Modular method for chemical mechanical planarization

1. A method of operating a modular chemical mechanical planarization process, the method comprising:

operating a CMP apparatus comprising a docking station including a plurality of modules having at least one CMP module and at least one cleaning module to process one or more substrates therein, the plurality of modules being controllable separately by individual controllers associated separately with the modules;

disengaging one of the modules from the docking station;

mechanically removing the one disengaged module to free the module from the docking station;

inserting a replacement module into the docking station and engaging the module for operation with the docking station while the other modules are still operable to process the one or more substrates therein; and

prequalifying the replacement module using the individual controller associated with the replacement module to process one or more substrates therein for a preset process prior to inserting the replacement module into the docking station and engaging the module for operation with the docking station;

wherein prequalifying the replacement module comprises processing one or more substrates therein for the preset process offline; and verifying that the replacement module meets preset minimum performance requirements based on process results of the one or more substrates processed therein.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the disengaging comprises removing power and control signals from the docking station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the disengaging comprises removing an exhaust port, a water line, and a plurality of chemical fluid lines from the docking station.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising inserting a replacement module into the docking station and engaging the module for operation with the docking station while the other modules are still operable to process the one or more substrates therein.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the disengaging and mechanically removing take less than five minutes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the cleaning station also dries the object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of modules are arranged on a first side of a substrate handling mechanism configured to transfer substrates between modules.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein a plurality of wafer storage units are arranged on a second side of the substrate handling mechanism opposite from the first side.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of modules are linearly arranged on the first side of the substrate handling mechanism.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of modules comprise at least one CMP module and at least one cleaning module arranged on a first side, and at least one CMP module and atleast one cleaning module arranged on a second side opposite from the first side, of a substrate handling mechanism configured to transfer substrates between modules.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plurality of modules are arranged in a cluster around a substrate handling mechanism configured to transfer substrates between modules.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the CMP apparatus comprises polishing a surface of a substrate in a CMP module using a polishing pad which is substantially smaller in surface area than the substrate.

13. A method of operating a modular chemical mechanical planarization process, the method comprising:

operating a CMP apparatus comprising a docking station including a plurality of modules having at least one CMP module and at least one cleaning module to process one or more substrates therein;

disengaging one of the modules from the docking station;

inserting a replacement module into the docking station and engaging the module for operation with the docking station while the other modules are still operable to process the one or more substrates therein; and

prequalifying the replacement module using the individual controller associated with the replacement module to process one or more substrates therein for a preset process prior to inserting the replacement module into the docking station and engaging the module for operation with the docking station;

wherein prequalifying the replacement module comprises processing one or more substrates therein for the preset process offline; and verifying that the replacement module meets preset minimum performance requirements based on process results of the one or more substrates processed therein.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the disengaging comprises removing power and control signals from the docking station.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the replacement module has an individual controller associated with the replacement module separate from the controllers for the modules of the docking station.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising prequalifying the replacement module using the individual controller associated with the replacement module to process one or more substrates therein for a preset process prior to inserting the replacement module into the docking station and engaging the module for operation with the docking station 13 wherein the one of the modules is disengaged from the docking station while the other modules are still operable to process the one or more substrates therein.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein prequalifying the replacement module comprises processing one or more substrates therein for the preset process separately from the docking station; and verifying that the replacement module meets preset minimum performance requirements based on process results of the one or more substrates processed therein 13 further comprising controlling the plurality of modules separately by individual controllers to process one or more substrates therein.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling the plurality of modules separately comprises controlling separately at least one of temperature, pressure, polish force, process timing, spindle and wafer chuck speeds, chemical and D.I. water flow, endpoint detection set points, and automated sequencing and timing of the modules.

19. A method of operating a modular chemical mechanical planarization process, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of modules having at least one CMP module and at least one cleaning module to process one or more substrates therein;

prequalifying at least one of the plurality of modules separately each for a preset process associated therewith using the individual controller associated with the at least one module;

coupling the plurality of modules including the at least one prequalified module with a docking station of a CMP apparatus; and

operating the CMP apparatus to process one or more substrates in the plurality of modules;

wherein prequalifying the at least one module comprises processing one or more substrates therein for the preset process associated therewith offline; and verifying that the at least one module meets preset minimum performance requirements based on process results of the one or more substrates processed therein.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising disengaging one of the modules from the docking station, while the other modules are still operable to process the one or more substrates therein.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the plurality of modules are controllable separately by individual controllers to process the one or more substrates therein.