Patents by Inventor Clifford O. Morgan, III

Clifford O. Morgan, III has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6506341
    Abstract: An apparatus is described for detecting the presence of a gaseous chemical produced during a chemical-mechanical polishing operation. The apparatus includes a catalytic converter, a reaction chamber and a light sensor. The catalytic converter, heated to about 800° C. converts the chemical to a different chemical product. The reaction chamber produces an excited species; the pressure in the reaction chamber is maintained sufficiently low to substantially avoid collisional deactivation of the excited species, so as to permit real-time detection of the chemical. A light signal from the excited species is input to the light sensor. An output from the light sensor corresponds to the real-time detection of the chemical, thereby permitting real-time control of the chemical-mechanical polishing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, ECO Physics AG
    Inventors: Leping Li, James A. Gilhooly, Clifford O. Morgan, III, Cong Wei, Werner Moser, Matthias Kutter, Joseph Knee, Walter Imfeld, Bruno Greuter, Heinz Stuenzi
  • Patent number: 6276987
    Abstract: Determination of an endpoint for removing a film from a wafer, by determining a first reference point removal time indicating when a breakthrough of the film has occurred, determining a second reference point removal time indicating when the film has been polished almost to completion, determining an additional removal time indicating an overpolishing interval, and adding the second reference point removal time with the additional removal time to get a total removal time to the endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leping Li, James A. Gilhooly, Clifford O. Morgan, III, Cong Wei
  • Patent number: 6261851
    Abstract: In a chemical mechanical planarization assembly directed for the removal of oxide layers, which stop on films containing silicon nitride, a conventional polishing table is provided with a gas extraction unit which transmits a gas sample to an infrared spectrometer. The presence of ammonia in the slurry, which is generated when a stop layer containing silicon nitride is abraded under high pH conditions, can be detected using infrared spectroscopy and accordingly provides for an in situ endpoint detection method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leping Li, James A. Gilhooly, Clifford O. Morgan, III, Cong Wei
  • Patent number: 6254453
    Abstract: A method is provided to optimize the chemical mechanical planarization process of wafers having a target removal layer and a stop layer. A slurry is added to a polishing table which includes a polishing pad and a platen adapted for rotation; a portion of the slurry is allowed to engage an interface between the polishing pad and the wafer. A gaseous sample is continuously extracted from the slurry; the gaseous sample includes a reactant product created when the polishing pad engages the stop layer. The gaseous sample is introduced into a reactant product detector. A first time is determined, corresponding to an initial detection of the reactant product in the slurry, thereby creating a first reference point. A second time is determined, corresponding to the detection of a maximum volume of the reactant in said slurry, thereby creating a second reference point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leping Li, James A. Gilhooly, Clifford O. Morgan, III, Cong Wei
  • Patent number: 6176765
    Abstract: A fluid collection apparatus having an accumulator for contacting a polishing surface of a polishing pad and collecting fluid from the polishing pad, a reservoir for receiving fluid from the accumulator, and a volume maintainer for maintaining a set volume of fluid in the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leping Li, James A. Gilhooly, Robert B. Lipori, Clifford O. Morgan, III, William J. Surovic, Cong Wei
  • Patent number: 6110832
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for Chemical-Mechanical Polishing of semiconductor wafers using various formulations of high viscosity slurry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford O. Morgan, III, Matthew J. Rutten, Erick G. Walton, Terrance M. Wright
  • Patent number: 6021679
    Abstract: Device for in-situ collection of a gaseous reaction product from a polishing slurry as a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, is being polished with the slurry, including a probe capable of being placed in contact with the slurry, the probe having a channel for transmitting the gaseous reaction product to an analyzer, a first hydrophobic membrane for allowing passage of the gaseous reaction product from the slurry to the channel, and means for directing a carrier gas through the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leping Li, James A. Gilhooly, Clifford O. Morgan, III, Cong Wei, Werner Moser, Matthias Kutter, Joseph Knee, Walter Imfeld, Bruno Greuter, Heinz Stuenzi