Lam Research Corporation

Joseph P Simon

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Xuyen Pham

David Wei

Ren Zhou

Tony Luong

Sridharan Srivatsan

Katgenhalli Y Ramanujam

Linda Jiang

Anjun Jerry Jin

A temperature controlling system for use in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system having a linear polishing belt, a carrier capable of applying a substrate over a preparation location over the linear polishing belt is provided. The temperature controlling system includes a platen having a plurality of zones. The temperature controlling system further includes a temperature sensor configured determine a temperature of the linear polishing belt at a location that is after the preparation location. The system also includes a controller for adjusting a flow of temperature conditioned fluid to selected zones of the plurality of zones of the platen in response to output received from the temperature sensor.

Method and apparatus for heating polishing pad

In a method for determining an endpoint in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) operation, the concentration of an oxidizing agent in the slurry byproduct generated during the CMP operation is monitored. The endpoint of the CMP operation is determined based on the concentration of the oxidizing agent in the slurry byproduct. The concentration of the oxidizing agent in the slurry byproduct may be monitored by diverting the slurry byproduct from a surface of a polishing pad, and measuring an optical property of the slurry byproduct diverted from the surface of the polishing pad. A CMP system configured to implement the method for determining an endpoint also is described.

Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system and method for determining an endpoint in a CMP operation

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Newark, CA, United States of America

Joseph P Simon