Abstract: A method of forming bare silicon substrates is described. A bare silicon substrate is measured, wherein measuring is performed by a non-contact capacitance measurement device to obtain a signal at a point on the substrate. The signal or a thickness indicated by the signal is communicated to a controller. An adjusted polishing parameter according to the signal or thickness indicated by the signal is determined. After determining an adjusted polishing parameter, the bare silicon substrate is polished on a polisher using the adjusted polishing parameter.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to removing material from a substrate. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to polishing or planarizing a substrate by a chemical mechanical polishing process. In one embodiment, a method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a substrate is provided. The method comprises exposing a substrate having a conductive material layer formed thereon to a polishing solution comprising phosphoric acid, one or more chelating agents, one or more corrosion inhibitors, and one or more oxidizers, forming a passivation layer on the conductive material layer, providing relative motion between the substrate and a polishing pad and removing at least a portion of the passivation layer to expose a portion of the underlying conductive material layer, and removing a portion of the exposed conductive material layer.

Abstract: In some aspects, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus is provided that includes a polishing head having (a) a rotatable spindle; (b) a membrane coupled to the rotatable spindle and adapted to press a substrate against a polishing pad during polishing of the substrate; and (c) a retaining ring rotatable coupled to the spindle and adapted to surround a substrate being pressed against a polishing pad during polishing and to limit lateral movement of the substrate relative to the polishing head. The CMP apparatus also includes a drive mechanism coupled to the retaining ring and adapted to drive the retaining ring at a different rate of rotation than the spindle during polishing. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for spectrographic monitoring of a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, measuring a sequence of spectra in-situ during polishing to obtain measured spectra, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, fitting a linear function to the sequence of index values, and halting the polishing either when the linear function matches or exceeds a target index or when the associated index value from the determining step matches or exceeds the target index.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a brush box is described. The brush box includes a tank having an interior volume and a pair of cylindrical rollers at least partially disposed in the interior volume, each of the cylindrical rollers being rotatable about a respective axis, an actuator assembly coupled to each of the cylindrical rollers to move the respective cylindrical roller between a first position where the cylindrical rollers are in proximity and a second position where the cylindrical rollers are spaced away from each other, and a conditioning device for each of the cylindrical rollers, each conditioning device including a conditioner disposed in the interior volume, the conditioner contacting an outer surface of each of the cylindrical rollers when the rollers are in the second position.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes storing a desired ratio representing a ratio for a clearance time of a first zone of a substrate to a clearance time of a second zone of the substrate. During polishing of a first substrate, an overlying layer is monitored, a sequence of measurements is generated, and the measurements are sorted a first group associated with the first zone of the substrate and a second group associated with the second zone on the substrate. A first time and a second time at which the overlying layer is cleared is determined based on the measurements from the first group and the second group, respectively. At least one adjusted polishing pressure is calculated for the first zone based on a first pressure applied in the first zone during polishing the first substrate, the first time, the second time, and the desired ratio.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a particle cleaning module is provided that includes a substrate holder and a pad holder disposed in a housing, and an actuator operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder. The substrate holder is configured to retain and rotate a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation. The pad holder has a pad retaining surface that faces the substrate holder in a parallel and spaced apart relation. The pad holder is rotatable on an axis parallel to an axis on which the substrate holder rotates. The actuator is operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder as to change a distance defined between the first axis and the second axis.

Abstract: A slurry for chemical mechanical of a cobalt layer or a conductive layer over a cobalt layer includes abrasive particles, an organic complexing compound for Cu or Co ion complexion, a Co corrosion inhibitor that is 0.01-1.0 wt % of the slurry, an oxidizer, and a solvent. The slurry has a pH of 7-12.

Abstract: A slurry for planarization of a photoresist includes abrasive particles, an oxidizer, a surface activation chemical, and a solvent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a brush box is described. The brush box includes a tank having an interior volume and a pair of cylindrical rollers at least partially disposed in the interior volume, each of the cylindrical rollers being rotatable about a respective axis, an actuator assembly coupled to each of the cylindrical rollers to move the respective cylindrical roller between a first position where the cylindrical rollers are in proximity and a second position where the cylindrical rollers are spaced away from each other, and a conditioning device for each of the cylindrical rollers, each conditioning device including a conditioner disposed in the interior volume, the conditioner contacting an outer surface of each of the cylindrical rollers when the rollers are in the second position.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for polishing a substrate are provided. The invention includes an upper platen; a torque/strain measurement instrument coupled to the upper platen; and a lower platen coupled to the torque/strain measurement instrument and adapted to drive the upper platen to rotate through the torque/strain measurement instrument. In other embodiments, the invention includes an upper carriage; a side force measurement instrument coupled to the upper carriage; and a lower carriage coupled to the side force measurement instrument and adapted to support a polishing head. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for polishing a substrate are provided. The invention includes an upper platen; a torque/strain measurement instrument coupled to the upper platen; and a lower platen coupled to the torque/strain measurement instrument and adapted to drive the upper platen to rotate through the torque/strain measurement instrument. In other embodiments, the invention includes an upper carriage; a side force measurement instrument coupled to the upper carriage; and a lower carriage coupled to the side force measurement instrument and adapted to support a polishing head. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate. Particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus and method for cleaning a substrate using a scrub brush. One embodiment provides a brush box assembly for cleaning a substrate. The assembly comprises a chamber body having a cleaning chamber disposed therein, a rotatable chuck disposed in the cleaning chamber, and an edge cleaner module positioned adjacent the chuck.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing one or more measurements of a substrate at one or more radii along the substrate are described. Thickness measurements taken at various radii along the substrate can be averaged together to obtain an average value that reflects an overall substrate thickness. A more accurate measurement of the overall substrate thickness can be obtained by performing multiple measurements and averaging the measurements together. Using the average value, polishing can be adjusted to ensure that the substrate achieves a desired planarized thickness profile.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for spectrographic monitoring of a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, measuring a sequence of spectra in-situ during polishing to obtain measured spectra, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, fitting a linear function to the sequence of index values, and halting the polishing either when the linear function matches or exceeds a target index or when the associated index value from the determining step matches or exceeds the target index.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for spectrographic monitoring of a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, measuring a sequence of spectra in-situ during polishing to obtain measured spectra, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, fitting a linear function to the sequence of index values, and halting the polishing either when the linear function matches or exceeds a target index or when the associated index value from the determining step matches or exceeds the target index.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus and method for a roller assembly that may be utilized in a brush cleaning module. In one embodiment, a roller assembly is described. The roller assembly includes an annular groove having at least two substantially parallel opposing sidewalls adapted to contact the major surfaces of a substrate along a periphery of the substrate, each of the opposing sidewalls comprising a compressible material having a pre-compressed dimension that is less than a thickness of the periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a track system in a polishing system. One embodiment described herein provides a track system configured to transfer polishing heads in a polishing system. The track system comprises a supporting frame, a track coupled to the supporting frame and defining a path along which the polishing heads are configured to move, and one or more carriages configured to carry at least one polishing head along the path defined by the track, wherein the one or more carriages are coupled to the track and independently movable along the track.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for polishing or planarizing a substrate by a chemical mechanical polishing process. In one embodiment a method of processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate on a polishing apparatus comprising a polishing pad assembly, delivering a polishing slurry to a surface of the polishing pad assembly, polishing the substrate with the surface of the polishing pad assembly, monitoring the removal rate of material from a plurality of regions on the surface of the substrate, determining whether the plurality of regions on the surface of the substrate are polishing uniformly, and selectively delivering a polishing slurry additive to at least one region of the plurality of regions to obtain a uniform removal rate of material from the plurality of regions on the surface of the substrate, wherein the removal rate of material from the at least one region is different than at least one other region of the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for polishing or planarizing a pre-metal dielectric layer by a chemical mechanical polishing process are provided. The method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate having feature definitions formed thereon, forming a pre-metal dielectric layer over the substrate, wherein the as-deposited pre-metal dielectric layer has an uneven surface topography, and planarizing the uneven surface topography of the pre-metal dielectric layer using chemical mechanical polishing techniques, wherein planarizing the uneven surface topography comprises polishing the pre-metal dielectric layer with a fixed abrasive polishing pad and a first polishing composition to remove a bulk portion of the pre-metal dielectric layer and achieve a first predetermined planarity, and polishing the pre-metal dielectric layer with a non-abrasive polishing pad and high selectivity slurry to remove a residual portion of the pre-metal dielectric and achieve a second predetermined planarity.