System for real-time control of semiconductor wafer polishing

• US 6,464,564 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Sandhu, Gurtej S., Doan, Trung Tri
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V.
• Application Number:
  US09/838,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 437/7, 437/8, 437/225, 437/249, 451/5, 451/6, 451/7, 451/8, 451/9, 451/10, 451/41, 451/285, 451/53, 451/286, 451/60, 451/287, 451/63, 451/288, 451/289, 451/290
• US Class Current: 451/7
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 15/013 Control or regulation of feed movement B23Q15/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 15/12 Adaptive control, i.e. adjusting itself to have a performance which is optimum according to a preassigned criterion
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 13/015 of television picture tube viewing panels, headlight reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/013 Devices or means for detecting lapping completion
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/015 Temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/107 in a rotary movement only, about an axis being stationary during lapping
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/12 Lapping plates for working plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/205 provided with a window for inspecting the surface of the work being lapped
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/003 involving acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/02 according to the instantaneous size and required size of the workpiece acted upon, the measuring or gauging being continuous or intermittent B24B49/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/04 involving measurement of the workpiece at the place of grinding during grinding operation
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/10 involving electrical means B24B49/02, B24B49/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/12 involving optical means
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 57/02 for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/404 characterised by control arrangements for compensation, e.g. for backlash, overshoot, tool offset, tool wear, temperature, machine construction errors, load, inertia G05B19/19, G05B19/41 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34403 RTI real time, kernel, processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37398 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37602 Material removal rate
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45026 Circuit board, pcb
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45199 Polish
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45232 : CMP chemical mechanical polishing of wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49052 : Accessory, coolant
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49057 : Controlling temperature of workpiece, tool, probe holder

Abstract

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly to polish the wafer face; and a controller selectively adjusting one of a plurality of adjustable polishing parameters during polishing of the wafer.

Claims

1. A method of planarizing a substrate, comprising:

generating friction across said substrate at least in part by biasing said substrate and a polishing surface against each other using a plurality of force-exerting applicators;

sensing temperature at a plurality of areas of said substrate; and

changing temperature of at least one area of said plurality of areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step of sensing temperature at a plurality of areas of said substrate comprises;

sensing a first temperature at a first area of said substrate, and sensing a second temperature at a second area of said substrate, wherein said first temperature is greater than said second temperature; and

said step of changing temperature comprises increasing a force of an applicator proximate said second area of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of changing the temperature comprises heating at least one area of said plurality of areas.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said step of generating friction across the substrate comprises biasing said substrate, a slurry and said polishing surface against each other; and

said step of changing temperature of at least one area of said plurality of areas comprises transferring thermal energy from said slurry to said substrate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of transferring thermal energy from said slurry to said substrate comprises:

heating said slurry; and

dispensing said slurry onto said polishing surface.

6. A method of planarizing a substrate, comprising:

generating friction across said substrate at least in part by biasing said substrate and a polishing surface against each other using a plurality of force-exerting applicators;

sensing a change in respective values for an operating parameter associated with respective ones of a plurality of areas of said substrate; and

modifying the operating parameter of at least one area of said plurality of areas.

7. A method of planarizing a substrate, comprising:

generating friction across said substrate at least in part by biasing said substrate and a polishing surface against each other using a plurality of force-exerting applicators;

sensing a change in respective values for an operating parameter associated with respective ones of a plurality of areas of said substrate; and

modifying the operating parameter of at least one area of said plurality of areas, wherein;

said step of sensing a change in respective values for an operating parameter associated with respective ones of a plurality of areas of said substrate comprises;

sensing a first temperature at a first area of said substrate, and sensing a second temperature at a second area of said substrate, wherein said first temperature is greater than said second temperature; and

said step of modifying the operating parameter of at least one area comprises changing temperature by increasing a force of an applicator proximate said second area of the substrate.

8. A method of planarizing a substrate, comprising:

generating friction across said substrate at least in part by biasing said substrate and a polishing surface against each other using a plurality of force-exerting applicators;

sensing a change in respective values for an operating parameter associated with respective ones of a plurality of areas of said substrate; and

modifying the operating parameter of at least one area of said plurality of areas, wherein said step of modifying the operating parameter comprises heating at least one area of said plurality of areas.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said step of generating friction across the substrate comprises biasing said substrate, a slurry and said polishing surface against each other; and

said step of modifying the operating parameter of at least one area of said plurality of areas comprises transferring thermal energy from said slurry to said substrate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of transferring thermal energy from said slurry to said substrate comprises:

heating said slurry; and

dispensing said slurry onto said polishing surface.