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OwnerShei-Kai CHANG, Theodore Myersinventors
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The present invention provides chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) methods and apparatus suitable for polishing a substrate utilizing a low suspended solids slurry composition. The CMP methods of the invention comprise polishing a substrate with CMP slurry containing a low suspended solids level (e.g., about 0.01 percent by weight to about 1.0 percent by weight) of a particulate abrasive material in a CMP apparatus, while continuously monitoring and accurately maintaining a predetermined total suspended solids (TSS) level in the slurry. Preferably, maximum TSS variability of the slurry is less than about 20 percent (i.e., ±20% of the target TSS level), more preferably less than about 10 percent TSS variability (i.e., ±10% of the target TSS level) during the course of the polishing process.
A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) method for polishing a substrate comprising:
A CMP apparatus comprising a movable platen adapted to hold a polishing pad on the platen, and a movable carrier assembly adapted to hold a substrate and to urge a surface of the substrate against the polishing pad;
A method of diluting a CMP slurry concentrate to a target TSS concentration comprising, monitoring the TSS of the slurry in real time using a suspended solids sensor and adding a diluents until the target TSS concentration is achieved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.