Patent ID: 6572441
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: B24B

Abstract:
A method of performing chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) of a surface of a planar semiconductor wafer, wherein (a) normal force is applied to the wafer and a planar polishing media-carrier parallel thereto to maintain the surface of the wafer in engagement with the carrier, (b) force is applied to the wafer, to the carrier or to both thereof to effect relative movement between the engaged wafer surface and the carrier, and (c) vibrations, indicative of potentially deleterious variations in the forces, tend to occur during the CMP operation, the method comprising:effecting a CMP operation; measuring one or more of the applied forces per unit time; calculating the standard deviation of each measured force by using values derived from each successive force measurement; and adjusting CMP in response to the standard deviation in order to minimize the standard deviation.