Asm Nutool, Inc.

Mukesh Desai

Yuchun Wang

Efrain A Velazquez

Bulent Mehmet Basol

Homayoun Talieh

Douglas W Young

Bernard Frey

Tuan Truong

Brett E McGrath

A sensing apparatus for detecting a processing endpoint of a multi-layer semiconductor wafer includes a light source to emit light against a surface of the semiconductor wafer, a color sensor to sense a reflection color from the surface of the semiconductor wafer in response to the incident light and to generate a sensor signal, and a decision circuit coupled to the color sensor and configured to decide whether the wafer processing endpoint has been reached based at least in part on the sensor signal. In another embodiment, a sensing apparatus is coupled to a movable structure to position the sensing apparatus to sense the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Endpoint detection for non-transparent polishing member

An apparatus for polishing a workpiece includes a workpiece holder configured to hold the workpiece, a polishing member configured to be positioned adjacent to a face of the workpiece in order to polish the workpiece face with a front side of the polishing member, and a platen having a plurality of pressure zones configured to selectively apply pressure to the polishing member thereby causing the polishing member to contact the workpiece face with selective pressure. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a pressure controller coupled to the platen and configured to selectively adjust the pressure zones.

Advanced chemical mechanical polishing system with smart endpoint detection

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Mukesh Desai