System, control method and apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10792783-B2
Application number	US-201815869056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	Nov 27, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A system, a control method and an apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) are introduced in the present application. The CMP apparatus may include a polishing pad, a first sensor, a polishing head and a condition. The polishing pad has a plurality of groves arranged randomly or in a specific pattern. The first sensor is configured to measure the pad profile of the polishing pad, where the pad profile includes the depth of each of the grooves on the polishing pad. The polishing head and the conditioner are operated according to at least one polishing condition, and the at least one polishing condition is tuned according to the pad profile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, comprising:
a polishing pad that comprises a plurality of grooves on the polishing pad;
a first sensor, configured to measure a pad profile of the polishing pad, wherein the measured pad profile of the polishing pad includes measuring depths and widths of the plurality of grooves;
a polishing head, located above the polishing pad and configured to polish a wafer which is push against the polishing pad according to the measured pad profile; and
a conditioner, located above the polishing pad and configured to recondition the polishing pad according to the measured pad profile,
wherein the polishing head and the conditioner are operated according to at least one condition, the at least one condition includes a rotational speed of the conditioner or a downward force pushing the conditioner against the polishing pad, wherein the condition is tuned, during the measuring, according to the measured depths and widths of the plurality of grooves included in the measured pad profile of the polishing pad.

2. The CMP apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and an image sensor.

3. The CMP apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor includes a three-dimensional laser sensor.

4. The CMP apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one condition further includes at least one of a sweep range of the conditioner, a sweep frequency of the conditioner, and a zone pressure of the polishing head.

5. The CMP apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a second sensor, configured to measure the downward force that pushes the conditioner against the polishing pad; and a third sensor, configured to measure a cutting rate of the conditioner, wherein the at least one condition is tuned according to the pad profile and at least one of the downward force and the cutting rate of the conditioner.

6. The CMP apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising: a fourth sensor, configured to measure a thickness of the wafer, wherein the at least one condition is tuned according to the pad profile and at least one of the downward force, the cutting rate of the conditioner and the thickness of the wafer.

7. The CMP apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising: a fifth sensor, configured to measure a thickness of the wafer, wherein the at least one condition is tuned according to the pad profile and the thickness of the wafer.

8. A control method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus having a polishing pad, a first sensor, a polishing head and a conditioner, the control method comprising:
measuring, by the first sensor, a pad profile of the polishing pad, wherein the measuring of the pad profile of the polishing pad includes measuring depths and widths of a plurality of grooves of the polishing pad;
tuning, during the measuring, at least one condition that includes a rotational speed of the conditioner or a downward force pushing the conditioner against the polishing pad according to the measured depths and widths of the plurality of grooves included in the measured pad profile;
polishing, by the polishing head, a wafer which is push against the measured pad profile of the polishing pad according to the at least one condition; and
reconditioning, by the conditioner, the measured pad profile of the polishing pad according to the at least one condition.

9. The control method of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor includes at least one of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and an image sensor.

10. The control method of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor includes a three-dimensional laser sensor.

11. The control method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one condition further includes at least one of a sweep range and a sweep frequency of the conditioner, and a zone pressure of the polishing head.

12. The control method of claim 8 , further comprising: measuring the downward force that pushes the conditioner against the polishing pad; and measuring a cutting rate of the conditioner, wherein the step of tuning at least one condition according to the pad profile comprises: tuning the at least one condition according to the pad profile and at least one of the downward force and the cutting rate of the conditioner.

13. The control method of claim 12 , further comprising: measuring a thickness of the wafer, wherein the step of tuning at least one condition according to the pad profile comprises: tuning the at least one condition according to the pad profile and at least one of the downward force, the cutting rate of the conditioner and the thickness of the wafer.

14. The control method of claim 8 , further comprising: measuring a thickness of the wafer, wherein the step of tuning at least one condition according to the pad profile comprises: tuning the at least one condition according to the pad profile and the thickness of the wafer.

15. A system, comprising:
a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, comprising:
a polishing pad that comprises a plurality of grooves on the polishing pad,
a first sensor, configured to measure a pad profile of the polishing pad, wherein the measuring of the pad profile of the polishing pad includes measuring depths and widths of the plurality of grooves;
a polishing head, located above the polishing pad and configured to polish a wafer which is push against the polishing pad according to the measured pad profile; and
a conditioner, located above the polishing pad and configured to recondition the polishing pad according to the measured pad profile;
a memory, configured to store program instructions; and
a controller, coupled to the memory and the CMP apparatus, and is configured to execute the program instructions stored in the memory to:
tune, during the measuring at least one condition that includes a rotational speed of the conditioner or a downward force pushing the conditioner against the polishing pad according to the measured depths and widths of the plurality of grooves included in the measured pad profile of the polishing pad; and control the polishing head and the conditioner according to the at least one condition.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one condition includes at least one of a sweep range and a sweep frequency of the conditioner, and a zone pressure of the polishing head.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: a second sensor, configured to measure the downward force that pushes the conditioner against the polishing pad; a third sensor, configured to measure a cutting rate of the conditioner; and a forth sensor, configured to measure a thickness of the wafer, wherein the at least one condition is tuned according to the pad profile and at least one of the downward force, the cutting rate of the conditioner, and the thickness of the wafer.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hu Hsiang-Chu
• Huang Chun-Hai
• Cheng Mu-Han
• Tseng Yu-Chin
• Chen Chien-Chih
• Chen Tzu-Shin

Classifications

• B24B37/26 Primary

  characterised by the shape of the lapping pad surface, e.g. grooved · CPC title

• B24B37/04 Primary

  designed for working plane surfaces · CPC title

• B24B37/34

  Accessories · CPC title

• B24B57/02

  for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents · CPC title

• B24B49/00

  Measuring or gauging equipment for controlling the feed movement of the grinding tool or work; Arrangements of indicating or measuring equipment, e.g. for indicating the start of the grinding operation (B24B33/06, B24B37/005 take precedence; if applicable to other machine tools, B23Q15/00 - B23Q17/00 take precedence) · CPC title