Pad conditioner control using feedback from a measured polishing pad roughness level
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorThomas W. Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a system for controlling a pad conditioner in a CMP device. The system includes a roughness-sensing device mounted in proximity to a polishing pad. The roughness-sensing device generates an output responsive to a roughness of the polishing pad. A signal-processing unit then generates a roughness value of the polishing pad in response to the output from the roughness-sensing device, and generates a control signal in response to the generated roughness value. Finally, a control device controls motion of the pad conditioner in response to the control signal.
Claims7
A method for controlling a pad conditioner in a CMP device, comprising:
- sensing a roughness of a CMP polishing pad using a roughness-sensing device;
- determining a roughness value of the CMP polishing pad based on the sensed roughness;
- generating a control signal in response to the roughness value;
- and
- applying the control signal to a pad conditioner control device to non-uniformly condition the polishing pad to a roughness profile with a continuously varying shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.