Polishing pad contour indicator for mechanical or chemical-mechanical planarization
First Claim
1. A polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising:
- a polishing body having a planarizing surface facing the substrate; and
a contour indicator embedded in the polishing body and extending across at least a portion of the polishing body, the contour indicator being visually distinguishable from the polishing body, and the contour indicator having first and second sidewalls spaced apart from one another within the polishing body to define a cross-sectional shape in which a width between the first and second sidewalls changes with respect to the depth of the pad, wherein the planarizing surface changes as the pad is conditioned and the width between the sidewalls at the planarizing surface indicates a contour of the planarizing surface of the polishing pad.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A contour indicator that visually indicates non-uniformities in the planarity of the planarizing surface of a polishing pad. In one embodiment of the invention, a polishing pad has a polishing body with a planarizing surface facing the wafer and a contour indicator embedded in the polishing body. The contour indicator is preferably the material of the polishing body dyed to a color or shade that is visually distinguishable from the polishing body. The contour indicator preferably has first and second sidewalls spaced apart from one another at the planarizing surface of the polishing body, and the contour indicator also has a cross-sectional shape so that the distance between the first and second sidewalls changes with increasing the depth within the pad. In operation, the distance between the first and second sidewalls of the contour indicator changes as material is removed from the planarizing surface, and the distance between the first and second sidewalls at the planarizing surface indicates the contour of the planarizing surface.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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a polishing body having a planarizing surface facing the substrate; and a contour indicator embedded in the polishing body and extending across at least a portion of the polishing body, the contour indicator being visually distinguishable from the polishing body, and the contour indicator having first and second sidewalls spaced apart from one another within the polishing body to define a cross-sectional shape in which a width between the first and second sidewalls changes with respect to the depth of the pad, wherein the planarizing surface changes as the pad is conditioned and the width between the sidewalls at the planarizing surface indicates a contour of the planarizing surface of the polishing pad. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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a polishing body having a planarizing surface facing the substrate; and a visually distinguishable filler section embedded in the polishing body, the filler section having a top surface coplanar with a portion of the planarizing surface of the polishing body and a bottom surface extending to at least an intermediate depth within the polishing body, the top surface and the bottom surface defining a cross-sectional shape having a contour indicating dimension that changes with increasing depth within the filler section in a manner in which a shape of an exposed surface of the filler section indicates the contour of the planarizing surface. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33)
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- 24. A polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising a primary section and a secondary section embedded in the primary section, the secondary section being visually distinguishable from the primary section, and the secondary section having a contour indicating dimension of a first size at a top surface substantially coplanar with a planarizing surface of the primary section and a cross-sectional shape in which the contour indicating dimension changes with increasing depth within the pad to a second size at a plane extending through the secondary section substantially parallel the top surface at an intermediated depth, wherein an exposed surface of the secondary section at the intermediate depth in which the contour indicating dimension has a size different than the second size indicates a non-uniform contour of the planarizing surface of the polishing pad.
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30. A planarizing machine for chemical-mechanical planarization of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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a platen mounted to a support structure; a polishing pad including a polishing body with a primary section and a secondary section embedded in the primary section, the secondary section being visually distinguishable from the primary section, and the secondary section having a top surface substantially coplanar with a planarizing surface of the primary section and a cross-sectional shape having a contour indicating dimension that changes with increasing depth within the secondary section in a manner in which a shape of an exposed surface of the secondary section indicates the contour of the planarizing surface; and a wafer carrier to which the wafer may be mounted, the wafer carrier being positionable over the planarizing surface of the polishing pad and adapted to engage the wafer with the planarizing surface of the polishing pad, wherein at least one of the platen and the wafer carrier moves with respect to the other to impart relative motion between the wafer and the polishing pad. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method for detecting a contour of a planarizing surface of a polishing pad used in mechanical or chemical-mechanical planarization of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a polishing body and a visually distinctive contour indicator embedded in the polishing body so that a top surface of the contour indicator is substantially coplanar with a planarizing surface of the polishing body and a bottom surface of the contour indicator extends to at least an intermediate depth within the polishing body, wherein the contour indicator has a cross section with a contour indicating dimension that changes with increasing depth within the pad in a manner in which a shape of an exposed surface of the contour indicator indicates the contour of the planarizing surface; and detecting a shape of a conditioned surface of the contour indicator to determine a relative contour of the planarizing surface of the polishing pad. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A method for selective conditioning of a polishing pad used in mechanical or chemical-mechanical planarization of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a polishing body and a visually distinctive contour indicator embedded in the polishing body so that a top surface of the contour indicator is substantially coplanar with a planarizing surface of the polishing body and a bottom surface of the contour indicator extends to at least an intermediate depth within the polishing body, wherein the contour indicator has a cross section with a contour indicating dimension that changes with increasing depth within the pad in a manner in which a shape of an exposed surface of the contour indicator indicates the contour of the planarizing surface; removing a portion of the planarizing surface from the polishing pad to bring the planarizing surface into a desired state for planarizing the substrate; and detecting a shape of a conditioned surface of the contour indicator to determine a relative contour of the planarizing surface of the polishing pad. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for chemical-mechanical planarization of a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a polishing pad including a polishing body and a visually distinctive contour indicator embedded in the polishing body so that a top surface of the contour indicator is substantially coplanar with a planarizing surface of the polishing body and a bottom surface of the contour indicator extends to at least an intermediate depth within the polishing body, wherein the contour indicator has a cross section with a contour indicating dimension that changes with increasing depth within the pad in a manner in which a shape of an exposed surface of the contour indicator indicates the contour of the planarizing surface; pressing the wafer against the polishing pad; and moving at least one of the wafer and the polishing pad with respect to the other to impart relative motion therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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46. A polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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a polishing body having a planarizing surface facing the substrate; and a contour indicator embedded in the polishing body and extending for a length across at least a portion of the polishing body, the contour indicator being visually distinguishable from the polishing body, and the contour indicator having first and second side walls spaced apart from one another within the pad to define a cross-sectional shape in which a contour indicating dimension changes with respect to the depth of the pad, wherein the contour indicating dimension at a uniformly planar exposed surface of the contour indicator is uniform along the length of the contour indicator so that exposed edges of the first and second side walls at the exposed surface are parallel to one another.
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Specification