Speedfam-ipec Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Nikolay N Korovin

Stephen C Schultz

John Derwood Herb

James L Farmer

Brian L Mueller

Ismail Emesh

Saket Chadda

Robert J Stoya

An electrochemical planarization apparatus for planarizing a metallized surface on a workpiece includes a polishing pad and a platen. The platen is formed of conductive material, is disposed proximate to the polishing pad and is configured to have a negative charge during at least a portion of a planarization process. At least one electrical conductor is positioned within the platen. The electrical conductor has a first end connected to a power source. A workpiece carrier is configured to carry a workpiece and press the workpiece against the polishing pad. The power source applies a positive charge to the workpiece via the electrical conductor so that an electric potential difference between the metallized surface of the workpiece and the platen is created to remove at least a portion of the metallized surface from the workpiece.

Method and apparatus for electrochemical planarization of a workpiece

An apparatus for planarizing a work piece includes an easily assembled work carrier. The carrier includes a carrier insert having a work piece bladder clamped to a carrier backing plate with a plurality of clamps to form a plurality of web plenums. The outer edge of the bladder is supported by a rib that is coupled to a carrier plenum. By adjusting the pressure in the carrier plenum, the pressure exerted on the edge of a work piece during a planarization operation can be adjusted. The carrier also includes a floating wear ring that surrounds the work piece bladder and a work piece mounted on that bladder. By adjusting the force exerted by the wear ring on a polishing pad, independently of the pressure exerted by the rib at the edge of the bladder, the material removal rate near the edge of the work piece can be controlled.

Work piece carrier with adjustable pressure zones and barriers and a method of planarizing a work piece

Methods and apparatus are provided for conditioning of polishing surfaces utilized during CMP processing. The method comprises contacting the polishing surface and a conditioning surface with a first force, one of the surfaces coupled to a support member that has an axis. The polishing surface and/or the conditioning surface is moved at a constant velocity. Torque exerted by the support member about the axis to effect a relative position between the conditioning surface and the polishing surface is measured and used to obtain a process variable. The process variable is compared to a setpoint value for the relative position of the conditioning surface and the polishing surface. A second force is calculated and the polishing surface and the conditioning surface then are contacted with the second force, if the process variable differs from the setpoint value by more than an allowed tolerance.

Methods and apparatuses for conditioning polishing surfaces utilized during CMP processing

Methods and apparatus are provided for performing a chemical-mechanical process on a workpiece surface. The apparatus includes a platen having a top surface and at least one inlet configured to receive a polishing fluid, a plurality of holes formed in the top surface, a manifold system in fluid communication with the at least one inlet and each of the holes, a controller adapted to supply valve command signals, and a plurality of valves, each valve being disposed in one of the holes and coupled to the controller to receive the valve command signals and being operable, in response thereto, to selectively move between an open and a closed position. The method includes the steps of supplying the valve command signals, and selectively opening and closing the valves in response to the valve command signals.

Dynamic polishing fluid delivery system for a rotational polishing apparatus

A method is provided for controlling a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) operation. The method is operative in a CMP apparatus having a plurality of end point detection probes and in which a plurality of process variables can be set to adjust the removal rate across a layer that is to be polished. In accordance with the method, the process variables are adjusted to a first setting and a layer overlying a work piece is polished using that setting. Information from the plurality of end point detection probes is collected and evaluated to determine removal rate of the layer. The process variables are adjusted in response the evaluation and a second layer on a second work piece is polished using the adjusted settings.

Method for controlling a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) operation

Layers of material deposited exhibit both a local and a global pattern. The local pattern is a function of the underlying wafer surface, but the global pattern is a function of the equipment in which the layer was deposited. Accurate reconstruction of the surface topology of a layer on a product wafer is achieved despite the local pattern by determining the surface topology of a blanket layer on a blank wafer, measuring the thickness of the layer at a few selected locations on a product wafer, calculating scaling coefficients representing deviations of the measured thickness from the blanket layer topology, and then multiplying the blanket layer topology by the scaling coefficients. The surface reconstruction results from modifying the surface topology of the blanket layer so that it has the same thickness at the measured locations as does the product wafer layer.

Method for processing a work piece in a multi-zonal processing apparatus

Workpiece carrier with adjustable pressure zones and barriers

Method for controlling a process in a multi-zonal apparatus

An electrochemical deposition apparatus and method for depositing a material onto a surface of a workpiece and for polishing the material are disclosed. The apparatus includes a platen and a polishing surface, including a conductive material and conductors embedded therein, disposed proximate the platen. During material deposition, a bias is applied across the conductor and the platen to cause deposition of material onto the workpiece surface.

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Nikolay N Korovin