Patent ID: 6911662
Filing Date: 2005-06-28
Classification: B24B,B24D,G01B

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus for polishing a layer formed on a lower layer on a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising: preparing an endpoint detection light quantity table of initial light quantities detected by an endpoint detecting means and corresponding initial thicknesses of a layer to be polished, in accordance with a polishing process recipe for the layer to be polished; inputting the polishing process recipe of the layer to be polished into a storage device of the chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus; projecting a light onto the semiconductor wafer; detecting a light quantity reflected from the layer to be polished using the endpoint detecting means; calculating an initial thickness of the layer to be polished from a detection signal indicating the detected light quantity with reference to the endpoint detection light quantity table; calculating a polishing time to polish the layer to be polished, from the calculated initial thickness to a desired final thickness; polishing the layer to be polished; detecting an endpoint by counting down the calculated polishing time while polishing the layer to be polished; and stopping polishing the layer when the endpoint is detected.