In situ technique for monitoring and controlling a process of chemical-mechanical-polishing via a radiative communication link
First Claim
1. In an apparatus for processing an article by chemical-mechanical-polishing wherein the article is contacted by a moving element, a system for monitoring said processing, comprising:
- means including a detector carried by said moving element for receiving a first radiation signal from said article and generate a local signal providing information of the state of the processing of the article by chemical-mechanical-polishing,means carried by said moving element for generating from said local signal a second radiation signal that is transmitted without use of physical transmission media connected thereto, said second radiation signal containing the information of the state of the processing of the article by chemical-mechanical-polishing, andmeans separated from the moving element for receiving said second radiation signal in order to determine the state of the processing of the article by chemical-mechanical-polishing.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an apparatus for removing material from an article, such as an exposed surface of an intermediate integrated circuit structure, by planarizing, polishing, etching or the like, a sensor is mechanically coupled to a moving carrier of the article for directing through the article to its first side an electromagnetic radiation beam having a wavelength band to which the structure is substantially transparent. The beam is detected after interacting with the article, such as being reflected from its exposed surface, and resulting information of the state of the processing of the exposed surface is transmitted from the moving carrier to a stationary receiver by radiation without the use of any physical transmission media such as wires or optical fibers. Multiple sensors mounted on the moving article carrier provide information of the uniformity of the processing across the exposed article surface. The radiation signal received by the stationary receiver is used to monitor or control the processing, such as by determining an endpoint thereof.
198 Citations
44 Claims
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1. In an apparatus for processing an article by chemical-mechanical-polishing wherein the article is contacted by a moving element, a system for monitoring said processing, comprising:
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means including a detector carried by said moving element for receiving a first radiation signal from said article and generate a local signal providing information of the state of the processing of the article by chemical-mechanical-polishing, means carried by said moving element for generating from said local signal a second radiation signal that is transmitted without use of physical transmission media connected thereto, said second radiation signal containing the information of the state of the processing of the article by chemical-mechanical-polishing, and means separated from the moving element for receiving said second radiation signal in order to determine the state of the processing of the article by chemical-mechanical-polishing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In an apparatus for processing a front side of an article, wherein the apparatus includes a moving carrier that holds a backside of the article across a given surface, a system for monitoring the processing, comprising:
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means mounted to said carrier and moving therewith for directing interrogating radiation to said surface and receiving a portion of said radiation by reflection when an article is held thereat, said radiation containing information of the state of the processing of the front side of the article, means mounted to said carrier and receiving said article reflected radiation for generating a wireless radiation signal therefrom and transmitting the wireless radiation signal without use of physical transmission media connected to the carrier, said wireless radiation signal carrying said information from the reflected radiation of the state of the processing of the front side of the article, and means positioned off of said carrier and receiving said wireless radiation signal for determining the state of the processing of the front side of the article. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. In an apparatus for chemical-mechanical-polishing a film on a substrate contacted by a moving element, a system for monitoring a thickness of the film during the chemical-mechanical-polishing, comprising:
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at least one sensor attached to the moving element and which provides at least one local signal with information of the film thickness during the chemical-mechanical-polishing of the film, a controller positioned outside of the processing chamber to detect the film thickness information of said at least one local signal, and a communication link of said information between the sensor and controller including a radiation signal formed from said at least one local signal and having a portion of the communication link without any physical transmission media carrying the radiation signal containing the information of the film thickness being monitored. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A system for monitoring chemical-mechanical-processing of a front side of an article in an apparatus that includes a carrier with a given surface to hold a backside of the article thereagainst and a motor source that moves the carrier given surface with respect to an abrasive media with which the front side of an article is placed in contact when the article is held by the given surface, said system comprising:
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a source of radiation mounted to said carrier that directs interrogating radiation through said carrier to said given surface and through an article held thereby, a detector mounted to said carrier to receive a portion of said radiation reflected from an area of the front side of an article held by said given surface, thereby to obtain information of the state of chemical-mechanical-processing taking place on the article front side, a transmitter that is mounted to said carrier and receives a signal from the detector to generate a wireless radiation signal therefrom that carries said information, and a receiver separated from said carrier and receiving said wireless radiation signal without use of any physical transmission media therebetween that determines the state of the chemical-mechanical-processing of the front side of the article. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A system for monitoring chemical-mechanical-processing of an article in an apparatus that includes a carrier with a given surface to hold a backside of the article thereagainst and a motor source that moves the carrier given surface with respect to an abrasive media with which the article is placed in contact when the article is held by the given surface, said system comprising:
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a source of radiation mounted to said carrier that directs interrogating radiation through said carrier to said given surface and onto an article held thereby in at least first and second areas thereof, first detector mounted to said carrier to receive a portion of said radiation reflected from the first area of the article held by said given surface, thereby to obtain information of the state of chemical-mechanical-processing taking place in the first area of the article, a second detector mounted to said carrier to receive a portion of said radiation reflected from the second area of the article held by said given surface, thereby to obtain information of the state of chemical-mechanical-processing taking place in the second area of the article, a transmitter that is mounted to said carrier and receives signals from the first and second detectors to generate a wireless radiation signal therefrom that carries the information of the states of chemical-mechanical-processing taking place in the first and second areas of the article, and a receiver separated from said carrier and receiving said wireless radiation signal without use of any physical transmission media therebetween that determines the state of the chemical-mechanical-processing of the first and second areas of the article. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification