Unlock instant, AI-driven research and patent intelligence for your innovation.

Method and apparatus for detecting wafer slipouts

Inactive Publication Date: 2001-12-13
APPLIED MATERIALS INC
View PDF0 Cites 7 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Occasionally, a triggering event causes the retainment of the substrate within the polishing head to become partially or completely lost.
For example, some of the pressure biasing the ring towards the polishing material may be lost, thus diminishing the force capturing the substrate between the polishing head and the polishing material.
Once the wafer has slipped out from under the polishing head, the substrate may be scratched or broken.
Additionally, if the slipout event is not timely detected, valuable production time is lost while the damaged wafer waiting to be removed from the polisher.
Additionally, the non-retained wafer left in the processing area may damage the tool or tool components such as sensors or wiring.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Method and apparatus for detecting wafer slipouts
  • Method and apparatus for detecting wafer slipouts
  • Method and apparatus for detecting wafer slipouts

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary chemical mechanical polishing system 100 having one embodiment of a slipout detection mechanism (slipout detector) 102 coupled thereto. Although the slipout detector 102 is described in reference to one embodiment of a chemical mechanical polishing system 100, the slipout detector 102 may readily be adapted to other chemical mechanical polishing systems that utilize a polishing head to retain a substrate against a polishing surface.

[0017] Generally, the exemplary polishing system 100 includes a polishing table (platen) 104, a drive system 106 and a polishing head 108. The platen 104 generally has a polishing material 110 disposed on a top surface 112. The platen 104 may include a subpad (not shown) disposed in the top surface 112 beneath the polishing material 110 to maintain an effective modulus of the polishing material 110, subpad and platen 104 stack at a predetermined value that produces a desired polishing result. The platen ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

PropertyMeasurementUnit
Electric potential / voltageaaaaaaaaaa
Login to View More

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting the disengagement of a workpiece from a polishing head is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus generally includes a polishing head and a detector. The polishing head has a fixed portion and a first portion. The detector is adapted to provide a metric indicative of relative motion between the fixed portion and the first portion.

Description

[0001] This application claims benefit of United States Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 185,787, filed Feb. 29, 2000, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for detecting wafer slipouts from a polishing head.[0004] 2. Background of the Invention[0005] In semiconductor wafer processing, the use of chemical mechanical planarization, or CMP, has gained favor due to the enhanced ability to increase device density on a semiconductor workpiece, or substrate, such as a wafer. Chemical mechanical planarization systems typically include a polishing head and a platen that supports a polishing material. The polishing head generally includes a ring that circumscribes a substrate receiving pocket in which the substrate is retained during processing. Processing of the substrate is generally performed by providing relative motion...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
IPC IPC(8): B24B37/005B24B37/30B24B49/10
CPCB24B37/0053B24B37/30B24B49/10
Inventor DONOHUE, TIMOTHY J.
Owner APPLIED MATERIALS INC