Method of polishing and cleaning substrates

• US 20020164929A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arulkumar Shanmugasundram, Jay D. Pinson, II
• Original Assignee: Arulkumar Shanmugasundram, Jay D. Pinson, II
• Inventors: Shanmugasundram, Arulkumar, Pinson, Jay D. II
• Granted Patent: US 6,887,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/41
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67219 comprising at least one polishing chamber polishing apparatuses B24B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67288 Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J

Abstract

The substrate processing system has a factory interface module, a chemical mechanical polisher, a cleaner, a particle monitor and a substrate transfer system disposed as an integrated system. The factory interface module may includes a chamber a storage station located in a chamber of the module to hold a plurality of substrates in a substantially horizontal position. The storage station may hold pad break-in wafers for pad preconditioning and/or monitor wafers for defects monitoring. The particle monitor may have a port coupled to the factory interface module.

Claims

1. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

transferring a first substrate from a storage station in a factory interface module to a polisher;

breaking in a polishing pad at the polisher with the first substrate;

returning the first substrate to the storage station;

transferring a second substrate from a cassette through the factory interface module to the polisher;

polishing the second substrate;

cleaning the second substrate; and

returning the second substrate to the cassette.

2. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

transferring a substrate from a cassette through a factory interface module to a polisher;

polishing the substrate at a chemical mechanical polisher;

cleaning the substrate at a cleaner;

transferring the substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to a defect monitor;

measuring a defect parameter with the defect monitor; and

returning the substrate to the cassette.

3. A method of processing substrates, comprising:

transferring a first substrate from a cassette through a factory interface module to a polisher;

polishing the first substrate at a chemical mechanical polisher;

cleaning the first substrate at a cleaner;

transferring a second substrate from a storage station in the factory interface module to the polisher;

polishing the second substrate at the polisher;

cleaning the second substrate at the cleaner;

transferring the second substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to a defect monitor;

measuring a defect parameter of the second substrate with the defect monitor;

modifying a polishing parameter based on the defect parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the polishing parameter includes halting polishing of substrates from the cassette if the measured defect parameter is outside an acceptable range.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising returning the first substrate to the cassette.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising returning the second substrate to the storage station.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said first substrate is a device wafer and the second substrate is a monitor wafer.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising transferring the first substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to the defect monitor and measuring a defect parameter of the first substrate with the defect monitor.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising transferring a third substrate from the cassette through the factory interface module to a polisher, polishing the third substrate at the chemical mechanical polisher, and cleaning the third substrate at the cleaner.

10. A method of processing substrates, comprising:

transferring a device substrate from a cassette through a factory interface module to a polisher;

polishing the device substrate at a chemical mechanical polisher;

cleaning the device substrate at a cleaner;

transferring the device substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to a defect monitor;

measuring a first defect parameter of the device with the defect monitor;

transferring a monitor substrate from a storage station in the factory interface module to the polisher;

polishing the monitor substrate at the polisher;

cleaning the monitor substrate at the cleaner;

transferring the monitor substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to the defect monitor;

measuring a second defect parameter of the monitor substrate with the defect monitor; and

comparing the first defect parameter to the second defect parameter.