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US 2010/0144244 A1Published application
Endpoint detection system for wafer polishing
AssigneeStrasbaugh
InventorStephan H. Wolf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An wafer polishing pad assembly for use in CMP includes an optical sensor for sensing reflectivity of the wafer during polishing, and produces a corresponding signal, and transmits the signal from the rotating pad to a stationary portion of the assembly. The signal is transmitting off the pad through non-contact couplings such inductive coupling or optical couplings after being converted into signal formats enabling non-contact transmission.
Claims8
A method of polishing a wafer, said method comprising:
- providing a polishing pad assembly for polishing a wafer surface and collecting and transmitting data relating to the condition of the wafer surface, said polishing pad assembly comprising:
- a polishing pad;
- means for directing light at the wafer surface, said means disposed within the polishing pad;
- and
- means for detecting light reflected from the wafer surface and creating an electrical signal corresponding to the light reflected, said means for detecting light disposed within the polishing pad;
- providing means for processing the electrical signal corresponding to the light reflected and producing a corresponding processed signal;
- providing a transmitter for transmitting the processed signal;
- polishing the wafer, including rotating the pad, and transmitting the processed signal from the polishing pad, during rotation of the pad, to a receiver which is stationary relative to the rotating pad.
5 more elements
A method of polishing a wafer, said method comprising:
- providing a polishing pad for use in performing a polishing operation on a surface of a wafer;
- providing optical means within said polishing pad for sensing an optical characteristic of the surface during the polishing operation;
- polishing the pad, including rotating the pad, and generating a signal corresponding to the optical characteristic as sensed by the optical means, and transmitting said signal from the polishing pad, during rotation of the pad, to a receiver which is stationary relative to the rotating pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.