System for real-time control of semiconductor wafer polishing including optical montoring

Claim 1

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a slurry supply system configured to deliver a slurry to the polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and configured to hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly; an optical measurement system including a liquid filled, wafer receiving area which selectively receives the wafer, the wafer receiving area being spaced apart from the platen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platen, the optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face; and a robot selectively moving the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area.

Claim 2

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a slurry supply system configured to deliver a slurry to the polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and configured to hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly; an optical measurement system including a liquid filled, wafer receiving area which selectively receives the wafer, the wafer receiving area being spaced apart from the platen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platen, the optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face; and a robot selectively moving the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area.

Claim 12

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, a polishing head which supports the semiconductor wafer, and a polishing head displacement mechanism which moves the polishing head and wafer across the platen along an adjustable polishing path, the wafer polishing assembly having a plurality of controllable operational parameters that upon variation change the polishing rate and polishing uniformity; a controller operably coupled to the wafer polishing assembly for monitoring and managing in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly; a processor operably coupled to the controller for determining a set of desired operational parameters based on the monitored operational parameters and outputting control information indicative of the desired operational parameters to the controller, the controller adjusting in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly, including the polishing path, in response to the control information from the processor to effectuate a new polishing rate and a new polishing uniformity as the wafer polishing assembly continues to polish the face of the semiconductor wafer; and an optical measurement system selectively measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face, the optical measurement system including a liquid filled wafer receiving area keeping the wafer face wet while the film thickness measurements are taken.

Claim 13

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, a polishing head which supports the semiconductor wafer, and a polishing head displacement mechanism which moves the polishing head and wafer across the platen along an adjustable polishing path, the wafer polishing assembly having a plurality of controllable operational parameters that upon variation change the polishing rate and polishing uniformity; a controller operably coupled to the wafer polishing assembly for monitoring and managing in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly; a processor operably coupled to the controller for determining a set of desired operational parameters based on the monitored operational parameters and outputting control information indicative of the desired operational parameters to the controller, the controller adjusting in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly, including the polishing path, in response to the control information from the processor to effectuate a new polishing rate and a new polishing uniformity as the wafer polishing assembly continues to polish the face of the semiconductor wafer; and an optical measurement system selectively measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face, the optical measurement system including a liquid filled wafer receiving area keeping the wafer face wet while the film thickness measurements are taken.

Claim 24

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, a polishing head which supports the semiconductor wafer, and a polishing head displacement mechanism which moves the polishing head and wafer across the platen, the wafer polishing assembly having a plurality of controllable operational parameters that upon variation change the polishing rate and polishing uniformity; a controller operably coupled to the wafer polishing assembly for monitoring and managing in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly; a processor operably coupled to the controller for determining a set of desired operational parameters based on the monitored operational parameters and outputting control information indicative of the desired operational parameters to the controller, the controller adjusting in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly in response to the control information from the processor to effectuate a new polishing rate and a new polishing uniformity as the wafer polishing assembly continues to polish the face of the semiconductor wafer; a detector operating on the wafer and communicating with the processor to determine whether polishing of the wafer is complete, the detector including an optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face while the wafer is under a liquid, the optical measurement system including an optical window spaced apart from the platen, a liquid containing wafer receiving area above the window movable optics below the window which scan the wafer face while the wafer face remains stationary, and a pattern recognition system; and a robot selectively moving the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area above the window.

Claim 25

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, a polishing head which supports the semiconductor wafer, and a polishing head displacement mechanism which moves the polishing head and wafer across the platen, the wafer polishing assembly having a plurality of controllable operational parameters that upon variation change the polishing rate and polishing uniformity; a controller operably coupled to the wafer polishing assembly for monitoring and managing in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly; a processor operably coupled to the controller for determining a set of desired operational parameters based on the monitored operational parameters and outputting control information indicative of the desired operational parameters to the controller, the controller adjusting in situ at least one of the operational parameters of the wafer polishing assembly in response to the control information from the processor to effectuate a new polishing rate and a new polishing uniformity as the wafer polishing assembly continues to polish the face of the semiconductor wafer; a detector operating on the wafer and communicating with the processor to determine whether polishing of the wafer is complete, the detector including an optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face while the wafer is under a liquid, the optical measurement system including an optical window spaced apart from the platen, a liquid containing wafer receiving area above the window movable optics below the window which scan the wafer face while the wafer face remains stationary, and a pattern recognition system; and a robot selectively moving the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area above the window.

Claim 26

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and configured to hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen; a detector operating on the wafer to determine whether polishing of the wafer is complete, the detector including an optical measurement system including a wafer receiving area which selectively receives the wafer, the wafer receiving area being spaced apart from the platen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platen, the optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face; and a robot selectively moving the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area.

Claim 27

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and configured to hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen; a detector operating on the wafer to determine whether polishing of the wafer is complete, the detector including an optical measurement system including a wafer receiving area which selectively receives the wafer, the wafer receiving area being spaced apart from the platen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platen, the optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face; and a robot selectively moving the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area.

Claim 28

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, and a wafer receiving polishing head facing the platen and configured to support a semiconductor wafer and hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen; a detector operating on the wafer to determine whether polishing of the wafer is complete, the detector including an optical measurement system which selectively receives the wafer, the wafer receiving area being spaced apart from the platen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platen, the optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face; and a robot configured to periodically move the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area.

Claim 29

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising: a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen, and a wafer receiving polishing head facing the platen and configured to support a semiconductor wafer and hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen; a detector operating on the wafer to determine whether polishing of the wafer is complete, the detector including an optical measurement system which selectively receives the wafer, the wafer receiving area being spaced apart from the platen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the platen, the optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face; and a robot configured to periodically move the wafer between the platen and the wafer receiving area.