

Sealed polishing pad methods

Embodiments of a load cup for transferring a substrate are provided. The load cup includes a pedestal assembly having a substrate support and a de-chucking nozzle. The de-chucking nozzle is positioned to flow a fluid between the polishing head and the back side of a substrate during transfer of the substrate from the polishing head to the substrate support.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

David J Lischka