Method and apparatus for within-wafer profile localized tuning
OwnerJun Yanginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for within-wafer profile localized tuning is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes providing a wafer attached to a rotating vacuum stage front side up, the wafer including a surface film with an incoming film thickness profile, providing a pad attached to a rotating head front side down, the head configured to sweep along a path, computing a film thickness removal amount based upon the incoming film thickness profile, and removing at least a portion of the surface film of the wafer based on the computed film thickness removal amount via a plurality of steps.
Claims30
A method for thickness profile tuning, comprising:
- providing a rotating vacuum stage configured to hold a wafer, the wafer comprising an upwardly facing surface film with an incoming film thickness profile;
- providing a pad attached to a rotating head, the pad comprising a downwardly facing front side surface, the head configured to sweep along a path, a surface area of the head being less than a surface area of the wafer;
- removing at least a portion of the surface film of the wafer via a plurality of steps, each of the steps comprising:
- bringing the surface film of the wafer and the front side surface of the pad into contact with each other, and
- sweeping the head along the path;
- and
- adjusting one or more parameters for each of the removal steps to affect an amount of film thickness removed,
- wherein the one or more parameters are adjusted based on the incoming film thickness profile and a criteria for the within-wafer-uniformity of the wafer.
A system for thickness profile tuning of a wafer, comprising:
- a rotating vacuum stage configured to hold a wafer, the wafer comprising an upwardly facing surface film with an incoming film thickness profile;
- a rotating head;
- a pad attached to the rotating head, the pad comprising a downwardly facing front side surface, the rotating head configured to sweep the pad along a path, a surface area of the head being less than a surface area of the wafer;
- a controller;
- and
- a computer-readable memory in communication with the controller and having stored thereon computer executable instructions to cause the controller to:
- remove at least a portion of the surface film of the wafer via a plurality of steps, each of the steps comprising:
- bringing the surface film of the wafer and the front side down surface of the pad into contact with each other, and
- sweeping the head along the path, and
- adjust one or more parameters for each of the removal steps to affect an amount of film thickness removed,
- wherein the one or more parameters are adjusted based on the incoming thickness profile and a criteria for the within-wafer-uniformity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.