IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,018,269
Granted Patent B2
US 7,018,269 · App. 10/465,731 · Granted Mar 28, 2006

Pad conditioner control using feedback from a measured polishing pad roughness level

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,018,269
App. No.
10/465,731
Granted
Mar 28, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention is a system for controlling a pad conditioner in a CMP device. The system includes a roughness-sensing device mounted in proximity to a polishing pad. The roughness-sensing device generates an output responsive to a roughness of the polishing pad. A signal-processing unit then generates a roughness value of the polishing pad in response to the output from the roughness-sensing device, and generates a control signal in response to the generated roughness value. Finally, a control device controls motion of the pad conditioner in response to the control signal.

Claims (11)

1. A method for controlling a pad conditioner in a CMP device, comprising:

sensing a roughness of a CMP polishing pad using a roughness-sensing device;

determining a roughness value of the CMP polishing pad based on the sensed roughness;

generating a control signal in response to the roughness value; and

applying the control signal to a pad conditioner control device to non-uniformly condition the polishing pad to a roughness profile with a continuously varying shape.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the steps of sensing a roughness, determining a roughness value, generating a control signal, and applying the control signal until the roughness value is within a prescribed range of roughness.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of applying the control signal creates a non-linear roughness on the polishing pad by applying one or more conditioning variables, wherein the conditioning variables are selected from a group consisting of pad conditioner rotational rate, pad conditioner pressure, and pad conditioner time in contact with the polishing pad.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the roughness value is displayed as an average roughness value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the roughness value is displayed as an rms roughness value.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the roughness value is displayed as a result from a power spectral density function.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the roughness value is displayed as a result from an autocorrelation function.