Process for polishing and analyzing an exposed surface of a patterned semiconductor
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorThomas S. Kobayashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A layer over a patterned semiconductor is polished and analyzed to determine a polishing endpoint. The analysis may be performed using reflected radiation beams or by a radiation scattering analyzer. The analysis may be performed on virtually any layer using a radiation source. The analysis may be performed with a liquid, such as an aqueous slurry, contacting the substrate. The polishing and analysis may be integrated such that both steps are performed on the same polisher.
Claims25
A process for polishing a layer over a patterned semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:
- forming the layer over the patterned semiconductor substrate, wherein the layer has a first exposed surface that lies at a first elevation and a second elevation that is different from the first elevation and has a first edge that lies between the first and second elevations;
- polishing the layer to form a second exposed surface;
- and
- analyzing the second exposed surface with a radiation beam wherein the step of polishing is repeated if the radiation beam is reflected by the first edge.
A process for polishing a layer over a patterned semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:
- forming the layer over the patterned semiconductor substrate, wherein:
- the patterned semiconductor substrate has a substrate surface that lies at a plurality of substrate elevations, wherein substrate edges lie between different elevations within the plurality of substrate elevations;
- the layer has a first exposed surface that lies at a first elevation and a second elevation that is different from the first elevation, wherein a first edge lies between the first and second elevations;
- polishing the layer to form a second exposed surface having a second topography;
- and
- analyzing the second exposed surface with a radiation beam to form an output, wherein the step of polishing is repeated until only the substrate edges, and not the first edge, are detected in the output.
A process for polishing a layer over a patterned semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of:
- forming the layer over the patterned semiconductor substrate, wherein the layer has a first exposed surface;
- polishing the layer to form a second exposed surface with a slurry having slurry particles;
- analyzing the second exposed surface at a location with a radiation beam, wherein this step is performed while particles are present at the location;
- and
- drying the patterned semiconductor substrate after the step of analyzing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.