US 11,715,672 B2
Endpoint detection for chemical mechanical polishing based on spectrometry
Dominic J. Benvegnu, La Honda, CA (US); Jeffrey Drue David, San Jose, CA (US); and Boguslaw A. Swedek, Morgan Hill, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/530,390.
Application 17/530,390 is a division of application No. 16/397,870, filed on Apr. 29, 2019, granted, now 11,183,435.
Application 16/397,870 is a division of application No. 15/403,915, filed on Jan. 11, 2017, granted, now 10,276,460, issued on Apr. 30, 2019.
Application 14/832,997 is a division of application No. 14/010,193, filed on Aug. 26, 2013, granted, now 9,117,751, issued on Aug. 25, 2015.
Application 14/010,193 is a division of application No. 12/843,782, filed on Jul. 26, 2010, granted, now 8,518,827, issued on Aug. 27, 2013.
Application 15/403,915 is a continuation of application No. 14/832,997, filed on Aug. 21, 2015, granted, now 9,583,405, issued on Feb. 28, 2017.
Application 12/843,782 is a continuation of application No. 11/213,344, filed on Aug. 26, 2005, granted, now 7,764,377, issued on Jul. 27, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/710,682, filed on Aug. 22, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2022/0077006 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/66 (2006.01); B24B 37/013 (2012.01); B24B 37/20 (2012.01); B24B 49/08 (2006.01); B24B 49/12 (2006.01); B24D 7/14 (2006.01); H01L 21/3105 (2006.01); H01L 21/321 (2006.01); H01L 21/306 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 22/26 (2013.01) [B24B 37/013 (2013.01); B24B 37/205 (2013.01); B24B 49/08 (2013.01); B24B 49/12 (2013.01); B24D 7/14 (2013.01); H01L 21/30625 (2013.01); H01L 21/31053 (2013.01); H01L 21/31055 (2013.01); H01L 21/3212 (2013.01); H01L 21/67075 (2013.01); H01L 21/67092 (2013.01); H01L 21/67253 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling a chemical mechanical polishing operation, comprising:
storing a plurality of library spectra, each library spectrum of the plurality of library spectra having a stored associated value representing a degree of progress through a polishing process;
polishing a substrate;
measuring a sequence of spectra from the substrate in-situ during polishing;
for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching library spectrum from the plurality of library spectra to generate a sequence of best matching library spectra;
for each best matching library spectrum from the sequence of best matching library spectra, determining the stored associated value for the best matching library spectrum to generate a sequence of values representing a progression of polishing of the substrate;
comparing the sequence of values to a target value; and
triggering a polishing endpoint when the sequence of values reaches the target value.