Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a substrate at a first polishing station, monitoring the substrate with a first eddy current monitoring system to generate a first signal, determining an ending value of the first signal for an end of polishing of the substrate at the first polishing station, determining a first temperature at the first polishing station, polishing the substrate at a second polishing station, monitoring the substrate with a second eddy current monitoring system to generate a second signal, determining a starting value of the second signal for a start of polishing of the substrate at the second polishing station, determining a gain for the second polishing station based on the ending value, the starting value and the first temperature, and calculating a third signal based on the second signal and the gain.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method of controlling polishing includes receiving a measurement of an initial thickness of a conductive film on a first substrate prior to polishing the first substrate from an in-line or stand-alone monitoring system, polishing one or more substrates in a polishing system, the one or more substrates including the first substrate, during polishing of the one or more substrates, monitoring the one or more substrates with an eddy current monitoring system to generate a first signal, determining a starting value of the first signal for a start of polishing of the first substrate, determining a gain based on the starting value and the measurement of the initial thickness, for at least a portion of the first signal collected during polishing of at least one substrate of the one or more substrates, and calculating a second signal based on the first signal and the gain.

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: In fabrication of an integrated circuit having a layer with a plurality of conductive interconnects, a layer of a substrate is polished to provide the layer of the integrated circuit. The layer of the substrate includes conductive lines to provide the conductive interconnects. The layer of the substrate includes a closed conductive loop formed of a conductive material in a trench. A depth of the conductive material in the trench is monitored using an inductive monitoring system and a signal is generated. Monitoring includes generating a magnetic field that intermittently passes through the closed conductive loop. A sequence of values over time is extracted from the signal, the sequence of values representing the depth of the conductive material over time.

Abstract: A substrate for use in fabrication of an integrated circuit has a layer with a plurality of conductive interconnects. The substrate includes a semiconductor body, a dielectric layer disposed over the semiconductor body, a plurality of conductive lines of a conductive material disposed in first trenches in the dielectric layer to provide the conductive interconnects, and a closed conductive loop structure of the conductive material disposed in second trenches in the dielectric layer. The closed conductive loop is not electrically connected to any of the conductive lines.

Abstract: A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring the layer during polishing at the polishing station with an in-situ monitoring system, the in-situ monitoring system monitoring an elongated region and generating a measured signal, computing an angle between a primary axis of the elongated region and a tangent to an edge of the substrate, modifying the measured signal based on the angle to generate a modified signal, and at least one of detecting a polishing endpoint or modifying a polishing parameter based on the modified signal.

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing operation includes receiving a first measurement of a first amount of metal on a substrate made by a first x-ray monitoring system after a first metal layer is deposited on the substrate and before a second metal layer is deposited on the substrate, transferring the substrate to a carrier head of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus the substrate after the second metal layer is deposited on the substrate, making a second measurement of a second amount of metal on the substrate with a second x-ray monitoring system in the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comparing the first measurement to the second measurement to determine a difference, and adjusting a polishing endpoint or a polishing parameter of the polishing apparatus based on the difference.

Abstract: Before a first surface of a substrate is polished using a chemical mechanical process, the substrate is transferred to a modification station. The substrate comprises a side wall connected with the first surface at an edge and a second surface opposite to the first surface and also connected to the side wall. The first surface is substantially flat. The side wall is substantially perpendicular to the first surface. The edge of the substrate is modified at the modification station by removing material from a region of the first surface. The side wall of the substrate is a boundary of the region. The modified edge comprises a modified first surface that tapers within the region towards the second surface. The side wall remains substantially perpendicular to the first surface.

Abstract: Among other things, a method of controlling polishing during a polishing process is described. The method includes receiving a measurement of a thickness, thick(t), of a conductive layer of a substrate undergoing polishing from an in-situ monitoring system at a time t; receiving a measured temperature, T(t), associated with the conductive layer at the time t; calculating resistivity ?T of the conductive layer at the measured temperature T(t); adjusting the measurement of the thickness using the calculated resistivity ?T to generate an adjusted measured thickness; and detecting a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing parameter based on the adjusted measured thickness.

Abstract: During polishing of a first substrate at a first polishing station, a sequence of measurements by a first in-situ monitoring system is monitored to determining a first time at which the first sequence exhibits a first predefined feature indicating a predetermined thickness of an overlying layer, and during polishing of the first substrate at a second polishing station, a sequence of measurements by a second in-situ monitoring system is monitored to determine a second time indicating clearance of the overlying layer and exposure of the underlying layer. The first time is used to calculate a first adjusted polishing pressure for a second substrate at the first polishing station, and the second time is used to calculate a second adjusted polishing pressure for the second substrate at the second polishing station.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a first substrate having an overlying layer on an underlying layer or layer structure. During polishing, the substrate is monitored with an in-situ monitoring system to generate a sequence of measurements. The measurements are sorted into groups, each group associated with a different zone of a plurality of zones on the substrate. For each zone, a time at which the overlying layer is cleared is determined based on the measurements from the associated group. At least one second adjusted polishing pressure for at least zone is calculated based on a pressure applied in the at least one zone during polishing the substrate, the time for the at least one zone, and the time for another zone. A second substrate is polished using the at least one adjusted polishing pressure.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a carrier head including a retaining ring having a plastic portion with a bottom surface to contact a polishing pad, an in-situ monitoring system including a sensor that generates a signal that depends on a thickness of the plastic portion, and a controller configured to receive the signal from the in-situ monitoring system and to adjust at least one polishing parameter in response to the signal to compensate for non-uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the plastic portion of the retaining ring.

Abstract: A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a metal layer on the substrate at a polishing station, monitoring thickness of the metal layer during polishing at the polishing station with an eddy current monitoring system, and controlling pressures applied by a carrier head to the substrate during polishing of the metal layer at the polishing station based on thickness measurements of the metal layer from the eddy current monitoring system to reduce differences between an expected thickness profile of the metal layer and a target profile, wherein the metal layer has a resistivity greater than 700 ohm Angstroms.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a substrate at a first polishing station, monitoring the substrate with a first eddy current monitoring system to generate a first signal, determining an ending value of the first signal for an end of polishing of the substrate at the first polishing station, determining a first temperature at the first polishing station, polishing the substrate at a second polishing station, monitoring the substrate with a second eddy current monitoring system to generate a second signal, determining a starting value of the second signal for a start of polishing of the substrate at the second polishing station, determining a gain for the second polishing station based on the ending value, the starting value and the first temperature, and calculating a third signal based on the second signal and the gain.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method of controlling polishing includes receiving a measurement of an initial thickness of a conductive film on a first substrate prior to polishing the first substrate from an in-line or stand-alone monitoring system, polishing one or more substrates in a polishing system, the one or more substrates including the first substrate, during polishing of the one or more substrates, monitoring the one or more substrates with an eddy current monitoring system to generate a first signal, determining a starting value of the first signal for a start of polishing of the first substrate, determining a gain based on the starting value and the measurement of the initial thickness, for at least a portion of the first signal collected during polishing of at least one substrate of the one or more substrates, and calculating a second signal based on the first signal and the gain.

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: In polishing a substrate having a layer of GST disposed over an underlying layer, during polishing, a non-polarized light beam is directed onto the layer of GST. The non-polarized light beam reflects from the first substrate to generate a reflected light beam having an infra-red component. A sequence of measurements of intensity of the infra-red component of the reflected light beam are generated, and, in a processor, a time at which the sequence of measurements exhibits a predefined feature is determined.

Abstract: A stand-alone processing station of a semiconductor manufacturing system may be configured to fabricate interconnects on a semiconductor wafer. The stand-alone processing station may include a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) module and an electro-chemical deposition (ECD) module. The CMP module may be configured to receive a semiconductor wafer from another processing station and selectively remove a first top layer from the received semiconductor wafer. The ECD module may be configured to receive a semiconductor wafer from the CMP module and fill interconnect features with metal. The CMP module may also be configured to receive a semiconductor wafer from the ECD module and selectively remove excess metal and a second top layer from the semiconductor wafer. Methods of forming an interconnect on a semiconductor wafer are also provided, as are other aspects.

Abstract: In one aspect, a substrate chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method for copper-layered substrates is disclosed. The CMP method includes providing a substrate having a surface of copper, and pre-treating the surface containing copper with a first composition containing a carrier liquid, a corrosion inhibitor, and an oxidizer in a pre-treatment phase, and thereafter, polishing the surface with a slurry composition in a main polishing phase. CMP systems and compositions for CMP are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

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.