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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 05, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 09, 2001
Thomas L. Ritzdorf, Kalispell, MT (US);
Steve L. Eudy, Kalispell, MT (US);
Gregory J. Wilson, Kalispell, MT (US);
Paul R. Mchugh, Kalispell, MT (US);
Robert A. Weaver, Kalispell, MT (US);
Brian Aegerter, Kalispell, MT (US);
Curt Dundas, Kalispell, MT (US);
Steven L. Peace, Kalispell, MT (US);
Thomas L. Ritzdorf, Kalispell, MT (US);
Steve L. Eudy, Kalispell, MT (US);
Gregory J. Wilson, Kalispell, MT (US);
Paul R. McHugh, Kalispell, MT (US);
Robert A. Weaver, Kalispell, MT (US);
Brian Aegerter, Kalispell, MT (US);
Curt Dundas, Kalispell, MT (US);
Steven L. Peace, Kalispell, MT (US);
Semitool, Inc., Kalispell, MT (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece using metrology. The apparatus can include one or more processing or transport units, a metrology unit, and a control unit coupled to the metrology unit and at least one of the processing or transport units. The control unit can modify a process recipe or a process sequence of the processing unit based on a feed forward or a feed back signal from the metrology unit. The control unit can also provide instructions to the transport unit to move the workpiece to a selected processing unit. The processing unit can include, inter alia, a seed layer deposition unit, a process layer electrochemical deposition unit, a seed layer enhancement unit, a chemical mechanical polishing unit, and/or an annealing chamber arranged for sequential processing of a workpiece. The processing units can be controlled as an integrated system using one or more metrology units, or a separate metrology unit can provide input to the processing units.