Abstract: Methods for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductor substrates, and more particularly to temperature control during such chemical mechanical polishing are provided. In one aspect, the method comprises polishing the substrate with a polishing surface during a polishing process to remove a portion of the conductive material, repeatedly monitoring a temperature of the polishing surface during the polishing process, and exposing the polishing surface to a rate quench process in response to the monitored temperature so as to achieve a target value for the monitored temperature during the polishing process.

Abstract: A system for applying focused ultrasound energy to a nerve surrounding an artery of a patient includes a piezoelectric array comprising a plurality of piezoelectric elements, a controller configured to control at least a subset of the piezoelectric elements so that at least one of the piezoelectric elements in the subset is in a signal transmitting mode, in a signal sensing mode, or both, a first platform on which the piezoelectric elements are coupled and a second platform, wherein the second platform is configured to support at least a part of the patient, a programmable generator configured to generate output power for one or more of the piezoelectric elements, and a programmable processor configured to process a signal sensed by at least one of the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: A system for treatment of an autonomic nervous system of a patient includes a focused ultrasound energy source for placement outside the patient, wherein the focused ultrasound energy source is configured to deliver ultrasound energy towards a blood vessel with a surrounding nerve that is a part of the autonomic nervous system inside the patient, and wherein the focused ultrasound energy source is configured to deliver the ultrasound energy based on a position of an indwelling vascular catheter.

Abstract: A method to deliver focused ultrasound energy from a position outside a skin of a patient to a nerve surrounding a blood vessel, includes placing the patient on a table in a substantially flat position, moving a transducer into a position inferior to ribs, superior to an iliac crest, and lateral to a spine of the patient, maintaining the transducer at the position relative to the patient, and delivering focused ultrasound energy through the skin of the patient without traversing bone, wherein the direction of the focused ultrasound is directed from a lower torso to an upper torso of the patient.

Abstract: A system to apply ultrasound energy to a region surrounding blood flow in a blood vessel from a position outside a patient includes: a therapeutic ultrasound transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements; and a processor configured to control the plurality of transducer elements; wherein the processor is configured to change phase inputs to the transducer elements to move a focus of the transducer at least 1 cm in a first plane which is substantially along a plane of the transducer elements of the therapeutic ultrasound transducer and at least 1 cm in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane; and wherein the processor is further configured to position the focus of the transducer in sequential positions offset from the blood flow in the blood vessel according to a pattern pre-determined by an operator of the system.

Abstract: A method of polishing includes polishing a substrate having a second layer overlying a first layer, measuring a sequence of groups of spectra of light from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, each group of the groups of spectra including spectra from different locations on the substrate, for each group, calculating a value for a dispersion parameter of the spectra in the group to generate a sequence of dispersion values, and detecting exposure of the first layer based on the sequence of dispersion values.

Abstract: A difference between a first expected required polish time for a first substrate and a second expected required polish time for a second substrate is determined using a first pre-polish thickness and a second pre-polish thickness measured at an in-line metrology station. A duration of an initial period is determined based on the difference between the first expected required polish time and the second expected required polish time. For the initial period at a beginning of a polishing operation, no pressure is applied to whichever of the first substrate and the second substrate has a lesser expected required polish time while simultaneously pressure is applied to whichever of the first substrate and the second substrate has a greater expected required polish time. After the initial period, pressure is applied to both the first substrate and the second substrate.

Abstract: A method of modulating tissue of an internal organ in vivo, includes: fixating the tissue on a shaped device; and focusing radiation on the fixated tissue using a radiation-emitting system so as to modulate the tissue, wherein said radiation-emitting system is non-local with respect to said shaped device.

Abstract: A method of generating reference spectra includes polishing a first substrate in a polishing apparatus, measuring a sequence of spectra from the first substrate during polishing with an in-situ optical monitoring system, for each spectrum in the sequence of spectra, determining a best matching reference spectrum from a first plurality of first reference spectra to generate a sequence of reference spectra, calculating a value of a metric of fit of the sequence of spectra to the sequence of reference spectra, comparing the value of the metric of fit to a threshold value and determining whether to generate a second library based on the comparison, and if the second library is determined to be generated, storing the sequence of spectra as a second plurality of reference spectra.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating reference spectra includes polishing a plurality of set-up substrates, the plurality of set-up substrates comprising at least three set-up substrates, measuring a sequence of spectra from each of the plurality of set-up substrates during polishing with an in-situ optical monitoring system to provide a plurality of sequences of spectra, generating a plurality of sequences of potential reference spectra from the plurality of sequences of spectra, determining which sequence of potential reference spectra of the plurality of sequences provides a best match to remaining sequences of the plurality of sequences, and storing the sequence of potential reference spectra determined to provide the best match as reference spectra, and selecting and storing the sequence of potential reference spectra.

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing system includes polishing a substrate at a first polishing station, transporting the substrate to an in-line optical metrology system positioned between the first polishing station and a second polishing station, at the in-line optical metrology system measuring a spectrum reflected from the substrate, and generating a characterizing value from the spectrum, determining that the substrate needs rework based on the characterizing value, returning the substrate to the first polishing station and performing rework of the substrate at the first polishing station; and transporting the substrate to the second polishing station and polishing the substrate at the second polishing station.

Abstract: An ultrasound system used for both imaging and delivery high intensity ultrasound energy therapy to treatment sites and a method for treating tumors and other undesired tissue within a patient's body with an ultrasound device. The ultrasound device has an ultrasound transducer array disposed on a distal end of an elongate, relatively thin shaft. In one form of the invention, the transducer array is disposed within a liquid-filled elastomeric material that more effectively couples ultrasound energy into the tumor, that is directly contacted with the device. Using the device in a continuous wave mode, a necrotic zone of tissue having a desired size and shape (e.g., a necrotic volume selected to interrupt a blood supply to a tumor) can be created by controlling at least one of the f-number, duration, intensity, and direction of the ultrasound energy administered. This method speeds the therapy and avoids continuously pausing to enable intervening normal tissue to cool.

Abstract: A difference between a first expected required polish time for a first substrate and a second expected required polish time for a second substrate is determined using a first pre-polish thickness and a second pre-polish thickness measured at an in-line metrology station. A duration of an initial period is determined based on the difference between the first expected required polish time and the second expected required polish time. For the initial period at a beginning of a polishing operation, no pressure is applied to whichever of the first substrate and the second substrate has a lesser expected required polish time while simultaneously pressure is applied to whichever of the first substrate and the second substrate has a greater expected required polish time. After the initial period, pressure is applied to both the first substrate and the second substrate.

Abstract: A method of generating reference spectra includes polishing a first substrate in a polishing apparatus, measuring a sequence of spectra from the first substrate during polishing with an in-situ optical monitoring system, for each spectrum in the sequence of spectra, determining a best matching reference spectrum from a first plurality of first reference spectra to generate a sequence of reference spectra, calculating a value of a metric of fit of the sequence of spectra to the sequence of reference spectra, comparing the value of the metric of fit to a threshold value and determining whether to generate a second library based on the comparison, and if the second library is determined to be generated, storing the sequence of spectra as a second plurality of reference spectra.

Abstract: A polishing method includes positioning two substrates in contact with the same polishing pad. Prior to commencement of polishing and while the two substrates are in contact with the polishing pad, two starting values are generated from an in-situ monitoring system. Either a starting polishing time or a pressure applied to one of the substrates can be adjusted so that the two substrates have closer endpoint conditions. During polishing the two substrates are monitored with the in-situ monitoring system to generate a two sequences of values, and a polishing endpoint can be detected or an adjustment for a polishing parameter can be based on the two sequences of values.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a polishing pad, a platen to support the polishing pad, and two rotatable carrier heads configured to hold two substrates against the polishing pad at the same time. Each carrier head includes a retaining ring. Two actuators sweep the two carrier heads laterally across the polishing pad between positions closer to and farther from the center axis. A polishing surface of the polishing pad includes a center region with a first grooving pattern and an annular region with a second grooving pattern different than the first grooving pattern. A radius of the center region is equal to or less than a distance from a center axis of the platen to a closest outer edge of the two retaining rings when the carrier heads are in the closer positions.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes storing a sequence of default values, polishing a substrate, monitoring the substrate during polishing with an in-situ monitoring system, generating a sequence of measured values from measurements from the in-situ monitoring system, combining the sequence of measured values with the sequence of default values to generate a sequence of modified values, fitting a function to the sequence of modified values, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the function.

Abstract: A polishing method includes simultaneously polishing a first substrate and a second substrate on the same polishing pad, storing a default overpolishing time, determining first and second polishing endpoint times of the first and substrates with the in-situ monitoring system, determining a difference between the first and second polishing endpoint times, and determining whether the difference exceeds a threshold. If the difference is less than the threshold, then an overpolishing stop time is calculated and polishing of the first substrate and the second substrates is halted simultaneously at the overpolishing stop time. If the difference is greater than the threshold, then first and second overpolishing stop times that equal the first and second endpoint times plus the default overpolishing time are calculated, and polishing of the first and second substrates is halted at the first and second overpolishing stop times, respectively.

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing operation includes polishing a substrate, during polishing obtaining a sequence over time of measured spectra from the substrate with an in-situ optical monitoring system, for each measured spectrum from the sequence of measured spectra determining a difference between the measured spectrum and an immediate previous spectrum from the sequence, accumulating the difference for each measured spectrum to generate a total difference, comparing the total difference to a threshold, and detecting a polishing endpoint based on the comparison of the total difference to the threshold.

Abstract: An ultrasound system used for both imaging and delivery high intensity ultrasound energy therapy to treatment sites and a method for treating tumors and other undesired tissue within a patient's body with an ultrasound device. The ultrasound device has an ultrasound transducer array disposed on a distal end of an elongate, relatively thin shaft. In one form of the invention, the transducer array is disposed within a liquid-filled elastomeric material that more effectively couples ultrasound energy into the tumor, that is directly contacted with the device. Using the device in a continuous wave mode, a necrotic zone of tissue having a desired size and shape (e.g., a necrotic volume selected to interrupt a blood supply to a tumor) can be created by controlling at least one of the f-number, duration, intensity, and direction of the ultrasound energy administered. This method speeds the therapy and avoids continuously pausing to enable intervening normal tissue to cool.