Patent ID: 8628376
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
Classification: B24B,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of forming substrates, comprising: polishing a bare silicon substrate in a polishing apparatus having one or more polishing stations for polishing of the substrate, the polishing stations operating with a plurality of polishing parameters; moving the substrate with a robot to a position adjacent to a probe, wherein the probe is either in a factory interface with substrate storage or mounted to the factory interface; receiving the substrate and scanning the substrate with the probe at one or more locations, wherein the scanning includes measuring the bare silicon substrate, wherein measuring is performed by a non-contact capacitance measurement device to obtain a signal at a point on the substrate, the measurement device being a capacitance sensor to induce a capacitance at each location and generate the signal, the signal indicative of a distance of the substrate from the probe for a corresponding location, wherein a vertical distance from a vertical position sensor to the bare silicon substrate is measured to ensure the bare silicon substrate does not contact the non-contact capacitance measurement device; communicating the signal or a thickness indicated by the signal to a controller configured to receive the signal and control at least one of the plurality of polishing parameters in response to the signal; determining an adjusted polishing parameter according to the signal or thickness indicated by the signal; and after determining the adjusted polishing parameter, performing the polishing of the bare silicon substrate in the polishing apparatus using the adjusted polishing parameter.