Lam Research Corporation

Lam Corporation

Peter Norton

John A Distinti

Fred Egley

Andrea Wang

Xuyen Pham

Travis R Taylor

Robert Charatan

Ren Zhou

Simon McClatchie

Jingang Yi

Dae J Lim

Charley Abboud

A method of using a thermocouple is provided. The method includes, but is not limited to, disposing at least one temperature sensor at each of two or more respective portions of an electrical connector adapted to receive thermocouple signals, measuring temperatures at the two or more portions, and calculating the temperatures at each terminal of the electrical connector based on measured temperature values of the two or more respective portions having the disposed temperature sensors. The method also includes, but is not limited to, calculating a cold junction temperature of a terminal for at least one thermocouple channel carrying the thermocouple signals based on measured or calculated temperature values of the terminals, or a combination thereof.

Multichannel thermocouple compensation for three dimensional temperature gradient

A system for detecting fluid on a substrate is provided. The system includes, but is not limited to, a sensor board, a first capacitive sensor, and a platform upon which the substrate is to be placed. The first capacitive sensor is mounted on the sensor board. The first capacitive sensor has a transmit sensor pad for transmitting a signal, a receive sensor pad for receiving the signal, and an analog-to-digital convertor connected with the receive sensor pad for analyzing the received signal. The platform is a first distance from the transmit and receive sensor pads.

Non-contact detection of surface fluid droplets

Systems and methods for controlling a heater to drive a load temperature to approximate a setpoint. At the beginning of each &#xbd; AC cycle, a sigma delta modulation algorithm is computed to determine whether the AC cycle should be turned on or off. The running estimate of the past actual duty cycle is compared to the desired output duty cycle, and the difference between the two is used to adjust the next &#xbd; cycle's output. This results in a pseudo-random pulse sequence output which does not contain significant periodic components that could cause undesirable small periodic thermal 'ripples' on the element being heated.

Methods and systems for controlling electric heaters

A system and method for in situ measurement and maintenance of preferred pad smoothness in a CMP process is disclosed. The system includes a linear polisher having one or more sensors for detecting fluid pressure, fluid flow or motor current at the linear polisher during a polishing process. A controller receiving the information provided by the sensors includes an algorithm for adjusting the pad conditioning process to achieve a desired pad smoothness based on the sensor data. The method includes obtaining baseline data on preferred linear polisher characteristics associated with desired pad smoothness and using the baseline data to adjust a pad conditioning regimen on a linear polisher to achieve the desired pad smoothness in situ.

System and method for in situ characterization and maintenance of polishing pad smoothness in chemical mechanical polishing

Apparatus and methods control CMP to uniformly polish a series of wafers. Average motor current I(avg) drawn by, and related average work W(avg) performed by, motors during CMP on the wafers reliably indicate quality of a roughness polishing characteristic of a polishing surface of a polishing pad. A conditioner controller controls a rate at which the quality of the polishing surface is restored by conditioning in relation to a rate of change of the quality of the polishing surface due to the CMP. Motor current is measured and averaged over many CMP-processed wafers. The method defines a baseline range of values of average work and controls conditioning according to whether average work is within the baseline range. When the polishing surface moves at constant velocity relative to each of the wafers that are being polished, a control signal based on average motor current represents the quality of the polishing characteristic.

Methods of and apparatus for controlling polishing surface characteristics for chemical mechanical polishing

Apparatus and methods are disclosed that promote greater polishing uniformity in linear CMP systems by introducing a relative lateral motion between a CMP belt and a rotating polish head securing a wafer. A belt polish module comprises a linear CMP belt forming a loop around an idle roller and a drive roller, first and second pistons engaging, respectively, first and second ends of the idle roller, and a controller configured to vary the forces applied by the first and second pistons to the ends of the idle roller in order to laterally translate the linear CMP belt. A method for linear CMP comprises rotating a wafer about a vertical axis, contacting the rotating wafer against a linear CMP belt moving in a longitudinal direction, and causing a relative lateral motion between the rotating wafer and the linear CMP belt.

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Emeryville, CA, United States of America

Peter Norton