US 11,701,749 B2
Monitoring of vibrations during chemical mechanical polishing
Boguslaw A. Swedek, Cupertino, CA (US); Dominic J. Benvegnu, La Honda, CA (US); Chih Chung Chou, San Jose, CA (US); Nicholas Wiswell, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Thomas H. Osterheld, Mountain View, CA (US); and Jeonghoon Oh, Saratoga, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 13, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/351,954.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/642,471, filed on Mar. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0283204 A1, Sep. 19, 2019
Int. Cl. B24B 37/04 (2012.01); B24B 49/12 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01); B24B 37/013 (2012.01)
CPC B24B 37/013 (2013.01) [B24B 37/04 (2013.01); B24B 49/12 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01); H01L 22/26 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
a platen supporting a polishing pad, the platen having a recess, and wherein the polishing pad has a polishing layer and a backing layer, and a pad portion coupled to a remainder of the polishing pad by a material that is softer than the pad portion;
a flexible membrane in the recess, wherein the flexible membrane defines a pressurizable volume in the recess below the flexible membrane, wherein the pressurizable volume is entirely contained within the flexible membrane; and
an in-situ vibration monitoring system to generate a signal, the in-situ vibration monitoring system including a vibration sensor supported by the flexible membrane and positioned to couple to an underside of the polishing pad.
 
10. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
a platen to support a polishing pad, the platen having a recess;
a flexible membrane in the recess which extends across the recess to seal a volume below the flexible membrane and forms a pressurizable chamber;
an in-situ vibration monitoring system to generate a signal, the in-situ vibration monitoring system including a vibration sensor supported by the flexible membrane and positioned to couple to an underside of the polishing pad; and
a pump to pressurize the chamber and urge the vibration sensor into contact with the underside of the polishing pad.
 
12. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
a platen having a recess, wherein the recess has a bottom surface and sidewalls;
a polishing pad supported on the platen, wherein the polishing pad has a polishing layer and a backing layer, and a pad portion coupled to a remainder of the polishing pad by a material that is softer than the pad portion;
a flexible membrane extending between the sidewalls of the recess, wherein the flexible membrane defines a pressurizable volume between the bottom of the recess and the flexible membrane; and
an in-situ vibration monitoring system to generate a signal, the in-situ vibration monitoring system including a vibration sensor supported by the flexible membrane and positioned to couple to an underside of the polishing pad.