Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorCheng-Chin Peng
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Abstract
The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus to remove consumable (e.g., sacrificial) polishing pad layers from a multilayer polishing pad. For example, the method includes measuring a thickness profile of a top polishing pad layer of a multilayer polishing pad and comparing the thickness profile to a threshold. The method, in response to the thickness profile being above the threshold, rinses the top polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad and removes, after the top polishing pad layer has been rinsed, the top polishing pad layer to expose an underlying polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- determining a maximum vertical distance between two points on a top surface of a multilayer polishing pad, wherein the multilayer polishing pad comprises a plurality of polishing pad layers;
- comparing the maximum vertical distance to a threshold;
- and
- in response to the maximum vertical distance being above the threshold, removing a top polishing pad layer of the plurality of polishing pad layers.
A method, comprising:
- monitoring a profile of a top surface of a multilayer polishing pad;
- determining a maximum vertical distance of the profile of the top surface;
- and
- in response to the maximum vertical distance being above a threshold, removing, using a laser beam, a top polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad.
A system, comprising:
- a multilayer polishing pad;
- a sensor configured to measure a profile of a top surface of a top polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad;
- and
- a laser device configured to generate a laser beam propagating in a direction along the top surface to remove a top polishing pad layer from a side surface of the top polishing pad layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.