Abstract: A flexible conditioning apparatus and method for uniformly conditioning a polishing surface of a pad used to remove undesirable irregularities from a silicon wafer and to achieve a planar condition of the polishing pad. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a roughening member comprising a plurality of point contacts, such as diamond particles, is adapted for movement into and out of engagement with the surface of the pad. A flexible member supporting the roughening member allows the roughening member to conform to the surface of the pad to achieve uniform polishing of the pad.

Abstract: A tool for cleaning semiconductor wafers includes a cleaning head with a flat face bounded by an edge. A tubular drive shaft is connected to the cleaning head and provides a conduit through which a cleaning fluid can flow. An opening into the shaft is provided in the flat face which also has a plurality of channels to distribute the cleaning fluid across the flat face. A brush is formed as a single piece of porous, elastic material with a substrate portion that has a first major surface abutting the cleaning head face. A lip of the brush extends from the substrate portion around the edge of the flat face to removably secure the brush to the cleaning head. The brush has a plurality of cylindrical nubs on the second major surface forming projections for scrubbing surfaces of semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: Waste water from an apparatus that rinses particles from semiconductor wafers is collected in a tank. A pump sends waste water from the tank through a particle filter and onward to a supply inlet for initial rinse stages of the processing apparatus. Some of the waste water is bleed from the tank and replenished by fresh water introduced into the final rinse stage of the apparatus. If the semiconductor processing so dictates, chemicals may be added to the waste water to alter the pH and/or prevent the precipitation of solids in the tank. The addition of such chemicals can be controlled automatically in response to sensed characteristics of the waste water.

Abstract: A carrier head for a semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus includes a rigid plate which has a major surface with a plurality of open fluid channels. A flexible wafer carrier membrane has a perforated wafer contact section for contacting the semiconductor wafer, and a bellows extending around the wafer contact section. A retaining ring is secured to the rigid plate with a flange on the bellows sandwiched between the plate's major surface and the retaining ring, thereby defining a cavity between the wafer carrier membrane and the rigid plate. A fluid conduit is coupled to the rigid plate allowing a source of a vacuum and a source of pressurized fluid alternately to be connected to the cavity.

Abstract: Recycled slurry is continuously blended with the slurry in use to provide a consistent polishing rate while consuming or discarding a small fraction of the slurry flowing continuously across the polishing pad. The slurry is recovered in a catch ring and fed to a recycle loop to blend the recovered slurry with fresh slurry, rejuvenating chemicals, or water; test the blend; filter the blend; and return the blend to the polishing pad. The volume returned to the pad slightly exceeds the volume recovered, causing the catch ring to overflow. Rinse water is recycled in the same fashion to keep the polishing pad wet between polishing cycles.

Abstract: A method for co-registering a semiconductor wafer (14) undergoing work in one or more blind process modules (10), (12) requires a means (16), (18) for consistently and repeatably registering the semiconductor wafer (14) to each process module (10), (12). Given this consistent and repeatable singular wafer registration means (16), (18), the location of the coordinate axes of each process module (10), (12) is determined with respect to the position of the semiconductor wafer (14) that is registered therein.

Abstract: Gas discharge apparatus comprising an annular gas-emitting electrode for use with wafer etching systems, and the like. The gas discharge apparatus comprises a housing and an annular electrode having provisions for cooling the electrode having predetermined outer and inner diameters secured to the housing. An inert outer chimney is disposed against a face of the annular electrode adjacent its outer diameter and an inert inner chimney is disposed against the face of the annular electrode adjacent its inner diameter. The inner and outer chimneys confine the gas discharge from the annular electrode to its face. An insulator is secured to the housing that has an opening that permits the flow of etching gas therethrough to produce a radially symmetric flow pattern. The insulator is disposed within the inner chimney and is centered relative to the annular electrode. The nonconducting components of the gas discharge apparatus are typically made of inert materials such as MACOR.RTM.

Abstract: A system is provided for processing wafers, such as silicon and silicon-on-insulator wafers. The processing includes thinning and flattening of the wafers at a work station located directly beneath a down looking metrology apparatus for directing light onto the wafer and measuring the light wavefronts reflected from the wafer. The metrology apparatus for flattening includes the feature of a multiple lens array for arranging the reflected wavefronts into a plurality of light spots, and a charge-coupled-device light responsive device for receiving the light spots and determining the shape of the wavefronts. The system also provides a wafer transport system for moving one or more wafers into one or more work stations beneath the metrology apparatus in a vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A layer thickness determination system (10) is employed for detecting a thickness of at least one layer (12a) disposed over a surface of a wafer (13) having one or more first regions characterized by circuit and other features, and one or more second regions characterized by an absence of circuit and other features. The system includes an optical system (14) having an optical axis (14a) for collecting light reflecting from the at least one layer and the surface of the wafer. The system further includes a camera (16) coupled to the optical system for obtaining an image from the collected light; a first light source (22) for illuminating the layer with light that is directed along the optical axis and within the cone of acceptance angles; and at least one second light source (18) for illuminating the layer with light that is directed off the optical axis and outside of the cone of acceptance angles.

Abstract: The thicknesses of a first layer and of a second layer on a semiconductor wafer can be measured together by assuming that the second layer has a substantially uniform thickness. The thicknesses are measured by measuring reflectivity as a function of wavelength at a plurality of points on the wafer to provide a plurality of signatures, comparing each signature with signatures from libraries of theoretical signatures by calculating an error value associated with each signature; and determining the minimum error value. Each library is based upon a unique assumed thickness of the second layer. Thus, the thickness of the second layer is determined by identifying the library associated with the minimum error value.

Abstract: An apparatus (2) that performs high resolution thickness metrology on a thin film layer of a wafer (24), includes a filtered white light source that forms a collimated monochromatic light beam (19). The filtered white light source includes a halogen lamp (10), a condensing lens (12), a circular aperture (14), a collimator lens (16), and a narrow band filter wheel (18). The collimated monochromatic light beam (19) is passed through a beamsplitter (60), a second collimator lens (20), a third collimator lens (22), and a lenslet array (38), such that a corresponding array of sample points (39) on the surface of the wafer (24) are irradiated with focused monochromatic light. A reflectance pattern is formed at each sample point (39) due to coherent interactions in the monochromatic light as it is reflected within the wafer structure (24). An image of each reflectance pattern is reflected off the surface of the wafer (24) and is directed onto a detector array (31) of a charge coupled device (CCD) camera (30).