US5599423A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus and method for simulating and optimizing a chemical mechanical polishing system
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-30
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Granted: 1997-02-04
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Expires: 2015-06-30
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and concomitant method for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system containing a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad with respect to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad. The CMP system simulation method comprises: defining polishing pad and substrate parameters; defining simulation parameters; determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and displaying the polishing result. Additionally, the simulation optimizes selected parameters to achieve a specified polishing non-uniformity across a substrate. Also, the simulation and optimization routines are interfaced to CMP system hardware to optimally control a substrate polishing process to achieve predetermined substrate polishing non-uniformity.
Inventors
- 👤 Norman W. Parker
- 👤 Robert D. Tolles
- 👤 Harry Q. Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 01:46
CPC Classifications
B; B24; B24B; B24B49/00; B24B37/00; B24B37/04; B24B37/042; B24B51/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system having a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad relative to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad, said method comprising the steps of: (a) defining polishing pad and substrate parameters; (b) defining simulation parameters; (c) determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and (d) displaying said polishing result.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system having a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad relative to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad, said method comprising the steps of: (a) defining polishing pad and substrate parameters; (b) defining simulation parameters; (c) determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and (d) displaying said polishing result.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of defining said polishing pad and substrate parameters further comprises the steps of: defining a radius of said substrate; defining a plurality of concentric dwell time zones within said substrate; defining dwell times for each dwell time zone; defining a polishing pad radius; defining a plurality of concentric rings within said polishing pad; and defining a fill factor for each ring representing an amount of the polishing pad that participates in polishing the substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said dwell times are non-linear across the plurality of dwell time zones.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the fill factor for each ring is non-linear across the plurality of rings.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of associating a variable polishing rate with each ring of said polishing pad to simulate aging of said polishing pad.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of altering said dwell times to compensate for said aging.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of optimizing at least one of said parameters to achieve a predefined optimization criterion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said predefined optimization criterion is a standard deviation of said polishing result.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said optimizing step further comprises the step of executing a recursive, multi-dimensional optimization process.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of retrieving said polishing pad and substrate parameters and said simulation parameters from CMP system hardware and operating said CMP system hardware using at least one of said optimized parameters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said CMP system is a small pad CMP system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said CMP system is a large pad system.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
96 words
A method for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system having a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad relative to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad, said method comprising the steps of: (a) defining polishing pad and substrate parameters; (b) defining simulation parameters; (c) determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and (d) controlling, in response to said polishing result and said simulation parameters, a CMP system.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
96 words
A method for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system having a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad relative to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad, said method comprising the steps of: (a) defining polishing pad and substrate parameters; (b) defining simulation parameters; (c) determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and (d) controlling, in response to said polishing result and said simulation parameters, a CMP system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said step of defining simulation parameters further comprises the step of retrieving initial simulation parameters from said CMP system.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said determining step further comprises the steps of varying said simulation parameters and determining, in response to the varied simulation parameters, a polishing result.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said step of defining simulation parameters further comprises the step of: defining a plurality of sets of simulation parameters, and wherein said determining step further comprises the steps of: determining a plurality of polishing results, where each of said polishing results is associated with one of the sets of simulation parameters, and selecting a polishing result and an associated set of simulation parameters used to achieve the selected polishing result from said plurality of polishing results and sets of simulation parameters.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said controlling step further comprises the step of controlling the CMP system using the selected set of simulation parameters.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system having a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad relative to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad, said apparatus comprising: means for defining polishing pad parameters, substrate parameters and simulation parameters; a processing unit for determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and means for displaying said polishing result.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus for simulating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system having a polishing pad, a chuck for supporting a substrate, a positioner for positioning the polishing pad relative to the substrate, a chuck rotator for rotating the chuck, and a polishing pad rotator for rotating the polishing pad, said apparatus comprising: means for defining polishing pad parameters, substrate parameters and simulation parameters; a processing unit for determining, in response to said polishing pad, substrate and simulation parameters, a polishing result; and means for displaying said polishing result.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said defining means further comprises: means for defining a radius of said substrate, a plurality of concentric dwell time zones within said substrate, dwell times for each dwell time zone, a polishing pad radius, a plurality of concentric rings within said polishing pad, and a fill factor for each ring representing an amount of the polishing pad that participates in polishing the substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said dwell times are non-linear across the plurality of dwell time zones.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the fill factor for each ring are non-linear across the plurality of rings.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising means for associating a variable polishing rate with each ring of said polishing pad to simulate aging of said polishing pad.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising means for altering said dwell times to compensate for said aging.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising means for optimizing at least one of said parameters to achieve a predefined optimization criterion.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said predefined optimization criterion is a standard deviation of said polishing results.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said optimizing means further comprises means for executing a recursive, multi-dimensional optimization process.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising interface means for retrieving said polishing pad parameters, said substrate parameters and said simulation parameters from CMP system hardware, where said CMP system hardware operates using at least one of said optimized parameters.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said CMP system is a small pad CMP system.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said CMP system is a large pad system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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