Abstract: A polishing tool used for a CMP process is disclosed. The polishing tool includes a polishing platen for holding a wafer faced-up thereon and carrying the wafer to move to and fro between a first position and a second position, a polishing pad for polishing the wafer, and a holder for holding the polishing pad to self-rotate and carrying the polishing pad to move across the wafer surface and further driving the polishing pad to polish the wafer.

Abstract: A polishing tool used for a CMP process is disclosed. The polishing tool includes a polishing platen for holding a wafer faced-up thereon and carrying the wafer to move to and fro between a first position and a second position, a polishing pad for polishing the wafer, and a holder for holding the polishing pad to self-rotate and carrying the polishing pad to move across the wafer surface and further driving the polishing pad to polish the wafer.

Abstract: A method of depositing a thin film. The method involves rotating deposited species around a normal line of a wafer, wherein an incident direction of the deposited species makes an angle with the normal line of the wafer, so that the deposited species is deposited over the wafer.

Abstract: A method of polishing a wafer is disclosed. The wafer has formed thereon an oxide layer that has at least one via. A metal layer is formed on the oxide layer and in the via. The wafer is then polished against an outer portion of a polishing pad until the metal layer outside of the via has been removed. The outer portion has a first hardness. Next, the wafer is polished against an inner portion of the polishing pad. The inner portion of the polishing pad has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

Abstract: A new method is provided for determining the optimum film thickness of a film that is to be deposited over a semiconductor surface. The invention observes the electrical current and the therefrom resulting torque that is supplied to a rotating part of a polishing apparatus, from this the CMP end-point can be determined for a reference film that has been deposited. This technique is known as the “CMP end-point detection” technique. The invention addresses observing CMP end-point curves for films of various thicknesses and compares these CMP end-point curves of one film thickness with each other and calculates a deviation for multiple layers (deposited on different wafers) of that film thickness. The process is repeated for different film thickness. The film thickness that has a deviation of the CMP end-point curve that closest resembles an optimum deviation is the film thickness that is selected as having the optimum thickness for the deposition of that film.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filtering a slurry used in a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus is disclosed. Magnets are provided along the piping network between a slurry reservoir and the CMP apparatus. A magnet may also be placed adjacent to the slurry reservoir to prevent iron oxide particles from traveling with the slurry to the CMP apparatus. The magnets attract iron oxide particles from the slurry and remove those particles from the slurry prior to polishing. This reduces the amount of defects caused by the iron oxide particles in the slurry.

Abstract: A method for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a wafer having a top layer to be polished is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: using a CMP apparatus to polish the top layer using a first slurry having abrasive particles of a first size; and using the CMP apparatus to polish the top layer using a second slurry having abrasive particles of a second size, the second size being smaller than the first size.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the state of chemical-mechanical polishing that can be applied to the polishing of a metallic layer over a substrate. The method includes performing a series of scanning operations while a wafer is being polished to generate multiple reflectance line spectra in each polishing period. The degree of dispersion of the reflectance spectra is then utilized as a polishing index. In this invention, the standard deviation of the reflectance spectra in each period is used as a monitoring index, and the peak value of the standard deviation is used to determine the polishing end point. Surface uniformity is monitored by using the time interval between two time nodes at half the peak standard deviation values. When the distance of separation between the two time nodes is large, it means that the polished surface is not sufficiently flat.

Abstract: A wafer adapter for a chemical and mechanical polishing (CMP) machine. The adapter includes a retaining ring with multiple grooves formed on one surface of the ring and an inner circle for grasping just a wafer. The grooves have narrower openings at the outer and wider bottoms at the inner circle of the ring. The bottoms are apart from the inner circle with a circular wall. The adapter with wedged grooves served as slurry pools has been proved to have higher polishing efficiency, no wafer lose by sharp edges collision on the wall and less contact pressure between the wafer and the adapter to extend the lifetime of the adapter.

Abstract: A method of reducing agglomerated particles in a slurry for use in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine, the CMP machine also using deionized water, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: monitoring the pH of the slurry that is provided to the CMP machine; monitoring the pH of the deionized water that is provided to the CMP machine; and adjusting the pH of the deionized water to be substantially the same as the pH of the slurry.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning a slurry used in a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus is disclosed. Megasonic generators are provided along the piping network between a slurry reservoir and the CMP apparatus. A megasonic generator may also be placed adjacent to the slurry reservoir. The megasonic generators discourage the formation of agglomerate particles, which in turn reduces the number of defects caused by the large particles in the slurry.

Abstract: A method for forming a metal plug is provided. The method includes: a) forming a metal contact window in a substrate having an oxide layer; b) forming a barrier layer over a top surface of the oxide layer and a wall defining the metal contact window; c) forming a metal layer covering the barrier layer and filling up the metal contact window; d) removing a portion of the metal layer located above the barrier layer covering the top surface of the oxide layer by a chemical mechanical polishing method; and e) removing the barrier layer covering the top surface of the oxide layer by an etching method.