Abstract: A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate includes polishing a plurality of discrete separated metal features of a layer on the substrate at a polishing station, using an eddy current monitoring system to monitor thickness of the metal features in the layer, and controlling pressures applied by a carrier head to the substrate during polishing of the layer at the polishing station based on thickness measurements of the metal features from the eddy current monitoring system to reduce differences between an expected thickness profile of the metal feature and a target profile.

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 the polishing of a substrate includes polishing a substrate on a first platen using a first set of parameters, obtaining first and second sequences of measured spectra from first and second regions of the substrate with an in-situ optical monitoring system, generating first and second sequences of values from the first and second sequences of measured spectra, fitting first and second linear functions to the first and second sequences of values, determining a difference between the first linear function and the second linear function, adjusting at least one parameter of the first set of parameters based on the difference, and polishing the second substrate on the first platen using the adjusted parameter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for polishing or planarizing a substrate by a chemical mechanical polishing process. In one embodiment a method of processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate on a polishing apparatus comprising a polishing pad assembly, delivering a polishing slurry to a surface of the polishing pad assembly, polishing the substrate with the surface of the polishing pad assembly, monitoring the removal rate of material from a plurality of regions on the surface of the substrate, determining whether the plurality of regions on the surface of the substrate are polishing uniformly, and selectively delivering a polishing slurry additive to at least one region of the plurality of regions to obtain a uniform removal rate of material from the plurality of regions on the surface of the substrate, wherein the removal rate of material from the at least one region is different than at least one other region of the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes storing a plurality libraries, each library including a plurality of reference spectra, polishing a substrate, measuring a sequence of spectra of light from the substrate during polishing, and for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching first reference spectrum from a first library from the plurality of libraries and finding a best matching second reference spectrum from a different second library from the plurality of libraries, determining a first value associated with the best matching first reference spectrum and determining a second value from the best matching second reference spectrum, and calculating a third value from the first value and the second value to generate a sequence of calculated third values. At least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate can be determined based on the sequence of calculated third values.

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 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 controlling polishing includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, polishing a substrate, measuring a sequence of spectra of light from the substrate during polishing, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum using a matching technique other than sum of squared differences to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the sequence of best matching reference spectra. Finding a best matching reference spectrum may include performing a cross-correlation of the measured spectrum with each of two or more of the plurality of reference spectra from the library and selecting a reference spectrum with the greatest correlation to the measured spectrum as a best matching reference spectrum.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, polishing a substrate having a second layer overlying a first layer, measuring a sequence of spectra of light from the substrate during polishing, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, detecting exposure of the first layer, fitting a function to a portion of the sequence of index values corresponding to spectra measured after detection of exposure of the first layer, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the function.

Abstract: A method of controlling the polishing of a substrate includes polishing a substrate on a first platen using a first set of parameters, obtaining first and second sequences of measured spectra from first and second regions of the substrate with an in-situ optical monitoring system, generating first and second sequences of values from the first and second sequences of measured spectra, fitting first and second linear functions to the first and second sequences of values, determining a difference between the first linear function and the second linear function, adjusting at least one parameter of a second set of parameters based on the difference, and polishing the substrate on a second platen using the adjusted parameter.

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: Embodiments described herein relate to methods of detecting an endpoint for a target substrate during chemical mechanical polishing process. In one embodiment, the method includes polishing one or more target substrates at a first film removal rate to provide reference spectra, polishing one or more target substrates at a second film removal rate to provide current spectra of the one or more target substrates, wherein the second film removal rate is different from the first film removal rate, identifying an interface transition between different layers formed on the one or more target substrates using a sequence of endpoint values obtained based on the reference spectra collected during polishing of the one or more reference substrates, and comparing each current spectrum obtained from current spectra of the one or more target substrates to the reference spectra to obtain the sequence of endpoint values.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to removing material from a substrate. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to polishing or planarzing a substrate by a chemical mechanical polishing process. In one embodiment, a method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a substrate is provided. The method comprises exposing a substrate having a conductive material layer formed thereon to a polishing solution comprising phosphoric acid, one or more chelating agents, one or more corrosion inhibitors, and one or more oxidizers, forming a passivation layer on the conductive material layer, providing relative motion between the substrate and a polishing pad and removing at least a portion of the passivation layer to expose a portion of the underlying conductive material layer, and removing a portion of the exposed conductive material layer.

Abstract: A method of controlling the polishing of a substrate includes polishing a substrate on a first platen using a first set of parameters, obtaining first and second sequences of measured spectra from first and second regions of the substrate with an in-situ optical monitoring system, generating first and second sequences of values from the first and second sequences of measured spectra, fitting first and second linear functions to the first and second sequences of values, determining a difference between the first linear function and the second linear function, adjusting at least one parameter of a second set of parameters based on the difference, and polishing the substrate on a second platen using the adjusted parameter.

Abstract: An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, and an eddy current monitoring system to generate an eddy current signal. The eddy current monitoring system includes a core and a coil wound around a portion of the core. The core includes a back portion, a first prong extending from the back portion in a first direction normal to the surface of the platen and having a width in a second direction parallel to the surface of the platen, and second and third prongs extending from the back portion in parallel with the first protrusion, the second and third prongs positioned on opposite sides of and equidistant from the first prong. A spacing between each of the second and third prongs and the first prong is approximately equal to twice the width of the first prong.

Abstract: A method of chemical mechanical polishing a metal layer on a substrate includes polishing the metal layer on the substrate at first and second polishing stations, monitoring thickness of the metal layer during polishing at the first and second polishing station with first and second eddy current monitoring systems having different resonant frequencies, and controlling pressures applied by a carrier head to the substrate during polishing at the first and second polishing stations to improve uniformity based on thickness measurements from the first and second eddy current monitoring systems.

Abstract: A method includes polishing a substrate on a first platen using a first set of parameters, obtaining a plurality of measured spectra from at least two zones, comparing the plurality of measured spectra with a reference spectrum to evaluate the thickness of each of the at least two zones of the substrate, comparing a thickness of a first zone with a thickness of a second zone, determining whether the thickness of the first zone falls within a predetermined range of the thickness of the second zone, and if the thickness does not fall within the predetermined range, at least one of a) adjusting at least one parameter of the first set and polishing a second substrate on the first platen using the adjusted parameters, or b) adjusting at least one parameter of a second set and polishing the substrate on a second platen using the adjusted parameters.

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: Embodiments described herein provide a method for polishing a substrate surface. The methods generally include storing processing components in multiple storage units during processing, and combining the processing components to create a slurry while flowing the processing components to a polishing pad. A substrate is polished using the slurry, and the thickness of a material layer disposed on the substrate is determined. The flow rate of one or more processing components is then adjusted to affect the rate of removal of the material layer disposed on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of controlling the polishing of a substrate includes polishing a substrate on a first platen using a first set of parameters, obtaining first and second sequences of measured spectra from first and second regions of the substrate with an in-situ optical monitoring system, generating first and second sequences of values from the first and second sequences of measured spectra, fitting first and second linear functions to the first and second sequences of values, determining a difference between the first linear function and the second linear function, adjusting at least one parameter of a second set of parameters based on the difference, and polishing the substrate on a second platen using the adjusted parameter.