Abstract: A method of controlling a chemical mechanical polishing system includes receiving a respective time-varying test signal from an endpoint detection system for each of a plurality of test substrates, simultaneously visually displaying the plurality of time-varying test signals on a display with the plurality of time-varying test signals overlaid on each other in a graph. receiving user input selecting a box having a defined time range and defined signal value range, and receiving a selection of one from a preset group of boundary crossing logic functions to provide a selected boundary crossing logic function. During chemical mechanical polishing of a device substrate, the device substrate is monitored with the endpoint detection system to generate a time-varying signal and an endpoint determination can be based on whether the time-varying signal satisfies the selected boundary crossing logic function.

Abstract: During polishing of a backside conductive layer, a sensor of an in-situ eddy current monitoring system is repeatedly swept across the substrate so that each respective sweep of the sensor generates a respective signal trace that includes a sequence of signal values. For each respective signal trace, the sequence of signal values is converted to a corresponding thickness trace that includes sequence of thickness values for different locations on the substrate, thus generating a sequence of thickness traces. For each respective thickness trace in the sequence of thickness traces, a plurality of minima in the respective thickness trace are identified. A sequence of layer thickness values over time is calculated based on the plurality of minima from the respective traces in the sequence of thickness traces. Conductive vias extend through the semiconductor wafer of the substrate to electrically connect the backside conductive layer to a front-side conductive layer.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate such that a layer on the substrate contacts the polishing pad, an actuator that controls a radial position of the carrier head over the platen, an eddy current monitoring system, and a controller. The eddy current monitoring system includes a first plurality of eddy current sensors supported by the platen and arranged in a first ring at a first distance from an axis of rotation of the platen and a second plurality of eddy current sensors supported by the platen and arranged in a second ring at a larger second distance from the axis of rotation of the platen. The controller is configured to control the actuator such that the second plurality of sensors sweep only across an edge portion of the substrate held by the carrier head.

Abstract: During polishing of a stack of adjacent conductive layers on a substrate, an in-situ eddy current monitoring system measures sequence of characterizing values. A polishing rate is repeatedly calculated from the sequence of characterizing values repeatedly, one or more adjustments for one or more polishing parameters are repeatedly calculated based on a current polishing rate using a first control algorithm for an initial time period, a change in the polishing rate that meets at least one first predetermined criterion that indicates exposure of the underlying conductive layer is detected, and one or more adjustments for one or more polishing parameters are calculated based on the polishing rate using a different second control algorithm for a subsequent time period after detecting the change in the polishing rate.

Abstract: Monitoring operations of a polishing system includes obtaining a time-based sequence of reference images of a component of the polishing system performing operations during a test operation of the polishing system, receiving from a camera a time-based sequence of monitoring images of an equivalent component of an equivalent polishing system performing operations during polishing of a substrate, determining a difference value for the time-based sequence of monitoring images by comparing the time-based sequence of reference images to the time-based sequence of monitoring image using an image processing algorithm, determining whether the difference value exceeds a threshold, and in response to determining the difference value exceeds the threshold, indicating an excursion.

Abstract: A method of polishing a layer on the substrate at a polishing station includes the actions of monitoring the layer during polishing at the polishing station with an in-situ monitoring system to generate a plurality of measured signals for a plurality of different locations on the layer; generating, for each location of the plurality of different locations, an estimated measure of thickness of the location, the generating including processing the plurality of measured signals through a neural network; and at least one of detecting a polishing endpoint or modifying a polishing parameter based on each estimated measure of thickness.

Abstract: Approaches for reducing substrate thickness variation of a substrate are disclosed. One method includes receiving a first etching amount for a plurality of zones of a first substrate when a first thermal application is being provided to the first substrate, determining a mean target thickness of a second substrate, and determining a second etching amount for each of a plurality of zones of the second substrate when a secondary thermal application and the first thermal application are being provided. The method may further include determining an etch correction amount for each zone of the second substrate, and generating a temperature map based on the etch correction amount for each zone of the second substrate, wherein the temperature map indicates a temperature change for each zone of the plurality of zones. The method may further include generating an etching recipe based on the temperature map for etching the second substrate.

Abstract: A method of training a neural network for spectrographic monitoring includes polishing a test substrate, measuring by an in-situ spectrographic monitoring system a sequence of test spectra of light reflected from the substrate and measuring by an in-situ non-optical monitoring system a sequence of test values from the substrate during polishing of the test substrate, measuring at least one of an initial characterizing value for the substrate before polishing or a final characterizing value for the substrate after polishing, inputting the sequence of test values and the initial characterizing value and/or final characterizing value into a thickness predictive model that outputs a sequence of training values with each respective training value in the sequence of training values associated with a respective test spectrum from the sequence of test spectra, and training an artificial neural network using the plurality of training spectra and the plurality of training values.

Abstract: Controlling a polishing system includes receiving from an in-situ monitoring system, for each region of a plurality of regions on a substrate being processed by the polishing system, a sequence of characterizing values for the region. For each region, a polishing rate is determined for the region, and an adjustment is calculated for at least one processing parameter. Calculation of the adjustment includes minimizing a cost function that includes, for each region, a difference between a current characterizing value or an expected characterizing value at an expected endpoint time and a target characterizing value for the region, and optimization of the cost function is subject to at least one constraint.

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 method of polishing a layer on the substrate at a polishing station includes the actions of monitoring the layer during polishing at the polishing station with an in-situ monitoring system to generate a plurality of measured signals for a plurality of different locations on the layer; generating, for each location of the plurality of different locations, an estimated measure of thickness of the location, the generating including processing the plurality of measured signals through a neural network; and at least one of detecting a polishing endpoint or modifying a polishing parameter based on each estimated measure of thickness.

Abstract: Generating a recipe for a polishing process includes receiving a target removal profile that includes a target thickness to remove for locations spaced angularly around a center of a substrate, storing a first function providing substrate orientation relative to a carrier head over time, storing a second function defining a polishing rate below a zone of the zone as a function of one or more pressures of one or more zones of the carrier head, and for each particular zone of the plurality of zones, calculate a recipe defining a pressure for the particular zone over time. Calculating the recipe includes calculating an expected thickness profile after polishing from the second function defining the polishing rate and the first function providing substrate orientation relative to the zone over time, and applying a minimizing algorithm to reduce a difference between the expected thickness profile and the target thickness profile.

Abstract: A method of polishing includes holding a substrate with a carrier head against a polishing surface of a polishing pad, generating relative motion between the substrate and polishing pad, applying a first pressure in a first cyclic waveform having a first frequency to a first region of the substrate, applying a second pressure in a second cyclic waveform having a different second frequency to a different second region of the substrate, during polishing of the substrate, monitoring the substrate with an in-situ motor torque monitoring system to generate a sequence of measured values, and determining a relative contribution to the sequence of measured values from the first region and second region based on distinguishing the first frequency from the second frequency.

Abstract: Controlling a polishing system includes receiving from an in-situ monitoring system, for each region of a plurality of regions on a substrate being processed by the polishing system, a sequence of characterizing values for the region. For each region, a polishing rate is determined for the region, and an adjustment is calculated for at least one processing parameter. Calculation of the adjustment includes minimizing a cost function that includes, for each region, i) a difference between a current characterizing value or an expected characterizing value at an expected endpoint time and a target characterizing value for the region, and ii) a plurality of a projected future pressure changes over time for the region and/or a plurality of differences between projected future pressures over time and a baseline pressure for the region.

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 substrate is monitored during polishing with an in-situ monitoring system so as to generate a sequence of signal values. The sequence of signal values from the zone is converted into a sequence of effective thickness values for the zone with each effective thickness value including contributions of the outer layer and the one or more underlying layers. A function is fit to the sequence of effective thickness values, an effective starting thickness value for the layer at a start of polishing is determined using the fitted function, and an adjusted target thickness value is calculated based on an initial target value, a starting thickness value, and the effective starting thickness value. A polishing endpoint is detected or a polishing parameter is modified based on the sequences of effective thickness values and the adjusted target thickness value.

Abstract: A method of determining a starting thickness profile for a conductive layer on a substrate includes monitoring a calibration substrate during polishing to generate a sequence of first traces, detecting exposure of an underlying layer, and continuing to monitor the calibration substrate after exposure to generate a second trace. The second trace is subtracted from each first trace to generate a sequence of modified traces. For each zone on the substrate, a portion of the modified first trace corresponding to the zone is converted into a thickness value for the zone, thereby providing a plurality of sequences of thickness values. For each respective zone a function is fit to the sequence of thickness values for the respective zone thereby providing a plurality of fit functions, and a starting thickness profile for the conductive layer at a start of polishing using the plurality of fit functions.

Abstract: A substrate is monitored during polishing with an in-situ monitoring system so as to generate a sequence of signal values. The sequence of signal values from the zone is converted into a sequence of effective thickness values for each of multiple zones. For each zone, a function is fit to the sequence of effective thickness values. An effective starting thickness profile for the layer at a start of polishing is determined using the fitted functions, and an adjusted target thickness profile is calculated based on an initial target profile, a starting thickness profile, and the effective starting thickness profile. A polishing parameter is modified based on the sequences of effective thickness values and the adjusted target thickness profile.

Abstract: Generating a recipe for a polishing process includes receiving a target removal profile that includes a target thickness to remove for a plurality of locations spaced angularly around a center of a substrate, storing a first function providing substrate orientation relative to the carrier head over time, storing a second function defining a polishing rate below a zone of the zone as a function of one or more pressures of one or more zones from a plurality of pressurizable zones of the carrier head that are spaced angularly around the center of the substrate, and for each particular zone of the plurality of zones, calculating a recipe defining a pressure for the particular zone over time.

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.