# US 11,897,077 B2 · Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,077 B2 - Document ID: US11897077B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/183,947 - Filed: 2021-02-24 - Published: 2021-09-16 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-10 - Assignees: Kioxia Corporation - Applicants: Kioxia Corporation - Inventors: Tsutomu Miki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897077B2 ## CPC - B24B 37/005: Control means for lapping machines or devices - H10P 70/277: {the processing being a planarisation of conductive layers} - H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement} - H10P 95/064: {the removal being chemical etching} - B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a first top ring that is rotatable and configured to hold a wafer, a first turntable that is rotatable and has a polishing pad for performing polishing of a film formed on the wafer, a sound measuring unit (sensor) that measures a first sound generated during the polishing, and a first calculation unit (controller) that calculates a polishing amount of the film based on a first sound pressure of the first sound, a polishing amount per unit time of the polishing, and a time of the polishing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a rotatable first top ring configured to hold a wafer having a film; a rotatable first turntable having a polishing pad arranged to perform polishing of the film; a sound sensor configured to measure a first sound generated during the polishing; and a controller configured to calculate a polishing amount of the film based on (i) a first sound pressure of the first sound, (ii) a polishing amount per unit time of the polishing, and (iii) an elapsed time of the polishing, wherein a prediction value of the polishing amount is determined based on the first sound pressure during polishing, a second sound pressure before polishing, and the polishing amount per unit time according to Equation (2), Prediction ⁢ value ⁢ of ⁢ polishing ⁢ amount = ∑ t = 1 n ( ∫ f ⁢ 1 f 2 ( Sound ⁢ pressure ⁢ during ⁢ polishing - Sound ⁢ pressure ⁢ before ⁢ polishing ) × Polishing ⁢ amount ⁢ per ⁢ unit ⁢ time ) ( 2 ) ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polishing amount per unit time is predetermined for a plurality of materials to be polished. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first memory that stores the polishing amount per unit time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the polishing based on the polishing amount of the film and a target polishing amount. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the target polishing amount is predetermined for a plurality of materials to be polished. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a second memory that stores the target polishing amount. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the first sound pressure of the first sound. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide a regression model for predicting the first sound pressure, calculate a first sound prediction value using the regression model, and calculate the polishing amount of the film based on the first sound pressure prediction value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: calculate a correction coefficient based on the regression model, and calculate the first sound pressure prediction value based on the first sound pressure and the correction coefficient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second sound pressure includes a third sound pressure of a third sound generated from the first top ring and a fourth sound pressure of a fourth sound generated from the first turntable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the polishing amount of the film by using a fifth sound pressure which is a difference between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sound sensor is configured to measure a sixth sound falling within a frequency bandwidth of 20 kHz or higher and 100 kHz or lower. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sound sensor is configured to measure a seventh sound falling within a frequency bandwidth of 20 kHz or higher and 70 kHz or lower. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sound sensor is configured to measure an eighth sound falling within a frequency bandwidth of 20 kHz or higher and 50 kHz or lower. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sound sensor is configured to measure a ninth sound falling within a frequency bandwidth of 20 kHz or higher and 100 kHz or lower and a tenth sound falling within a frequency bandwidth of 10 Hz or higher and less than 20 kHz, and the controller is configured to control the polishing based on a second polishing amount of the film calculated based on a ninth sound pressure of the ninth sound, and a third polishing amount of the film calculated based on a tenth sound pressure of the tenth sound. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second rotatable top ring; and a second rotatable turntable, wherein the second sound pressure further includes an eleventh sound pressure of an eleventh sound generated from the second top ring and a twelfth sound pressure of a twelfth sound generated from the second turntable. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a robotic hand configured to move the wafer to the first top ring; and a cleaner configured to clean the wafer, wherein the second sound pressure further includes a thirteenth sound pressure of a thirteenth sound generated from the robotic hand and a fourteenth sound pressure of a fourteenth sound generated from the cleaner. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a robotic hand configured to move the wafer to the first top ring; and a cleaner configured to clean the wafer.