US 12,079,984 B2
Detecting an excursion of a CMP component using time-based sequence of images
Sidney P. Huey, Fremont, CA (US); Thomas Li, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Benjamin Cherian, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/678,936.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/157,616, filed on Mar. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0284560 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06T 7/00 (2017.01); B24B 37/005 (2012.01); G06T 7/20 (2017.01); H04N 5/272 (2006.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01); H01L 21/306 (2006.01); H01L 21/3105 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01)
CPC G06T 7/001 (2013.01) [B24B 37/005 (2013.01); G06T 7/20 (2013.01); H04N 5/272 (2013.01); H04N 7/18 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10016 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20081 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20084 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30148 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30232 (2013.01); H01L 21/30625 (2013.01); H01L 21/31053 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A polishing system, comprising:
a platen to support a polishing pad;
a carrier head to hold a substrate against the polishing pad;
a component selected from a group of components including the platen, the carrier head, a conditioner arm, a load cup, a slurry delivery arm, a temperature control arm, and a robot arm;
a camera positioned to capture a time-based sequence of monitoring images of the component; and
a controller configured to
obtain a time-based sequence of reference images of an equivalent component of an equivalent polishing system performing operations during a test operation,
receive from the camera the time-based sequence of monitoring images of the component during polishing of a substrate,
determine a difference value for the time-based sequence of monitoring images by comparing the time-based sequence of reference images to the time-based sequence of monitoring image using an image processing algorithm,
determine whether the difference value exceeds a threshold, and
in response to determining the difference value exceeds the threshold, indicate an excursion, wherein the excursion is a departure of the component from an expected path of motion.