Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus has a platen to support a polishing pad, the platen having a recess, a carrier head to hold a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad and comprising a retaining ring to retain the substrate below the carrier head, a motor to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish the substrate, an in-situ acoustic monitoring system comprising an acoustic sensor arranged in the recess that receives acoustic energy from friction between the substrate and the polishing pad and from friction between the retaining ring and the polishing pad, and a controller configured to generate a value for a carrier head status parameter based on received acoustic signals from the in-situ acoustic monitoring system, and change or polishing parameter or generate an alert based on the carrier head status parameter.

Abstract: Generating a recipe for controlling a polishing system includes receiving a target removal profile that includes a target thickness to remove for a plurality of locations on a substrate that are angularly distributed around the substrate, and storing a first function defining a polishing rate for a zone from a plurality of pressurizable zones of a carrier head that are angularly distributed around a the carrier head. The first function defines polishing rates as a function of pressures. For each particular zone of the plurality of zones a recipe defining a pressure for the particular zone over time is calculated by calculating an expected thickness profile after polishing using the first function, and minimizing a cost function that incorporates a first term representing a difference between the expected thickness profile and a target thickness profile.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a polishing station to hold a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with a polishing pad at the polishing station, a camera positioned to capture an image of a lower surface of a consumable part when the consumable part moves away from the polishing pad, and a controller configured to perform an image processing algorithm on the image to determine whether the consumable part is damaged. The consumable part can be a retaining ring on a carrier head, or a conditioner disk on a conditioner head.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a support configured to hold a substrate face-up, a polishing article having a polishing surface smaller than an exposed surface of the substrate, a port for dispensing a polishing liquid, one or more actuators to bring the polishing surface into contact with a first portion of the exposed surface of the substrate and to generate relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad and optically transmissive polymer window, an in-situ optical monitoring system, and a controller configured to receive a signal from the optical in-situ monitoring system and to modifying a polishing parameter based on the signal. The optical monitoring system includes a light source and a detector, the in-situ optical monitoring system configured to direct a light beam from above the support to impinge a non-overlapping second portion of the exposed surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a support configured to hold a substrate face-up, a polishing article having a polishing surface smaller than an exposed surface of the substrate, a port for dispensing a polishing liquid, one or more actuators to bring the polishing surface into contact with a first portion of the exposed surface of the substrate and to generate relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad and optically transmissive polymer window, an in-situ optical monitoring system, and a controller configured to receive a signal from the optical in-situ monitoring system and to modifying a polishing parameter based on the signal. The optical monitoring system includes a light source and a detector, the in-situ optical monitoring system configured to direct a light beam from above the support to impinge a non-overlapping second portion of the exposed surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish an overlying layer on the substrate, an in-situ acoustic monitoring system comprising an acoustic sensor that receives acoustic signals from the surface of the substrate, and a controller configured to determine a angular orientation of the substrate based on received acoustic signals from the in-situ acoustic monitoring system.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish an overlying layer on the substrate, an in-situ acoustic monitoring system comprising an acoustic sensor that receives acoustic signals from the surface of the substrate, and a controller configured to determine an angular orientation of the substrate based on received acoustic signals from the in-situ acoustic monitoring system.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen supporting a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad, an acoustic sensor supported on the platen, and a motor to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish the substrate. The carrier head includes a retaining ring for holding the substrate, and the acoustic sensor travels in a path below the carrier head and the retaining ring. A controller is configured to analyze a signal from the acoustic sensor and determine a characteristic of the retaining ring based on the signal.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a conditioner head to hold a conditioner disk in contact with the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion between the polishing pad and the conditioner disk so as to condition the polishing pad, an in-situ acoustic monitoring system having an acoustic sensor to receive acoustic signals from the conditioner disk, and a controller configured to analyze a signal from the acoustic sensor and determine a characteristic of the conditioner disk or conditioner head based on the signal.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, including a platen supporting a polishing pad; a carrier head to hold a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad; a motor to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish an overlying layer on the substrate; an array of acoustic sensors arranged within the carrier head to receive acoustic signals from the surface of the substrate; and a controller configured to detect a position of an acoustic event on the surface of the substrate based on received acoustic signals from the array of acoustic sensors.

Abstract: An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, a pad conditioner to press an abrasive body against the polishing surface, an in-situ polishing pad monitoring system including an imager disposed above the platen to capture an image of the polishing pad, and a controller configured to receive the image from the monitoring system and generate a measure of polishing pad surface roughness based on the image. The controller can use machine-learning based image processing to generate the measure of surface roughness.

Abstract: A polishing system includes a platen having a top surface to support an annular polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the annular polishing pad, a support structure extending above the platen and to which one or more polishing system components are secured, and a support post. The platen is rotatable about an axis of rotation that passes through approximately a center of the platen. The first support post has an upper end coupled to and supporting the support structure and a lower portion that is supported on the platen or that extends through an aperture in the platen.

Abstract: A method of generating training spectra for training of a neural network includes measuring a first plurality of training spectra from one or more sample substrates, measuring a characterizing value for each training spectra of the plurality of training spectra to generate a plurality of characterizing values with each training spectrum having an associated characterizing value, measuring a plurality of dummy spectra during processing of one or more dummy substrates, and generating a second plurality of training spectra by combining the first plurality of training spectra and the plurality of dummy spectra, there being a greater number of spectra in the second plurality of training spectra than in the first plurality of training spectra. Each training spectrum of the second plurality of training spectra having an associated characterizing value.

Abstract: An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, a pad conditioner to press an abrasive body against the polishing surface, an in-situ polishing pad monitoring system including an imager disposed above the platen to capture an image of the polishing pad, and a controller configured to receive the image from the monitoring system and generate a measure of polishing pad surface roughness based on the image. The controller can use machine-learning based image processing to generate the measure of surface roughness.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a polishing station to hold a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with a polishing pad at the polishing station, a camera positioned to capture an image of a lower surface of a consumable part when the consumable part moves away from the polishing pad, and a controller configured to perform an image processing algorithm on the image to determine whether the consumable part is damaged. The consumable part can be a retaining ring on a carrier head, or a conditioner disk on a conditioner head.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, the platen having a recess, a flexible membrane in the recess, and an in-situ vibration monitoring system to generate a signal. The in-situ acoustic monitoring system includes a vibration sensor supported by the flexible membrane and positioned to couple to an underside of the polishing pad.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning system includes a cleaner module to clean a substrate after polishing of the substrate, a drier module to dry the substrate after cleaning by the cleaner module, a substrate support movable along a first axis from a first position in the drier module to a second position outside the drier module, and an in-line metrology station including a line-scan camera positioned to scan the substrate as the substrate is held by the substrate support and the substrate support is between the first position to the second position. The first axis is substantially parallel to a face of the substrate as held in by the substrate support.

Abstract: During chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate, a signal value that depends on a thickness of a layer in a measurement spot on a substrate undergoing polishing is determined by a first in-situ monitoring system. An image of at least the measurement spot of the substrate is generated by a second in-situ imaging system. Machine vision processing, e.g., a convolutional neural network, is used to determine a characterizing value for the measurement spot based on the image. Then a measurement value is calculated based on both the characterizing value and the signal value.

Abstract: A method of generating training spectra for training of a neural network includes measuring a first plurality of training spectra from one or more sample substrates, measuring a characterizing value for each training spectra of the plurality of training spectra to generate a plurality of characterizing values with each training spectrum having an associated characterizing value, measuring a plurality of dummy spectra during processing of one or more dummy substrates, and generating a second plurality of training spectra by combining the first plurality of training spectra and the plurality of dummy spectra, there being a greater number of spectra in the second plurality of training spectra than in the first plurality of training spectra. Each training spectrum of the second plurality of training spectra having an associated characterizing value.

Abstract: During chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate, a signal value that depends on a thickness of a layer in a measurement spot on a substrate undergoing polishing is determined by a first in-situ monitoring system. An image of at least the measurement spot of the substrate is generated by a second in-situ imaging system. Machine vision processing, e.g., a convolutional neural network, is used to determine a characterizing value for the measurement spot based on the image. Then a measurement value is calculated based on both the characterizing value and the signal value.