Polishing endpoint detection method

1. A method of detecting a polishing endpoint of a substrate, comprising:

polishing a surface of the substrate having a film with a polishing pad;

applying a light to the surface of the substrate and receiving a reflected light from the substrate;

obtaining a plurality of spectral profiles at predetermined time intervals, each spectral profile indicating reflection intensity at each wavelength of the reflected light;

selecting at least one pair of spectral profiles, including a latest spectral profile, from said plurality of spectral profiles obtained;

calculating a difference in the reflection intensity at at least one predetermined wavelength between said spectral profiles selected;

determining an amount of change in the reflection intensity from said difference; and

determining a polishing endpoint based on said amount of change.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining of the polishing endpoint comprises determining a polishing endpoint by detecting that said amount of change has reached a predetermined threshold value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining of said amount of change comprises determining an amount of change in the reflection intensity by squaring said difference in the reflection intensity.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

said at least one predetermined wavelength is a plurality of predetermined wavelengths; and

said determining of said amount of change comprises determining an amount of change in the reflection intensity from a sum of differences in the reflection intensity at said plurality of predetermined wavelengths.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

said at least one pair of spectral profiles comprises a plurality of pairs of spectral profiles, each pair including the latest spectral profile;

said calculating of the difference in the reflection intensity comprises calculating a difference in the reflection intensity at the predetermined wavelength between the spectral profiles in each of said plurality of pairs to obtain a plurality of differences in the reflection intensity for said plurality of pairs of spectral profiles;

said determining of the amount of change in the reflection intensity comprises determining a plurality of amounts of change in the reflection intensity from said plurality of differences and calculating an average or a sum of said plurality of amounts of change; and

said determining of the polishing endpoint comprises determining a polishing endpoint based on said average or sum.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

said at least one pair of spectral profiles comprises a plurality of pairs of spectral profiles, each pair including the latest spectral profile;

said calculating of the difference in the reflection intensity comprises calculating a difference in the reflection intensity at the predetermined wavelength between the spectral profiles in each of said plurality of pairs to obtain a plurality of differences in the reflection intensity for said plurality of pairs of spectral profiles;

said determining of the amount of change in the reflection intensity comprises determining a plurality of amounts of change in the reflection intensity from said plurality of differences; and

said determining of the polishing endpoint comprises determining a polishing endpoint by detecting that at least one of said plurality of amounts of change in the reflection intensity has reached a predetermined threshold value.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

creating a spectral index for each of said selected spectral profiles by dividing reflection intensity at said predetermined wavelength by reflection intensity at another wavelength,

wherein said calculating of the difference in the reflection intensity comprises calculating a difference in the spectral index between said spectral profiles selected, and

wherein said determining of the amount of change in the reflection intensity comprises determining an amount of change in the reflection intensity from said difference in the spectral index.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

differentiating said amount of change in the reflection intensity to obtain a derivative value,

wherein said determining of the polishing endpoint comprises determining a polishing endpoint based on said amount of change in the reflection intensity and said derivative value.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined time intervals are established such that a phase difference between said spectral profiles selected is approximately a half cycle.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said predetermined wavelength is selected from a wavelength range which is such that the phase difference between said spectral profiles selected is approximately a half cycle.