Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes an inner platen to support an inner polishing pad, aan annular outer platen to support an outer polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate, a first motor to rotate the inner platen about a vertical axis at a first rotation rate, and a second motor to rotate the outer platen about the vertical axis at a second rotation rate. The outer polishing pad coaxially surrounds the inner platen, and an outer edge of the inner platen and an inner edge of the outer platen are separated by a gap.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes: an inner platen to support an inner polishing pad; an annular outer platen to support an outer polishing pad; a carrier head to hold a substrate; one or more motors to rotate the inner platen about a vertical axis at a first rotation rate and to rotate the outer platen about the vertical axis at a second rotation rate; and a controller configured to select values for multiple control parameters to minimize a difference between a target removal profile and an expected removal profile, the multiple control parameters including a first parameter representing a difference in rotational speeds between the inner and outer platens. The outer polishing pad can coaxially surround the inner platen, and an outer edge of the inner platen and an inner edge of the outer platen can be separated by a gap.

Abstract: A polishing pad has a polishing layer having a polishing surface that has a circular central region and an annular outer region surrounding the central region. The polishing surface can include slurry distribution grooves formed with uniformity spacing across the central region and the annular outer region, and slurry discharge grooves that start at an outer perimeter of the circular central region and extend radially outward to an edge of the polishing pad so as to preferentially discharge the polishing liquid from the annular outer region. The central region can be formed of a first polishing material and the annular outer region can be formed of a second polishing material that is softer than the first polishing material.

Abstract: A method for chemical mechanical polishing includes rotating a polishing pad about an axis of rotation, positioning a substrate against the polishing pad, dispensing a polishing liquid onto the polishing pad, and oscillating the substrate laterally across the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a polishing-rate adjustment groove that is concentric with the axis of rotation, and a coolant, a dilutant, or both, is dispensed into the polishing-rate adjustment groove such that a polishing rate is reduced in an annular zone of the polishing pad that is positioned radially inward of the polishing-rate adjustment groove. The annular zone surrounds a central zone of the polishing pad in which a polishing rate is not substantially affected by the coolant, dilutant, or both.

Abstract: A method for chemical mechanical polishing includes bringing a substrate into contact with a polishing pad, causing relative motion between the substrate and polishing pad, dispensing a polishing liquid onto the polishing pad, holding the substrate in a lateral position with a retaining ring secured to a carrier head, and rotating the carrier head about an axis of rotation. The retaining ring has a plurality of channels extending from an inner diameter surface of the retaining ring to an outer diameter surface of the retaining ring such that rotation cause the polishing liquid to be preferentially expelled from a region below an outer edge of the substrate through the plurality of channels.

Abstract: A Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process may generally apply more pressure around a periphery of the polishing pad than at the center of the polishing pad. This may cause uneven material removal as the substrate moves along the surface of the polishing pad. Therefore, the polishing pad may include one or more recesses around a periphery of the polishing pad to relieve pressure on the substrate. The one or more recesses may be connected to channels that extend radially outward from the recesses to the edge of the polishing pad. The recesses may collect polishing slurry during the CMP process and direct the slurry into the channels. The channels may then expel the collected polishing slurry off of the polishing pad to clear the recesses.

Abstract: Chemical mechanical polishing system and method include a substrate is loaded into a carrier head having a housing having an upper carrier body and a lower carrier body, and a membrane assembly beneath the lower carrier body. A space between the lower carrier body and the membrane assembly defines a pressurizable chamber, a distance from a sensor in the lower carrier body to the membrane assembly is measured, and pressure in the pressurizable chamber is controlled based on the measured distances to maintain a consistent total downforce on the membrane assembly as the distance between the sensor and the membrane assembly changes.

Abstract: A carrier head for chemical mechanical polishing includes a housing for attachment to a drive shaft, a membrane assembly arranged beneath the lower carrier body, and a flexure. The membrane assembly includes a membrane support and a flexible membrane secured to the membrane support to defining a plurality of pressurizable lower chambers, with the flexible membrane having a lower surface that provides a substrate mounting surface. A flexible seal forms a pressurizable upper chamber between the housing and the membrane support. The flexure connects the membrane support to the housing, and the flexure extends through the pressurizable upper chamber.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing polishing fluids and onto a polishing pad within a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system are disclosed herein. In particular, embodiments herein relate to a CMP system with a first fluid delivery arm and a second fluid delivery arm disposed over the polishing pad to dispense fluid, such as a polishing fluid or water, and/or provide a vacuum pressure. The second fluid delivery arm is configured to dispense a fluid or vacuum pressure onto the polishing pad to effect the polishing rate at the edge of the substrate.

Abstract: A controller of a chemical mechanical polishing system is configured to cause a carrier head to sweep across a polishing pad in accord with a sweep profile. The controller is also configured to select values for a plurality of control parameters to minimize a difference between a target removal profile and an expected removal profile. The plurality of control parameters include a plurality of dwell time parameters. A relationship between the plurality of control parameters and a removal rate is stored in a data structure representing a first matrix which includes a plurality of columns including a column for each dwell time parameter and a row for each position on the substrate represented in the expected removal profile, and the controller is configured to, as part of selection of the values, calculate the expected removal profile by multiplying the first matrix by a second matrix representing control parameter values.

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 method for chemical mechanical polishing includes receiving an angular removal profile for a carrier head and an angular thickness profile of a substrate. Prior to polishing the substrate, a desired angle of the carrier head relative to the substrate is selected for loading the substrate into the carrier head. Selecting the desired angle is performed based on a comparison of the angular removal profile for the carrier head and the angular thickness profile of the substrate to reduce angular non-uniformity in polishing. The carrier head is rotated to receive the substrate at the desired angle, the substrate is transferred to the carrier head and loaded in the carrier head with the carrier head at the desired angle relative to the substrate, and the substrate is polished.

Abstract: Exemplary polishing methods for chemical mechanical polishing may include engaging a substrate with a membrane of a substrate carrier. The methods may include chucking the substrate against a substantially planar surface defined by the substrate carrier. The chucking may reduce a bow in the substrate. The methods may include polishing one or more materials on the substrate for a first period of time. The methods may include disengaging the substrate from the substantially planar surface. The methods may include polishing the one or more materials on the substrate for a second period of time.

Abstract: A method for chemical mechanical polishing includes receiving an angular removal profile for a carrier head and an angular thickness profile of a substrate. Prior to polishing the substrate, a desired angle of the carrier head relative to the substrate is selected for loading the substrate into the carrier head. Selecting the desired angle is performed based on a comparison of the angular removal profile for the carrier head and the angular thickness profile of the substrate to reduce angular non-uniformity in polishing. The carrier head is rotated to receive the substrate at the desired angle, the substrate is transferred to the carrier head and loaded in the carrier head with the carrier head at the desired angle relative to the substrate, and the substrate is polished.

Abstract: Exemplary carrier heads for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus may include a carrier body. The carrier heads may include a substrate mounting surface coupled with the carrier body. The carrier heads may include an inner ring that is sized and shaped to circumferentially surround a peripheral edge of a substrate positioned against the substrate mounting surface. The inner ring may be characterized by a first surface that faces the carrier body and a second surface opposite the first surface. The carrier heads may include at least one downforce control actuator disposed above the first surface of the inner ring at a discrete position about a circumference of the inner ring.

Abstract: A retaining ring includes a generally annular body having an inner surface to constrain a substrate, an outer surface, and a bottom surface. The bottom surface has a plurality of channels extending from the outer surface to the inner surface and a plurality of islands separated by the channels and providing a contact area to contact a polishing pad. Each channel includes a recessed region adjacent the outer surface such that the channel is deeper in the recessed region than in a remainder of the channel. The recessed region and the remainder of the channel each have substantially uniform depth.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a retaining ring for use in a polishing process. The retaining ring includes an annular body having an upper surface and a lower surface. An inner surface is connected to the upper surface and the lower surface. The inner surface includes one or more surfaces that are used to retain a substrate during processing. The one or more surfaces have an angle relative to a central axis of the retaining ring. The inner surface also includes a plurality of facets. Channels are disposed within the retaining ring to allow passage of a polishing fluid from an inner surface to an outer surface of the retaining ring disposed opposite of the inner surface.

Abstract: A method for optimizing polishing includes, for each respective retaining ring of a plurality of retaining rings mounted on a particular carrier head, performing measurements for a bottom surface of the respective retaining ring mounted on the particular carrier head using a coordinate measurement machine and collecting a respective removal profile of a substrate polished using the respective retaining ring. A machine learning model is trained based on the measurements of the bottom surface of the retaining ring and the respective removal profiles.

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: 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.