Grid relief in CMP polishing pad to accurately measure pad wear, pad profile and pad wear profile
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorThomas H. Osterheld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring wear of the thickness of a chemical mechanical polishing pad are provided. The apparatus includes a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a plurality of reliefs in a main polishing surface for determining wear of the pad. In one aspect, the pad reliefs comprise through-holes in the pad or extend partially through a thickness of the pad. The method for measuring wear of the thickness of a chemical mechanical polishing pad includes providing a plurality of reliefs in a main polishing surface of the pad and measuring a distance from the main polishing surface to a bottom surface of each of a plurality of the reliefs.
Claims14
A method for measuring wear of the thickness of a chemical mechanical polishing pad, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of reliefs having a bottom surface in a main polishing surface of the pad;
- and
- measuring a distance from the main polishing surface to the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reliefs, wherein the plurality of reliefs are disposed in a predetermined pattern such that the wear of the pad is determinable as a function of pad radius.
A method for measuring wear of the thickness of a chemical mechanical polishing pad, comprising:
- providing a plurality of reliefs having a bottom surface in a main polishing surface of the pad, the reliefs being disposed in a predetermined pattern;
- measuring a distance by laser from the main polishing surface to the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reliefs, wherein the pad has a radius;
- and
- determining wear of the pad as a function of the pad radius, based on the predetermined pattern and the measured distances, to generate a pad wear profile.
A method for measuring wear of the thickness of a chemical mechanical polishing pad, comprising:
- providing a plurality of reliefs having a bottom surface in a main polishing surface of the pad, the plurality of reliefs being disposed in a predetermined pattern;
- measuring a distance by laser from the main polishing surface to the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reliefs;
- and
- determining a wear rate of a first portion of the main polishing surface of the pad based on the predetermined pattern and the measured distances.
An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate comprising,
- a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a plurality of reliefs having a bottom surface in a main polishing surface for determining wear of the pad, wherein the reliefs comprise through-holes in the pad or extend partially through a thickness of the pad;
- and
- means for measuring a distance from the main polishing surface to the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reliefs.
An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate comprising,
- a laser probe;
- and
- a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a plurality of reliefs with a bottom surface disposed in a predetermined pattern thereon, wherein the predetermined pattern is configured to indicate a wear of at least one region of the pad with respect to a pad radius.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.