Method of polishing and cleaning substrates
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsJay D. Pinson, II, Arulkumar Shanmugasundram
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The substrate processing system has a factory interface module, a chemical mechanical polisher, a cleaner, a particle monitor and a substrate transfer system disposed as an integrated system. The factory interface module may includes a chamber a storage station located in a chamber of the module to hold a plurality of substrates in a substantially horizontal position. The storage station may hold pad break-in wafers for pad preconditioning and/or monitor wafers for defects monitoring. The particle monitor may have a port coupled to the factory interface module.
Claims9
A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
- transferring a first substrate from a storage station in a factory interface module to a polisher;
- breaking in a polishing pad at the polisher with the first substrate;
- returning the first substrate to the storage station;
- transferring a second substrate from a cassette through the factory interface module to the polisher;
- polishing the second substrate;
- cleaning the second substrate;
- and
- returning the second substrate to the cassette.
A method of processing substrates, comprising:
- transferring a first substrate from a cassette through a factory interface module to a polisher;
- polishing the first substrate at the polisher;
- cleaning the first substrate at a cleaner;
- transferring a second substrate from a storage station in the factory interface module to the polisher;
- polishing the second substrate at the polisher;
- cleaning the second substrate at the cleaner;
- transferring the second substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to a defect monitor;
- measuring a defect parameter of the second substrate with the defect monitor;
- modifying a polishing parameter of the polisher based on the defect parameter.
A method of processing substrates, comprising:
- transferring a device substrate from a cassette through a factory interface module to a polisher;
- polishing the device substrate at the polisher;
- cleaning the device substrate at a cleaner;
- transferring the device substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to a defect monitor;
- measuring a first defect parameter of the device with the defect monitor;
- transferring a monitor substrate from a storage station in the factory interface module to the polisher;
- polishing the monitor substrate at the polisher;
- cleaning transferring the monitor substrate from the cleaner through the factory interface module to the defect monitor;
- measuring a second defect parameter of the monitor substrate with the defect monitor;
- and
- comparing the first defect parameter to the second defect parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.