The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 17, 2001

Filed:

Sep. 30, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:

Leping Li, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);

James A. Gilhooly, St. Albans, VT (US);

Clifford O. Morgan, III, Burlington, VT (US);

Cong Wei, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/100 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/100 ;
Abstract

In a chemical mechanical planarization assembly directed for the removal of oxide layers, which stop on films containing silicon nitride, a conventional polishing table is provided with a gas extraction unit which transmits a gas sample to an infrared spectrometer. The presence of ammonia in the slurry, which is generated when a stop layer containing silicon nitride is abraded under high pH conditions, can be detected using infrared spectroscopy and accordingly provides for an in situ endpoint detection method.


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