Boguslaw Andrzej Swedek

6383058, May 7, 2002

Jan 28, 2000

09/493859

Manoocher Birang - Los Gatos CA
Boguslaw Swedek - San Jose CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 722

451 41, 451 6, 451288

An apparatus, as well as a method, brings a surface of a substrate into contact with a polishing pad. A light beam is directed by an optical endpoint detection system to impinge the surface of the substrate. A signal from the optical endpoint detection system is monitored, and if a first endpoint criterion is not detected within a first time window, polishing is stopped at a default polishing time. If the first endpoint criterion is detected within the first time window, the signal is monitored for the second endpoint criterion, and polishing stops if the second endpoint criterion is detected.

6399501, Jun 4, 2002

Dec 13, 1999

09/460529

Manoocher Birang - Los Gatos CA
Boguslaw Swedek - San Jose CA
Nils Johansson - Los Gatos CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21302

438692, 438690, 438691, 438693

An apparatus, as well as a method, brings a surface of a substrate into contact with a polishing pad that has a window, causes relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad, and directs a light beam through the window so that the motion of the polishing pad relative to the substrate causes the light beam to move in a path across the substrate. An extreme intensity measurement is derived from a plurality of intensity measurements made as the light beam moves across the substrate. The beam sweeps across the substrate a plurality of times to generate a plurality of extreme intensity measurements, and a polishing endpoint is detected based on the plurality of extreme intensity measurements.

6494766, Dec 17, 2002

Oct 23, 2000

09/695601

Andreas Norbert Wiswesser - Freiberg, DE
Wallter Waiter Schoenleber - Holzgerlingen, DE
Boguslaw Swedek - San Jose CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 4900

451 6, 451 8, 451 41, 451288

The thickness of a layer on a substrate is measured in-situ during chemical mechanical polishing. A light beam is divided through a window in a polishing pad, and the motion of the polishing pad relative to the substrate causes the light beam to move in a path across the substrate surface. An interference signal produced by the light beam reflecting off the substrate is monitored, and a plurality of intensity measurements are extracted from the interference signal. Each intensity measurement corresponds to a sampling zone in the path across the substrate surface. A radial position is determined for each sampling zone, and the intensity measurements are divided into a plurality of radial ranges according to the radial positions. The layer thickness is computed for each radial range from the intensity measurements associated with that radial range.

6506097, Jan 14, 2003

Jan 16, 2001

09/764733

Bret W. Adams - Sunnyvale CA
Boguslaw A. Swedek - San Jose CA
Rajeev Bajaj - Fremont CA
Savitha Nanjangud - San Jose CA
Andreas Norbert Wiswesser - Mountain View CA
Stan D. Tsai - Fremont CA
David A. Chan - Sunnyvale CA
Fred C. Redeker - Fremont CA
Manoocher Birang - Los Gatos CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 100

451 5, 451 6, 451 9, 451 36, 451 57, 438692

An optical monitoring system for a two-step polishing process which generates a reflectance trace for each of plurality of radial zones. The CMP apparatus may switch from a high-selectivity slurry to a low-selectivity slurry when any of the reflectance traces indicate initial clearance of the metal layer, and polishing may halt when all of the reflectance traces indicate that oxide layer has been completely exposed.

6524165, Feb 25, 2003

Oct 23, 2000

09/695002

Andreas Norbert Wiswesser - Freiberg, DE
Walter Schoenleber - Holzgerlingen, DE
Boguslaw Swedek - San Jose CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 4900

451 6, 451 8, 451 41, 451288

The thickness of a layer on a substrate is measured in-situ during chemical mechanical polishing. A light beam is divided through a window in a polishing pad, and the motion of the polishing pad relative to the substrate causes the light beam to move in a path across the substrate surface. An interference signal produced by the light beam reflecting off the substrate is monitored, and a plurality of intensity measurements are extracted from the interference signal. Each intensity measurement corresponds to a sampling zone in the path across the substrate surface. A radial position is determined for each sampling zone, and the intensity measurements are divided into a plurality of radial ranges according to the radial positions. The layer thickness is computed for each radial range from the intensity measurements associated with that radial range.

6607422, Aug 19, 2003

Sep 25, 2000

09/669776

Boguslaw Swedek - San Jose CA
Andreas Norbert Wiswesser - Freiberg, DE

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 4912

451 6, 451 41

A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes two optical systems which are used serially to determine polishing endpoints. The first optical system includes a first light source to generate a first light beam which impinges on a surface of the substrate, and a first sensor to measure light reflected from the surface of the substrate to generate a measured first interference signal. The second optical system includes a second light source to generate a second light beam which impinges on a surface of the substrate and a second sensor to measure light reflected from the surface of the substrate to generate a measured second interference signal. The second light beam has a wavelength different from the first light beam.

6632124, Oct 14, 2003

Jan 10, 2003

10/339959

Bret W. Adams - Sunnyvale CA
Boguslaw A. Swedek - San Jose CA
Rajeev Bajaj - Fremont CA
Savitha Nanjangud - San Jose CA
Andreas Norbert Wiswesser - Mountain View CA
Stan D. Tsai - Fremont CA
David A. Chan - Sunnyvale CA
Fred C. Redeker - Fremont CA
Manoocher Birang - Los Gatos CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 100

451 5, 451 6, 451 9, 451 36, 451 57, 438692

An optical monitoring system for a two-step polishing process which generates a reflectance trace for each of plurality of radial zones. The CMP apparatus may switch from a high-selectivity slurry to a low-selectivity slurry when any of the reflectance traces indicate initial clearance of the metal layer, and polishing may halt when all of the reflectance traces indicate that oxide layer has been completely exposed.

6652355, Nov 25, 2003

Jun 4, 2001

09/874086

Andreas Norbert Wiswesser - Freiberg, DE
Judon Tony Pan - Saratoga CA
Boguslaw Swedek - San Jose CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

B24B 4900

451 6, 451 5, 451287

An apparatus, as well as a method, determines an endpoint of chemical mechanical polishing a metal layer on a substrate. The method of the apparatus includes bringing a surface of a substrate into contact with a polishing pad that has a window; causing relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad; directing a light beam through the window, the motion of the polishing pad relative to the substrate causing the light beam to move in a path across the substrate; detecting light beam reflections from the substrate and a retaining ring; generating reflection data associated with the light beam reflections; dividing the reflection data into a plurality of radial ranges; and identifying the predetermined pattern from the reflection data in the plurality of radial ranges to establish the endpoint.