Applied Materials, Inc.

Ultratech Stepper, Inc.

Gerald John Alonzo

David A Markle

Hwan J Jeong

Jeonghoon Oh

Steven M Zuniga

Hung Chih Chen

Brian J Brown

Shou-Sung Chang

Sen-Hou Ko

Hui W Chen

Rashid Mavliev

Simon Yavelberg

Jay Gurusamy

Lakshmanan Karuppiah

Jimin Zhang

Donald J K Olgado

Allen L D'Ambra

Mario Dave Silvetti

Roy C Nangoy

Ekaterina A Mikhaylichenko

Alpay Yilmaz

Eric Lau

Jonathan Paul Domin

Yufei Chen

Dmitry Sklyar

Adrian Blank

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for a method of removing material on a substrate. An exemplary method includes rotating a substrate about a first axis in a first direction and urging a surface of the substrate against a polishing surface of a polishing pad while rotating the substrate, wherein rotating the substrate about the first axis includes rotating the substrate a first angle at a first rotation rate, and then rotating the substrate a second angle at a second rotation rate, and the first rotation rate is different from the second rotation rate.

Asymmetry correction via variable relative velocity of a wafer

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide methods, polishing systems with computer readable medium having the methods stored thereon, to facilitate consistent tensioning of a polishing article disposed on a web-based polishing system. In one embodiment, a substrate processing method includes winding a used portion of a polishing article onto a take-up roll of a polishing system by rotating a first spindle having the take-up roll disposed thereon; measuring, using an encoder wheel, a polishing article advancement length of the used portion of the polishing article wound onto the take-up roll; determining a tensioning torque to apply to a supply roll using the measured polishing article advancement length; and tensioning the polishing article by applying the tensioning torque to the supply roll.

Methods for a web-based CMP system

Embodiments of the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning a substrate using a disk brush. One embodiment provides a substrate cleaner comprising a substrate chuck disposed in the processing volume, and a brush assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the brush assembly comprises a disk brush movably disposed opposing the substrate chuck, and a processing surface of the disk brush contacts a surface of the substrate on the substrate chuck.

Disk-brush cleaner module with fluid jet

Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad include an arm adapted to support a conditioning disk; a drive mechanism coupled to the arm; and a flexible coupling between the drive mechanism and the conditioning disk adapted to allow the conditioning disk to tilt while transmitting rotary motion from the drive mechanism to the conditioning disk. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.

Apparatus and methods for conditioning a polishing pad

Tools and methods for in-situ characterizing of a surface of a polishing pad are described. A characterization tool is integrated with polishing tool so that the polishing pad can be monitored in-situ. The characterization tool and the polishing pad can be rotated or moved so that any portion of the polishing pad can be tested.

Pad characterization tool

Methods for transferring substrates in a system with a factory interface robot between at least one FOUP, a buffer coupled to a parasitic device and an inbound and outbound transfer station coupled to a processing tool are provided. In one embodiment, a method for transferring substrates includes transferring a first substrate on an end effector of a robot from a FOUP to a buffer station serving a parasitic device, moving the substrate from the buffer station into the parasitic device, picking up a second substrate on the end effector, compensating for a residence time of the first substrate in the parasitic device, transferring the second substrate to parasitic device from the end effector to the buffer station serving the parasitic device, and picking up the first substrate from the buffer station.

Method for sequencing substrates

An alignment system for a unit magnification system (such as a Half-Field Dyson system) for use in microlithography is provided. The alignment system provides for aligning a pattern on a reticle with a complementary pattern on a wafer.

Alignment system for a Half-Field Dyson projection system

Disclosed is tilt-sensing means that employs a point source of alternate 1st or 2nd divergent light beams which, after passing through collimating lenses of the Half-Field Dyson projection optics of the stepper, are separately incident on and reflected from a reflective pattern disposed on the surface of a reticle and from a reflective surface of a wafer, together with two-dimensional position detection means responsive to the position of each of the reflected alternate 1st or 2nd divergent light beams, for independently sensing the angular position of the surface of the reticle and the angular position of the surface of the wafer to determine thereby whether or not the surface of the reticle and the surface of the wafer are substantially parallel to one another. This permits adjustment means of the stepper, which is responsive to the respective surfaces having been determined by the tilt-sensing means to be not parallel to one another, to angularly adjust the angular position of at least one of the reticle and the wafer to bring the respective surfaces thereof into a substantially parallel relationship with one another.

System for achieving a parallel relationship between surfaces of wafer

A microlithographic stepper, employing a Half-Field Dyson projection optical system, achieves focusing of an image of a first-layer reticle pattern on a completely unpatterned reflective wafer surface by including a repetitive diffraction pattern on the reticle which has a configuration in which a particular ordinal diffraction order is normally missing. In response to being simultaneously illuminated with each of two incident monochromatic beams of light, diffraction orders generated by the repetitive diffraction pattern are imaged on the reflective wafer surface and then reflected back to and reimaged on the repetitive diffraction pattern on the reticle. Diffraction orders generated on the first encounter with the repetitive diffraction pattern generate light in the originally missing ordinal diffraction order on the second encounter. If more than one diffraction order from the first encounter contribute toward generating this missing-order light, then the light intensity of the originally missing order will depend on focus position of the wafer. Best focus will generate either maximum or minimum light intensity of the originally missing order. Using a single wavelength, a single repetitive diffraction pattern period, and a single incidence angle, provides a limited unambiguous focus range. However, by using a second wavelength, a second repetitive diffraction pattern period, or a second incidence angle, the unambiguous focus range is substantially extended. Each of these separate incident illuminating beams gives rise to its own set of reflected diffraction-order light. Thus, each of the two monochromatic beams of light gives rise to reflected diffraction-order light from each of two sets that occupy the position of the normally-missing particular ordinal diffraction order. Detection of interference maxima and minima in the intensity of this light, derived either by moving the wafer surface through in-focus or by electro-optic means responsive to this light being orthogonally polarized, permits best focus to be achieved.

Focusing technique suitable for use with an unpatterned specular

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Gerald John Alonzo