Method and apparatus for providing intra-tool monitoring and control

An apparatus comprising:

• a barrier and seed layer deposition tool;
• a electrochemical plating tool;
• a chemical-mechanical polishing tool;
• at least one metrology station for testing a semiconductor wafer after one or more process steps are performed by the deposition tool, plating tool and the polishing tool;
• a controller interfaced with the at least one metrology station, the deposition tool, plating tool and the polishing tool;
• and
• a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by the controller, cause the deposition tool, plating tool and the polishing tool to perform the steps of:
• depositing a barrier and seed layer within a trench formed in the semiconductor wafer;
• generating, in response to deposition results, first control parameters;
• performing electrochemical plating to deposit a copper layer upon the barrier and seed layer;
• polishing upon the copper layer;
• and
• controlling the polishing process in response to the first control parameters.

An apparatus comprising:

• a barrier and seed layer deposition tool;
• a electrochemical plating tool;
• a chemical-mechanical polishing tool;
• at least one metrology station for testing a semiconductor wafer after one or more process steps are performed by the deposition tool, plating tool and the polishing tool;
• a controller interfaced with the at least one metrology station, the deposition tool, plating tool and the polishing tool;
• and
• depositing a barrier and seed layer within a trench formed in the semiconductor wafer;
• performing electrochemical plating to deposit a copper layer upon the barrier and seed layer;
• polishing upon the copper layer;
• generating, in response to polishing results, first control parameters;
• and
• controlling the deposition process in response to the first control parameters.