IP Library Granted Patent US 11,110,565
Granted Patent B2
US 11,110,565 · App. 15/909,634 · Granted Sep 7, 2021

Polishing apparatus, polishing method, and polishing control apparatus

Inventors: Syunichi Ono (Kuwana Mie, JP); Tsutomu Miki (Yokkaichi Mie, JP)
Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
B24B49/003B24B37/013B24B37/042B24B49/04B24B49/10B24B49/16B24B53/017G01B17/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,110,565
App. No.
15/909,634
Granted
Sep 7, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A polishing apparatus includes an acoustic sensor, a sound collector, an analyzer, a feature quantity calculator, and an end point calculator. The acoustic sensor detects the polishing sound of an object. The sound collector collects a polishing sound detected by the acoustic sensor. The analyzer performs frequency analysis on the power spectrum of the polishing sound with a predetermined time resolution. The feature quantity calculator calculates an arithmetic value of the power spectra having a preset time difference of the power spectra as a polishing feature quantity by using the analysis data provided by the analysis performed by the analyzer. The end point calculator determines a polishing end point of the object based on the change in the feature quantity.

Claims (46)

1. A polishing apparatus comprising:

an acoustic sensor configured to detect a polishing sound of an object to be polished;

a sound collector configured to collect the polishing sound detected by the acoustic sensor;

an analyzer configured to perform frequency analysis on power spectra of the polishing sound with a given time resolution to acquire first data, the first data represented by a first table in which each power spectrum of the power spectra is correlated with a time point and a frequency;

a calculator configured to:

perform an arithmetic operation between a first part of the power spectra in the first data that is correlated with a first time point and a second part of the power spectra in the first data that is correlated with a second time point to acquire second data, the second data represented by a second table in which each of a plurality of arithmetic values is correlated with the time point and a mixed frequency;

analyze each of parts of the arithmetic values in the second data that is correlated with a corresponding mixed frequency to determine whether or not the part of the arithmetic values of the second data satisfies a changes in value;

synthesize two of the parts of the arithmetic values of the second data with value changes when a correlation coefficient between the two of the parts of the arithmetic values of the second data with value changes falls under a threshold value to obtain synthesized values; and

an end point calculator configured to determine a polishing end point of the object based on a change in the synthesized values.

2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the calculator is configured to set the first time point and the second time point to have a time difference based on polishing environment information relating to a polishing environment of the object.

3. The polishing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the polishing environment information includes replacement timing of a polishing component.

4. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the calculator is configured to calculate a product of the power spectra of different frequencies.

5. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the time difference is set based on a decrease time of the power spectrum.

6. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the calculator is configured to calculate the correlation coefficient if the second data changes from increasing to decreasing.

7. A polishing method comprising:

detecting a polishing sound of an object to be polished;

collecting the polishing sound;

performing frequency analysis on a power spectra of the collected polishing sound with a given time resolution to acquire first data, the first data represented by a first table in which each power spectrum of the power spectra is correlated with a time point and a frequency;

performing an arithmetic operation between a first part of the power spectra in the first data that is correlated with a first time point and a second part of the power spectra in the first data that is correlated with a second time point to acquire second data, the second data represented by a second table in which each of a plurality of arithmetic values is correlated with the time point and a mixed frequency;

analyzing each of parts of the arithmetic values in the second data that is correlated with a corresponding mixed frequency to determine whether or not the part of the arithmetic values of the second data satisfies changes in value;

synthesizing two of the parts of the arithmetic values of the second data with value changes when a correlation coefficient between the two of the parts of the arithmetic values of the second data with value changes falls under a threshold value to obtain synthesized values; and

determining a polishing end point of the object based on a change in the synthesized values.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,

further comprising setting the first time point and the second time point to have a time difference based on polishing environment information indicative of a polishing environment of the object.

9. The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the time difference is set based on a decrease time of the power spectrum.

10. The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the correlation coefficient is calculated in a case where the second data changes from increasing to decreasing.

11. A polishing control apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory storing data, the processor configured to:

collect a polishing sound of an object to be polished;

perform frequency analysis on the power spectra of the polishing sound with a given time resolution to acquire first data, the first data represented by a first table in which each power spectrum of the power spectra is correlated with a time point and a frequency;

perform an arithmetic operation between a first part of the power spectra in the first data that is correlated with a first time point and a second part of the power spectra in the first data that is correlated with a second time point to acquire second data, the second data represented by a second table in which each of a plurality of arithmetic values is correlated with the time point and a mixed frequency;

analyze each of parts of the arithmetic values in the second data that is correlated with a corresponding mixed frequency to determine whether or not the part of the arithmetic values of the second data satisfies changes in value;

synthesize two of the parts of the arithmetic values of the second data with value changes when a correlation coefficient between the two of the parts of the arithmetic values of the second data with value changes falls under a threshold value to obtain synthesized values; and

determine a polishing end point of the object to be polished based on a change in the synthesized values.

12. The polishing control apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein the processor is configured to set the first time point and the second time point to have a time difference based on polishing environment information indicative of a polishing environment of the object to be polished.

13. The polishing control apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein the time difference is set based on a decrease time of the power spectrum.

14. The polishing control apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein the processor is configured to calculate the correlation coefficient in a case where the second data changes from increasing to decreasing.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: K.K PANGEA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058957/0124 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 31, 2022
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058905/0582 →
MERGER Recorded Jan 31, 2022
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: K.K PANGEA
Reel/Frame 058946/0675 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2018
From: ONO, SYUNICHI; MIKI, TSUTOMU
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045658/0838 →