Methods of detecting non-conforming substrate processing events during chemical mechanical polishing

A polishing system, comprising:

• a rotatable platen;
• a substrate carrier disposed over the rotatable platen and facing there towards;
• a temperature sensor disposed over the rotatable platen, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned to measure a polishing pad temperature at a location proximate to a trailing edge of the substrate carrier;
• and
• a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising:
• (a) urging a surface of a substrate against a polishing pad, wherein the polishing pad is disposed on the rotatable platen, wherein the substrate is disposed in a substrate carrier, and wherein urging the surface of the substrate against the polishing pad comprises rotating the rotatable platen and the substrate carrier while exerting a downward force on the substrate;
• (b) receiving polishing pad temperature information from the temperature sensor;
• (c) determining, using polishing pad temperature information, a rate of change in the polishing pad temperature over time;
• (d) comparing the rate of change of the polishing pad temperature to a predetermined control limit;
• and
• (e) communicating an out-of-control event to a user, wherein the out-of-control event comprises a rate of change of the polishing pad temperature that is equal to or outside of the predetermined control limit.

A method of polishing a substrate comprising:

• (a) urging a surface of a substrate against a polishing pad, wherein the substrate is disposed in a substrate carrier, and wherein urging the surface of the substrate against the polishing pad comprises translating the substrate carrier relative to the polishing pad while exerting a downward force on the substrate;
• (b) receiving motor torque information from one or more motor torque sensors;
• (c) determining a rate of change in the motor torque information over time using the motor torque information from the one or more motor torque sensors;
• (d) comparing the rate of change of the motor torque information to a predetermined control limit;
• and
• (e) communicating to a desired user an out-of-control event, wherein the out-of-control event comprises a rate of change of the motor torque information that is equal to or outside of the predetermined control limit.