Efrain A Velazquez

6857947, Feb 22, 2005

Jan 17, 2003

10/346425

Yuchun Wang - San Jose CA, US
Bernard M. Frey - Livermore CA, US
Bulent M. Basol - Manhattan Beach CA, US
Homayoun Talieh - San Jose CA, US
Douglas W. Young - Sunnyvale CA, US
Brett E. McGrath - San Jose CA, US
Mukesh Desai - Milpitas CA, US
Efrain Velazquez - Los Angeles CA, US
Tuan Truong - San Jose CA, US

ASM NuTool, Inc - Milpitas CA

B24B021/00

451296, 451288, 451 6

An apparatus for polishing a workpiece includes a workpiece holder configured to hold the workpiece, a polishing member configured to be positioned adjacent to a face of the workpiece in order to polish the workpiece face with a front side of the polishing member, and a platen having a plurality of pressure zones configured to selectively apply pressure to the polishing member thereby causing the polishing member to contact the workpiece face with selective pressure. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a pressure controller coupled to the platen and configured to selectively adjust the pressure zones.

6908374, Jun 21, 2005

Jan 17, 2002

10/052475

Yuchun Wang - Naperville IL, US
Bernard M. Frey - Berkeley CA, US
Bulent M. Basol - Manhattan Beach CA, US
Douglas W. Young - Sunnyvale CA, US
Homayoun Talieh - San Jose CA, US
Efrain Velazquez - Los Angeles CA, US

Nutool, Inc. - Milpitas CA

B24B049/12

451296, 451 6, 451 59

The methods and systems described provide for an in-situ endpoint detection for material removal processes such as chemical mechanical processing (CMP) performed on a workpiece. In a preferred embodiment, an optical detection system is used to detect endpoint during the removal of planar conductive layers using CMP. An optically transparent polishing belt provides endpoint detection through any spot on the polishing belt. Once endpoint is detected, a signal can be used to terminate or alter a CMP process that has been previously initiated.

6942546, Sep 13, 2005

Dec 17, 2002

10/321150

Mukesh Desai - Milpitas CA, US
Yuchun Wang - San Jose CA, US
Efrain Velazquez - Los Angeles CA, US

ASM Nutool, Inc. - Fremont CA

B24B049/12
B24B007/22

451 8, 451 6, 451 59, 451288, 451296

A sensing apparatus for detecting a processing endpoint of a multi-layer semiconductor wafer includes a light source to emit light against a surface of the semiconductor wafer, a color sensor to sense a reflection color from the surface of the semiconductor wafer in response to the incident light and to generate a sensor signal, and a decision circuit coupled to the color sensor and configured to decide whether the wafer processing endpoint has been reached based at least in part on the sensor signal. In another embodiment, a sensing apparatus is coupled to a movable structure to position the sensing apparatus to sense the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

6967166, Nov 22, 2005

Apr 12, 2002

10/122646

Bulent M. Basol - Manhattan Beach CA, US
Jeffrey A. Bogart - Los Gatos CA, US
Efrain Velazquez - San Jose CA, US

ASM Nutool, Inc. - Fremont CA

H01L021/4763

438691, 438692, 438633

In one aspect, the present invention monitors a signal corresponding to a torque value of a motor that is used to maintain relative motion between a conductive top surface of a workpiece and a workpiece surface influencing device in the presence of physical contact between the conductive top surface of the workpiece and the workpiece surface influencing device. In another aspect, the present invention uses the signal to control a force applied to a top conductive surface of a workpiece during electrotreatment.

20050029106, Feb 10, 2005

Aug 7, 2003

10/637243

Laila Baniahmad - San Jose CA, US
Efrain Velazquez - Los Angeles CA, US
Bulent Basol - Manhattan Beach CA, US

C25D005/00

205081000

The present invention is a method and system to reduce defects in conductive surfaces during electrochemical processes. The system includes a first power supply and a second power supply. The first powers supply is configured to supply a first power between a conductive surface of a workpiece and an electrode of the system. The second power supply is configured to supply a second power between the conductive surface and the electrode when a switching unit switches from the first power from the first power supply to the second power from the second power supply in response to the conductive surface contacting the process solution.

20060096702, May 11, 2006

Nov 15, 2005

11/280540

Bulent Basol - Manhattan Beach CA, US
Jeffrey Bogart - Los Gatos CA, US
Efrain Velazquez - San Jose CA, US

C23F 1/00

156345130, 204194000

In one aspect, the present invention monitors a signal corresponding to a torque value of a motor that is used to maintain relative motion between a conductive top surface of a workpiece and a workpiece surface influencing device in the presence of physical contact between the conductive top surface of the workpiece and the workpiece surface influencing device. In another aspect, the present invention uses the signal to control a force applied to a top conductive surface of a workpiece during electrotreatment.