Patent Publication Number: US-2021175106-A1

Title: Rfid part authentication and tracking of processing components

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/810,628, filed on Nov. 13, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,930,535, issued on Feb. 23, 2021, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/429,726, filed on Dec. 2, 2016, and to U.S. Provisional Application 62/476,626, filed on Mar. 24, 2017, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods of authenticating, tracking, and using processing components, such as consumable components, in a substrate processing system. Embodiments described herein further relate to systems and techniques for collecting data in and/or from a substrate processing system and the processing components therein used in an electronic device fabrication process. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Semiconductor chip manufacturing requires multiple types of substrate processing systems. Typically, substrate processing systems require a number of processing components, such as consumable components (components that wear or are used up with use and therefore require regular replacement and/or replenishment) and non-consumable components (typically processing components/parts that are not used up or depleted with use) for the operation thereof. Often, the processing component will have a set of particular characteristics, knowledge of which is important for optimal usage thereof in the substrate processing system. 
     One example of a processing system herein is a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system. CMP is commonly used in the manufacture of high-density integrated circuits to planarize or polish a layer of material deposited on a substrate by contacting the material layer to be planarized with a polishing pad mounted on a polishing platen and moving the polishing pad and/or the substrate (and thus the material layer surface on the substrate) in the presence of a polishing fluid and abrasive particles. CMP systems require a number of consumable components, such as polishing pads, substrate carrier assemblies and the individual components thereof, diamond conditioning disks, and other components that wear with use and require regular replacement and/or replenishment. The use of authenticated consumable components, for example, consumable components from a qualified supplier and/or authorized supplier, in the polishing process is critical as the usage of unauthenticated consumable components, for example, counterfeit components, consumable components from an unqualified supplier, and/or unauthorized supplier or a consumable component that is incompatible with a specific process, can lead to unsafe processing conditions and/or unreliable polishing results. In addition, individual consumable components used on and/or with the CMP system often have particular characteristics for which the CMP system may need to be configured in order to optimally and/or safely use the consumable component and/or a corresponding CMP system part related thereto. 
     Polishing pads, substrate carrier assemblies and the individual components thereof, and other conventional CMP system processing components often lack devices and/or methods to enable functions such as detecting failures, authenticating genuine and/or authorized components, tracking useful data relating to the system or component parts, sensing process conditions or useful data, and monitoring aspects of the CMP process or other useful process information. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the art for devices and methods that provide processing component authentication and/or tracking to assure process repeatability and reliability and thereby improve device yield and ensure safe operation of the processing system. There is also a need for systems, consumable parts, and other apparatus that can detect and authenticate a tool supplier&#39;s equipment processing components/parts to assure part quality and system reliability. There is a need for electronic device manufacturing substrate processing systems and processing components, including consumable components that provide improved polishing performance and desirable process sensing capabilities. In addition, there is a need for methods of manufacturing such devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to substrate processing systems used in an electronic device fabrication process. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to remote tracking and authentication of processing components used in, on, or with substrate processing systems used in an electronic device fabrication process. For example, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, ion implantation chambers, etch processing systems and/or chambers, photolithography processing systems, substrate thinning system (e.g., backgrind), processing systems related thereto, and other processing systems used in the manufacturing of electronic devices, such as semiconductor devices. 
     In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate using a processing component disposed within a substrate processing system is provided. The method comprises receiving, using an interrogator, one or more signals from a remote communication device coupled to a processing component disposed in the substrate processing system. Herein, the one or more signal comprises information relating to the processing component. The method further comprises comparing, using a controller, the identifier information to processing component identifiers stored in a database to authenticate the processing component and performing, using the controller, one or more substrate processing operations based on the authentication of the processing component. 
     In another embodiment, a method of processing a substrate using a processing component disposed within a substrate processing system comprises delivering one or more signals to a remote communication device that comprises an RFID tag. Herein, the remote communication device is disposed on a processing component within the substrate processing system. The method further comprises storing information received in the one or more signals within a memory of the remote communication device before removing the processing component from the substrate processing system and receiving at least a portion of the stored information from the remote communication device after the processing component has been reinstalled within the substrate processing system. 
     In another embodiment method of processing a substrate using a processing component disposed within a substrate processing system comprises receiving, via an interrogator, one or more signals from an RFID tag, wherein the one or more signals include information relating to one or more processing parameters detected by a sensor coupled to the processing component and analyzing the one or more signals using a controller adapted to control a process performed within the substrate processing system, wherein the controller initiates a change in the polishing process in response to the received one or more signals. 
     In one embodiment, the substrate processing system includes a carousel support plate having a slot surrounding a carrier drive shaft coupled to a substrate carrier assembly. The substrate carrier assembly includes an RFID tag disposed therein to communicate with an interrogator circling around the carousel support plate&#39;s slot. The interrogator and the RFID tag are configured to communicate with one another using a wireless communication technique. 
     In another embodiment, the substrate processing system comprises a processing chamber including a target having an RFID tag disposed within or thereon and an interrogator embedded within a dielectric support disposed in an interior volume of the processing chamber. The interrogator and the RFID tag are configured to communicate with one another using a wireless communication technique. 
     In another embodiment, the substrate processing system comprises a processing chamber including a magnetron having a magnet, with an RFID tag embedded therein and an interrogator embedded within a yoke or a process piece. The interrogator and the RFID tag are configured to communicate with one another using a wireless communication technique. 
     Certain embodiments provide a method of processing a substrate using a processing component disposed within a substrate processing system. The method includes receiving, using an interrogator, one or more signals from an RFID tag coupled to a processing component during processing, wherein the one or more signal comprises information relating to the processing component, authenticating, using the controller, the processing component based on the one or more signals, and performing, using the controller, one or more substrate processing operations based on the one or more signals. 
     Certain embodiments provide a method of processing a substrate using a processing component disposed within a substrate processing system. The method includes delivering one or more signals to a remote communication device that comprises an RFID tag, wherein the remote communication device is disposed on a processing component within the substrate processing system, storing information received in the one or more signals within a memory of the remote communication device before removing the processing component from the substrate processing system, and receiving at least a portion of the stored information from the remote communication device after the processing component has been reinstalled within the substrate processing system. 
     Certain embodiments provide a method of processing a substrate using a processing component disposed within a substrate processing system. The method includes receiving, via an interrogator, one or more signals from the RFID tag, wherein the one or more signals include information relating to one or more processing parameters detected by a sensor coupled to the processing component and analyzing the one or more signals using a controller adapted to control a process performed within the substrate processing system, wherein the controller initiates a change in the polishing process in response to the received the one or more signals. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the manner in which the above-recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
         FIG. 1A  is an exploded schematic perspective view of an example of a substrate processing system, here a substrate polishing system, adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein. 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the polishing system of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic plan view of the carousel support plate of  FIG. 1B , which illustrates interrogators positioned around the radial slots thereof, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2B  is a close-up view of a portion of the carousel support plate  66  illustrated in  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a partial and schematic view of the wireless communication apparatus, interrogator, and controller of  FIG. 1B , according to some embodiments described herein. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a logical view of the software application hierarchy of  FIG. 1B , according to some embodiments described herein. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a substrate processing system, here a physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing chamber, adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates example operations for use by a substrate processing system, such as the example substrate processing systems illustrated in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 5 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates example operations for use by a substrate processing system, such as the example substrate processing systems illustrated in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 5 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates example operations for use by a substrate processing system, such as the example substrate processing systems illustrated in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 5 , in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to substrate processing systems used in an electronic device fabrication process. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to remote tracking and authentication of processing components used in, on, or with substrate processing systems used in an electronic device fabrication process, such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems, chemical vapor deposition systems (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems, ion implantation systems, etch processing systems, photolithography processing systems, and other processing systems used in the manufacturing of electronic devices. 
     The example substrate processing systems described herein include chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems and physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems. However, the embodiments described herein may be used with any substrate processing system that would benefit from remote tracking and authentication of processing components used therein, such as chemical vapor deposition systems (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) systems, ion implantation systems, etch processing systems, photolithography processing systems, and substrate thinning systems (e.g., backgrind). The example substrate processing systems herein include processing components used in, with, or on the substrate processing system, including non-consumable components and consumable components, having one or more remote communication devices, such as wireless communication devices, including radio frequency identification (RFID) devices and/or other suitable wireless communication devices, disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled thereto to enable the authentication and tracking thereof. 
     Processing components herein include single non-consumable components, single consumable components, and assemblies of non-consumable components and/or consumable components that are used in, on, and/or with the substrate processing system. Methods herein include receiving, using an interrogator, one or more signals from a remote communication device, such as an RFID tag, disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to a processing component of the semiconductor processing system before, during, and/or after substrate processing. The one or more signals include information relating to the processing component. Methods herein further include authenticating, using the controller, the processing component based on the one or more signals, and performing, using the controller, one or more substrate processing operations based on the one or more signals. In some other embodiments, methods include delivering one or more signals to a remote communication device that comprises an RFID tag, wherein the remote communication device is disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to a processing component within the substrate processing system, storing information received in the one or more signals within a memory of the remote communication device before removing the processing component from the substrate processing system, and receiving at least a portion of the stored information from the remote communication device after the processing component has been reinstalled within the substrate processing system. In yet some other embodiments, methods include receiving, via an interrogator, one or more signals from the RFID tag, wherein the one or more signals include information relating to one or more processing conditions detected by a sensor coupled to the processing component and analyzing the one or more signals using a controller adapted to control a process performed within the substrate processing system, wherein the controller initiates a change in the polishing process in response to the received the one or more signals. 
       FIG. 1A  is an exploded schematic perspective view of an example polishing system, according to one embodiment.  FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the polishing system  20  of  FIG. 1A . The polishing system  20  includes a machine base  22  with a tabletop  23  mounted thereon and a removable upper outer cover (not shown). The tabletop  23  supports a plurality of polishing stations  25   a ,  25   b , and  25   c , and a transfer station  27  for loading and unloading each of the plurality of substrates  10  to and from each of the plurality of substrate carrier assemblies  108 . Herein, the transfer station  27  forms a generally square arrangement with the plurality of polishing stations  25   a ,  25   b , and  25   c.    
     Each of the polishing stations  25   a - c  herein includes a polishing platen  30  having a polishing pad  32  mounted thereon and/or secured thereto using an adhesive, such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Each of the polishing platens  30  herein are operably coupled to a respective platen drive motor (not shown) disposed in the machine base  22 , which rotates the polishing platen  30  about an axis disposed therethrough, such as the platen axis  30   a  shown in  FIG. 1B . Herein, each of the polishing stations  25   a - c  further include a pad conditioning assembly  40  comprising a pad conditioner, such as an abrasive disk or a brush, used to maintain a desired surface texture of the polishing pad  32 , and/or clean polishing byproducts therefrom, and thereby provide consistent polishing results across the lifetime thereof of the polishing pad  32 . Herein, each of the plurality of polishing platens  30  and the polishing pads  32  disposed thereon have a surface area that is greater than the to-be-polished surface area of the substrate  10 . In some polishing systems, the polishing platens  30  and/or the polishing pad  32  disposed thereon have a surface area that is less than the to-be-polished surface area of the substrate  10 . 
     During polishing, a polishing fluid  50  is introduced to the polishing pad  32  through a fluid dispenser  52  positioned over the polishing platen  30 . Typically, the polishing fluid  50  is a polishing slurry comprising abrasive particles, a cleaning fluid, water, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the polishing fluid  50  comprises a pH adjuster and/or chemically active components, such as an oxidizing agent, to enable chemical mechanical polishing of the material surface of the substrate  10  in conjunction with abrasives particles suspended in the polishing fluid  50  and/or embedded in the polishing pad  32 . In some embodiments, the fluid dispenser  52  includes one or more spray nozzles (not shown) which provide a high-pressure rinse of polishing pad  32  at the end of each substrate polishing and/or pad conditioning cycle. 
     The polishing system  20  further includes a carousel  60  positioned above the machine base  22 . The carousel  60  includes a carousel support plate  66  and a cover  68 . Herein, the carousel support plate  66  is supported by a center post  62  and moved about a carousel axis  64  thereof by a carousel motor assembly (not shown) disposed in the machine base  22 . The carousel  60  includes a plurality of substrate carrier systems  70   a ,  70   b ,  70   c , and  70   d  mounted on the carousel support plate  66  at equal angular intervals about the carousel axis  64 . During operation of the polishing system  20 , a substrate  10  is loaded to and/or unloaded from one of the substrate carrier systems, such as substrate carrier system  70   d , while the remaining plurality of substrate carriers systems, such as  70   a - c , are used to polish a respective plurality of substrates  10 . The carousel moves the substrate carrier systems  70   a - d , and the substrates disposed therein, between desired polishing stations  25   a - c  and/or the transfer station  27  by moving the substrate carriers systems  70   a - 70   d  coupled thereto about the carousel axis  64 . 
     Each of the substrate carrier systems  70   a - d  herein includes a substrate carrier assembly  108 , a carrier drive shaft  74  coupled to the substrate carrier assembly  108  and extending through a radial slot  72  formed in the carousel support plate  66 , and a substrate carrier assembly rotation motor  76  operably coupled to the carrier drive shaft  74 . Each of the substrate carrier assemblies  108  independently rotate about a carrier axis  114  disposed through a respective carrier drive shaft  74 . Herein, each substrate carrier assembly rotation motor  76  and the carrier drive shaft  74  operably coupled thereto is supported on a slider (not shown) which is linearly driven along the radial slot  72  by a radial drive motor (not shown) to laterally oscillate the respective substrate carrier assembly  108 . 
     Herein, the substrate carrier assembly  108  includes a carrier housing  108 C, a substrate retaining ring  108 A coupled to the carrier housing  108 C that surrounds a substrate  10 , and a flexible diaphragm  108 B, such as a flexible membrane, disposed between the carrier housing  108 C and a substrate  10  disposed in the substrate carrier assembly  108 . During polishing, each of the substrate carrier assemblies  108  positioned at a respective polishing station  25   a - c  lower a substrate  10  into contact with a respective polishing pad  32 . A downforce on the substrate retaining ring  108 A urges the substrate retaining ring  108 A against the respective polishing pad  32 , thereby preventing the substrate  10  from slipping from the substrate carrier assembly  108 . The substrate carrier assembly  108  rotates about a respective carrier axis  114  while the flexible diaphragm  108 B urges the to-be-polished surface of the substrate  10  against the polishing surface of the polishing pad  32 . In embodiments herein, the flexible diaphragm  108 B is configured to impose different pressures against different regions of a substrate  10  while urging the to-be-polished surface of the substrate  10  against the polishing surface of the polishing pad  32 . Typically, each of the polishing platens  30  rotates about a respective platen axis  30   a  in an opposite rotational direction from the rotational direction of the substrate carrier assembly  108 , while the substrate carrier assembly  108  oscillates from an inner diameter of the polishing platen  30  to an outer diameter of the polishing platen  30  to, in part, reduce uneven wear of the polishing pad  32 . Typically, the substrate  10  is polished using a predetermined set of polishing process parameters, herein polishing process variables, selected for the type of substrate  10  to-be-polished, which together comprise a polishing process recipe. As used herein, process parameters, including process variables, are setpoints used to control the polishing process while processing conditions are measured values received from the polishing system  20 , sensors therein, and/or components thereof, Examples of polishing process variables herein include, but are not limited to, rotation speed of the polishing platen  30 , rotation speed of the substrate carrier assembly  108 , flowrate of the polishing fluid  50 , temperature of the polishing platen  30 , downforce on the substrate retaining ring  108 A, downforce on the substrate  10  which includes pressure(s) exerted on the substrate  10  and/or on regions thereof by the flexible diaphragm  108 B, sweep speed of the substrate carrier assembly  108 , sweep speed of the pad conditioning assembly  40 , downforce on the pad conditioner (the force exerted on the polishing pad by the pad conditioner), rotation speed of the pad conditioner, number of conditioning cycles (sweeps) or duration of conditioning (sec.), and sometimes polishing time. Often, specific types of processing components are required for use with some polishing process recipes and are prohibited for use with others as some types of processing components are incompatible with some substrate polishing processes and are therefore unauthorized for use therewith. In other embodiments, some processing components, or assemblies thereof, are prohibited for use with some substrate polishing processes based on the usage history. For example, a substrate carrier assembly  108  and/or the individual components thereof that has been used in a metal polishing process, such as a copper polishing process, might be unauthorized for use with a shallow trench isolation process (STI) as contaminates from the copper polishing process will cause failures in the electronic devices on the substrate if introduced to the substrate during the STI polishing process. 
     The polishing pads  32 , substrate carrier assemblies  108  and the processing components thereof, and other processing components manufactured by conventional techniques often lack devices and/or methods to enable functions such as the detecting, authenticating, tracking, sensing, and monitoring thereof by the polishing system  20  and/or other automated control systems external thereto. Accordingly, certain embodiments described herein provide one or more apparatus and methods for data communication between the polishing system  20  and/or control systems external thereto and one or more of its processing components, which enable the functions described herein. 
     Information Collection System Configuration Examples 
     As shown in  FIG. 1B , a substrate carrier assembly  108  is coupled to a carrier drive shaft  74 , which extends through radial slot  72  to couple the substrate carrier assembly  108  to the substrate carrier assembly rotation motor  76 . The substrate carrier assembly  108  rotates about the carrier axis  114  and oscillates in a sweeping motion to provide a relative motion between the material surface of the substrate  10  and the polishing pad  32 . As described above, the substrate carrier assembly  108  includes a number of processing components, including a carrier housing  108 C coupled directly or indirectly to the carrier drive shaft  74 , a substrate retaining ring  108 A, and a flexible diaphragm  108 B. Typically, one or more of the processing components of the substrate carrier assembly  108  is a consumable component that becomes worn with use and requires regular replacement in order to provide a consistent and desirable polishing performance. 
     Herein,  FIG. 1B  further illustrates a plurality of remote communication devices  600 , such as an RFID device, and a plurality of interrogators  601 , disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to a plurality of processing components of the polishing system  20 . In one embodiment, the plurality of remote communication devices  600  are disposed in and/or on the polishing pads  32  and disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to the substrate carrier assemblies  108 , including the non-consumable and consumable components thereof, such as the carrier housings  108 C, the substrate retaining rings  108 A, and the flexible diaphragms  108 B. Herein, the plurality of interrogators  601  are disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to various processing components of the polishing system  20 , including on the carousel support plates  66 , the substrate carrier system  70  supporting structures, and the plurality of polishing platens  30 . 
     Herein, each of the plurality of remote communication devices  600 , such as RFID devices, are configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more of the plurality of interrogators  601 . Examples of wireless communication protocols include near field communication techniques, Bluetooth®, optical signal transmission techniques, acoustic signal transmission techniques, radio frequency communication techniques, and other suitable wireless communication techniques. In other embodiments, communication devices (not shown) are hardwired to the interrogator  601  to facilitate communication therebetween. Like the remote communication devices  600 , the interrogators  601  are positioned within and/or on various areas or parts of polishing system  20 . In some embodiments, the interrogator&#39;s  601  locations are independent of the respective remote communication devices  600 &#39;s locations. In other embodiments, the location of each of the interrogators  601  are determined, at least in part, by the location of the respective remote communication device  600  to facilitate communication therebetween. 
     As described above, one or more of the plurality of remote communication devices  600  are disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to one or more processing components, which herein include at least one or more of the processing components used by the polishing system  20  described above, such as the substrate carrier assemblies  108 , the consumable components thereof, and the polishing pads  32 . In one embodiment, one or more remote communication devices  600  are disposed within, embedded within, and/or otherwise coupled to a polishing pad  32  while one or more interrogators  601  are disposed within or otherwise coupled to a respective polishing platen  30  having the polishing pad  32  disposed thereon. Herein, the remote communication devices  600  coupled to the polishing pad  32  and their respective interrogators  601  embedded in the polishing platen  30  are configured to communicate via a communication link  607 . In some embodiments, the communication link  607  is a wireless communication protocol. In another embodiment, the communication link  607  is a wired connection. Typically, each of the interrogators  601  is communicatively coupled to a controller  612  of the polishing system  20 , which receives signal input from the remote communication devices  600  via the respective interrogators  601  through communication links  609 . The input received from remote communication devices  600 , through the interrogators  601 , are processed and utilized by the controller  612  using one or more software applications, such as the middleware application  651 , the software application, and/or the fab-level software application  653 . In other embodiments, an external controller (not shown) receives and processes input from the interrogators  601 . 
       FIG. 1B  further illustrates a logical view of a software application hierarchy, which herein includes a middleware application  651 , an equipment software application  652 , and a fab-level software application  653 . In some embodiments, after receiving signal input from one or more interrogators  601 , the controller  612  uses a middleware application  651  to process the input and derive data that the middleware application  651  sends to the equipment software application  652  through a communication link  657 . The communication link  657  herein comprises a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet) and/or a wireless communication protocol. In some embodiments, the equipment software application  652  further sends the data received from the middleware application  651  to the fab-level software application  653  through a communication link  658 . Herein, the communication link  658  is a wired connection. In other embodiments, the communication link  658  is a wireless communication protocol. 
     In some embodiments, information is sent in the opposite direction, so that information from the controller  612  is received and stored in one or more of the remote communication devices  600 . For example, in one embodiment described in  FIG. 4 , each one of the fab-level software application  653 , the equipment software application  652 , and the middleware application  651  are configured to send information to be stored in one or more of the remote communication devices  600 . Accordingly, in some embodiments, communication between remote communication devices  600 , interrogator  601 , and controller  612 , as well as all the different levels of software application hierarchy (e.g.,  651 ,  652 , and  653 ), comprise a two-way communication. 
     In some embodiments, the remote communication devices  600  are disposed on, disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to the substrate carrier assembly  108  and/or the processing components thereof. In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1B , one or more remote communication devices  600  are located on a surface of the substrate carrier assembly  108  distal from the to-be-polished surface of a substrate  10  disposed therein. In another embodiment, one or more remote communication devices  600  (not shown) are embedded within the carrier housing  108 C of the substrate carrier assembly  108 , where the carrier housing  108 C is securable to the carrier drive shaft  74  and from which the carrier housing  108 C is movably suspended. To communicate with a remote communication device  600  disposed in, on, or otherwise coupled to a substrate carrier assembly  108 , an interrogator  601  (shown in  FIGS. 2A-B ) is disposed within or located on one or more parts of the carousel support plate  66 . For example, in some embodiments, an interrogator  601  is proximate to the radial slot  72  formed in carousel support plate  66 , as further described below in relation to  FIGS. 2A-B . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1B , the remote communication devices  600  disposed on the carrier housing  108 C of the substrate carrier assembly  108 , and the respective interrogator  601  in communication therewith are configured to communicate via a communication link  655 . In some embodiments, the communication link  655  comprises a wireless communication protocol. In other embodiments, the communication link  655  comprises a wired connection. It is generally desirable to use a wireless communication technique (e.g., NFC, RF, Bluetooth, etc.) in configurations where a remote communication device  600  is disposed on a processing component that moves relative to another processing component and/or portion of the polishing system  20  that has a corresponding interrogator  601  disposed thereon. The interrogator  601  is further communicatively coupled to a controller  612 , which receives input from the remote communication devices  600  via the interrogator  601 . Herein, the communication link  656  between the interrogator  601  and the controller  612  comprises a wired connection, a wireless communication protocol, or a combination thereof. 
     After receiving the input from a remote communication device  600  coupled to the substrate carrier assembly  108 , an interrogator  601  transmits the input to the controller  612 , which, in one embodiment, processes the input using the middleware application  651  as described further in relation to  FIG. 4 . As shown, the transmission of the input from an interrogator  601  to the middleware application  651  is performed through the communication link  656 . In some embodiments, the input received by the middleware application  651 , is then translated and sent to the equipment software application  652  through the communication link  657 . Herein, the communication link  657  is a wired connection or a wireless communication protocol. Further, in some embodiments, after receiving the information from the middleware application  651 , the equipment software application  652  is configured to send the information to a fab-level software application  653 . In other embodiments, the information from the interrogator  601  is communicated directly to the fab-level software application through a wired or wireless communication link (not shown). In embodiments herein, communication between the remote communication devices  600 , the interrogators  601 , and the controller  612 , as well as all the different levels of software applications (e.g.,  651 ,  652 , and  653 ), comprises a two-way communication path, meaning that information is both sent and received by the fab-level software application  653 , the controller  612 , the equipment software application  652 , and/or the middleware application  651  to and from the remote communication devices  600  via the interrogators  601  and through the communication links  607 ,  609 ,  655 ,  656 ,  657 , and/or  658 . In other embodiments, communication between the remote communication devices  600 , the interrogators  601 , and the controller  612  as well as all the different levels of software applications (e.g.,  651 ,  652 , and  653 ) comprises a one-way communication path, meaning that information is received by the fab-level software application  653 , the controller  612 , the equipment software application  652 , and/or the middleware application  651  from the remote communication devices  600  via the interrogators  601  and through the communication links  607 ,  609 ,  655 ,  656 ,  657 , and/or  658  but is not sent to the remote communication devices  600   
       FIG. 2A  is a schematic plan view of a carousel support plate, such as the carousel support plate  66  of the polishing system  20  described in  FIGS. 1A-B , according to one embodiment.  FIG. 2B  is a close-up view of a portion of the carousel support plate  66  described in  FIG. 2A . To facilitate communication with a remote communication device  600  coupled to a substrate carrier assembly  108  and/or the components thereof, an interrogator  601  is typically disposed within or located on one or more parts of carousel support plate  66 . Herein, the carousel support plate  66  includes four radial slots  72  formed therein that allow each of the substrate carrier assemblies  108  to independently rotate and oscillate relative thereto. Each of the interrogators  601  disposed on the carousel support plate  66  are positioned proximate to, and about one of, the radial slots  72  formed in carousel support plate  66 . This enables each interrogator  601 , positioned around each radial slot  72 , to be in close proximity with a corresponding remote communication device  600  coupled to a substrate carrier assembly  108 . Accordingly, the respective remote communication devices  600  and interrogators  601  may communicate wirelessly, as further described in relation to  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a partial and schematic view of an exemplary remote communication device  600 , interrogator  601 , and controller  612 , in communication therebetween, according to embodiments described herein. The remote communication device  600  shown in  FIG. 3  is a wireless communication RFID device. As described above, in some embodiments, one or more remote communication devices  600  are disposed within the polishing pads  32  while one or more corresponding interrogators  601  are disposed within each of the respective polishing platens  30 . In some embodiments, one or more remote communication devices  600  are located on, embedded within, or otherwise coupled to the substrate carrier assemblies  108 , and/or the processing components thereof, while one or more corresponding interrogators  601  are positioned around each radial slot  72  formed in the carousel support plate  66 . 
     While a single remote communication device  600  and a single interrogator  601  are illustrated in  FIG. 3 , it is contemplated that the polishing system  20  and the processing components used therewith will comprise a plurality of remote communication devices  600  and corresponding interrogators  601 , such as those disposed within, embedded within, located on, or otherwise coupled to the plurality of polishing pads  32  and their respective polishing platens  30  and the plurality of substrate carrier assemblies  108  and the respective radial slots  72  formed in the carousel support plate  66 . In some embodiments, more than one remote communication device  600  may be sensed by a single corresponding interrogator  601 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , each of the plurality of interrogators  601  includes a reader  608  and an antenna  610 . Typically, the reader  608  includes and/or is coupled to a power source, such as an RF power source, and is configured to transmit, via the antenna  610 , a signal to be received by the remote communication device  600 . In some embodiments, the antenna  610  comprises coaxial cables positioned around each radial slot  72  formed in carousel support plate  66  as shown in  FIG. 3 . In such embodiments, positioning the cables around the radial slots in a circumferential manner enables propagating an RF energy to a tag  602 , such as an RFID tag, of the remote communication devices  600  from different angles, thereby increasing the likelihood that the transmitted RF energy is received by the tag  602 . Herein, each of antennas  610  terminates at each of the end covers of the CMP head support structure. At the other end, the coaxial cable of antenna  610  includes a printed circuit board  610 A that contains one or more electrical components configured to facilitate the communication between the antenna  610  and the remote communication device  600 . 
     In addition, the carousel support plate  66 , shown in  FIG. 2A , supports the plurality of substrate carrier systems  70   a - d  that independently rotate and oscillate in the plurality of radial slots  72 . Accordingly, in some embodiments, an equivalent number of remote communication devices  600  on and/or in each of the substrate carrier assemblies  108  and/or the processing components thereof, as well as a corresponding number of interrogators  601 , including their antennas  610 , encircling each of the four radials slots  72 . In some embodiments, to avoid cross-talk such that the RF energy propagated by an interrogator  601  is only picked up by the desired remote communication devices  600  (and not another remote communication device  600 ), a specific range of RF energy is utilized for each of the interrogators  601  and the remote communication devices  600  in respective communication therewith. In such embodiments, the RF energy has an RSSI value in the range of −30 to −60 dB. Also, in some embodiments, an interrogator  601  may emit ultrahigh frequency (UHF) in the range of 856 to 960 MHz. In some configurations, each of the remote communication devices  600  has a unique identification code that is stored within the memory thereof. The unique identification code is transmitted to the interrogator  601  and used by the middleware application  651  within the controller  612  to determine which of two or more remote communication devices data is received from and/or which remote communication devices  600  information is to be transferred to during one or more of the processes described herein. 
     In some embodiments, the reader  608  includes, among other components, an RF modulator and an interrogator controller configured to manage signal transmission and reception by the reader  608 . In one embodiment, the RF modulator is configured to generate and/or modulate an RF signal having a wavelength of about 13.56 MHz. In one passive tag embodiment, the interrogator  601  and the remote communication devices  600  are positioned in a spatial relationship having a distance of less than about twelve inches, such as less than about two inches or less than about one inch. In an active tag embodiment, the spatial relationship between the interrogator  601  and the remote communication device  600  may be greater than the passive tag embodiments and is dependent upon the power available for signal transmission. 
     Also shown in  FIG. 3  is a remote communication device  600 , which generally includes a tag  602 , memory  603 , and an antenna  606  that is coupled to or integrally manufactured in the tag  602 . In some embodiments, a sensor  604  is communicatively coupled to the tag  602 . Herein the tag  602  is an active tag or a passive tag, depending upon the desired implementation. In an active tag embodiment, a power source, such as a battery, is electrically coupled to the tag  602  to provide suitable power thereto so the tag  602  can transmit a signal to an interrogator  601  via the communication link (e.g.,  607 ,  655 , etc.) formed between the devices. It is contemplated that an active tag may be implemented in embodiments where power is coupled to the tag. Additionally, an active tag may be utilized in configurations where data transmitted by the tag is intended to be sensed by an interrogator  601  at a distance greater than may be obtained when using a passive tag. However, it is contemplated that an active tag may be utilized in near field communication embodiments where a passive tag would find suitable utilization. 
     In one passive tag embodiment, the tag  602  is configured to receive a signal, such as a radio frequency signal from the interrogator  601 , and utilize the electromagnetic energy of the received signal to transmit (or reflect) a signal containing some amount of data unique to the tag  602  back to the interrogator  601  via the communication link (e.g.,  607 ,  655 , etc.). A passive tag may be utilized in embodiments where an interrogator  601  is positioned less than a critical communication distance from the tag  602 . The critical communication distance is generally defined as the distance beyond which electromagnetic signals reflected by the passive tag are not reliably received by the interrogator  601 . The critical communication distance may vary according to embodiments depending upon the amount of power associated with the signal generated by the interrogator  601  and the size and power of the tag transmitter. 
     As described above, a sensor  604  (or multiple sensors) may also be communicatively coupled to the tag  602 . In such embodiments, in addition to utilizing remote communication devices  600  for detection, authentication, and data storage, etc., the remote communication devices  600  may also use the sensor  604  to provide a suite of sensing and metrology data to monitor and/or improve the polishing performance of the polishing system. 
     For example, in some embodiments, the sensor  604  (or multiple sensors in certain embodiments) is configured to detect one or more polishing conditions. In one example, the sensor  604  is a thermal sensor (e.g., RTD, thermocouple) that includes components configured to detect the temperature of the polishing pad  32 , the polishing fluid  50 , the substrate  10 , or any combinations thereof. In another example, the sensor  604  is an acoustic sensor (not shown) configured to determine acoustic vibrational changes during a polishing process. 
     A conductivity sensor is another type of sensor  604  that may be utilized in the remote communication device  600 , according to another embodiment. In this embodiment, the conductivity sensor (not shown) is configured to detect conductivity of the polishing fluid  50  (e.g., the increase in metal concentration (metal loading of the slurry)) or a conductivity change across the surface of polishing pad  32  as a result of the polishing fluid  50  clearing from various regions thereof. In some embodiments, the conductivity sensor includes two electrodes (not shown) that are in communication with the tag  602  and remote communication devices  600 , where each of the electrodes are exposed at the surface of a polishing pad  32 . The exposed electrodes are used to directly measure the conductivity of the polishing fluid  50 , the material surface of the substrate  10 , and/or a surface of polishing pad  32  by applying a voltage across the electrodes by use of components found in the tag  602 . 
     Another example of sensor  604  is an accelerometer (e.g., MEMS device) which is configured to sense changes in angular momentum, dynamic forces, vibrational movement out of plane relative to an angular direction of rotation, and/or torque. An additional example of a sensor  604  is a friction sensor, such as a strain gauge, for sensing a shear stress of the polishing pad  32  against a material surface of a substrate  10  during polishing thereof. Yet another embodiment of sensor  604  is a pressure sensor, such as a load cell (e.g., MEMS load cell), configured to measure a force applied to the polishing pad  32  and zonal pressures, such as the pressures applied to regions of the substrate  10  by the flexible diaphragm  108 B of the substrate carrier assembly. 
     The aforementioned sensor embodiments may be utilized alone or in combination with one another to more effectively measure processing conditions during polishing. In some embodiments, as described in activities  802  and  804  of example operations  800  in  FIG. 8 , after receiving and analyzing sensor information from one or more sensors, the controller  612  initiates a change in the polishing process by making in-situ processing and/or real-time adjustments thereto. Such adjustments may be implemented to improve, for example, polishing uniformity and polishing endpoint detection. For example, in one embodiment, polishing performance determined by the remote communication devices  600  is performed in-situ (i.e., during polishing), and process variables are adjusted in-situ to improve substrate polishing performance. Herein, processing conditions that may be sensed include temperature data, pressure data, electrical conductivity data, elastic modulus data, optical data, acoustic data, film thickness data, and other data types configured to measure processing conditions during a substrate polishing process. 
     Generally, signals generated by the sensor  604  in response to one or more detected processing conditions are encoded by the tag  602  and transmitted by the antenna  606 . As described below in relation to  FIG. 4 , after receiving the sensory signals or information (sensed by the variety of sensors described above) from a remote communication device  600 , an interrogator  601  sends the sensory data to the controller  612  for use by polishing system  20  to adjust one or more polishing parameters, such a process recipe variable, in-situ based on the sensory information. 
     In addition to the components described above, remote communication devices  600  described herein may include memory  603  that is coupled to or integrally manufactured within tag  602 . Using the memory  603 , in some embodiments, remote communication devices  600  may be used for tracking, detection, and authentication of a processing component as well as changing or improving the configuration of the polishing system  20 . In some embodiments, the memory  603  comprises a computer-readable storage media that includes non-volatile memory. For example, in some embodiments, a remote communication device  600  coupled to a processing component will have stored in its memory  603  certain identification information specific to the processing component. Typically, the identification information includes processing component identifier information, part configuration information, history information, failure information, lifecycle data, customer/fab name, processing system information, and any desirable information related thereto. As further described in  FIG. 4 , the transmission of this information to the controller  612  enables tracking, detection, and authentication of the processing component as well as changing or improving the configuration of the polishing system based on the information contained therein. 
     Typically, after receiving the sensory and/or identification data from remote communication device  600 , the interrogator  601  relays the information to a processor-based system controller, such as controller  612 , through wireless or wired communication therewith. For example, in one embodiment, the controller  612  is configured to cause a generation of a signal by the reader  608 . In some embodiments, the controller  612  is further configured to receive and analyze data from the remote communication device  600  via the interrogator  601 . The controller  612  herein includes a programmable central processing unit (CPU)  614  that is operable with a memory  618  (e.g., non-volatile memory) and a mass storage device, an input control unit, and a display unit (not shown), such as power supplies, clocks, cache, input/output (I/O) circuits, and the like, coupled to the various components of the polishing system  20  to facilitate control of the substrate polishing process. In some embodiments, the controller  612  includes hardware for monitoring substrate processing through system-level sensors in the polishing system  20 . 
     To facilitate control of the polishing system  20  as described above, and more specifically, the remote communication devices  600  and corresponding interrogators  601 , the CPU  614  may be one of any form of general-purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial setting, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), for controlling various chambers and sub-processors. The memory  618  is coupled to the CPU  614  and the memory  618  is non-transitory and may be one or more of readily available memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), floppy disk drive, hard disk, or any other form of digital storage, local or remote. Support circuits  616  are coupled to the CPU  614  for supporting the processor in a conventional manner. Signal generation instructions, data reception, and analysis from the remote communication devices  600  via the interrogator  601  may be performed by and stored in the memory  618 , typically as a software routine. The software routine may also be stored and/or executed by a second CPU (not shown) that is remotely located from the hardware being controlled by the CPU  614 . 
     Herein, the memory  618  is in the form of a computer-readable storage media containing instructions (e.g., non-volatile memory), that when executed by the CPU  614 , facilitates the operation of the polishing system  20 , including operation of the remote communication devices  600  and the interrogator  601 . The instructions in the memory  618  are in the form of a program product such as a program that implements the methods of the present disclosure (e.g., middleware application, equipment software application, etc.). The program code may conform to any one of a number of different programming languages. In one example, the disclosure may be implemented as a program product stored on computer-readable storage media for use with a computer system. The program(s) of the program product define functions of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In some embodiments, the equipment software application  652  and the middleware application  651  are executed by use of the CPU  614  and memory  618  found within the controller  612 . 
     Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer such as CD-ROM disks readable by a CD-ROM drive, flash memory, ROM chips, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory) on which information is permanently stored; and (ii) writable storage media (e.g., floppy disks within a diskette drive or hard-disk drive or any type of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory) on which alterable information is stored. Such computer-readable storage media, when carrying computer-readable instructions that direct the functions of the methods described herein, are embodiments of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic and logical view of a number of program products used by controller  612  for interacting with interrogator  601  and remote communication device  600 . At the bottom,  FIG. 4  shows a plurality of RDIF tags (e.g., tag  602   1 - 602   N ) in communication with a plurality of RFID readers (e.g., reader  608   1 - 608   N ). In the middle,  FIG. 4  further shows middleware application  651 , which in some embodiments may reside in memory  618  of controller  612 . Generally, a middleware application is a software subsystem capable of providing higher-level software applications with services that are not generally provided by regular operating systems. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the middleware application  651  isolates the equipment software application  652  from the underlying hardware (e.g., RFID readers and tags). 
     Starting from the bottom layer of middleware application  651 , the hardware abstraction layer  411  provides a logical division of code for separating the hardware layer from the other layers within the middleware application  651 . The hardware abstraction layer  411  provides an RFID reader driver interface allowing the event and data management layer to communicate with the RFID readers and tags. In some embodiments, the RFID reader drivers also provide software development kits (SDKs), which are a set of software development tools allowing the creation of applications for the hardware layer. In some embodiments, the hardware abstraction layer  411  further enables the middleware application  651  to interface with hardware, such as RFID readers  608   1 - 608   N  or tags  601   1 - 601   N , provided by a variety of vendors. 
     Moving now to the event and data management layer  412 , the event and data management layer  412  includes software code and instructions providing services such as authentication, configuration, cipher (for encryption/decryption), encoding, log viewer, licensing, and user administration. Such services or functionalities are generally not provided by a regular operating system that the controller  612  may store in the memory  618 . In addition to the hardware abstraction layer  411  and the event and data management layer  412 , the middleware application  651  may include an application abstraction layer  413  for abstracting the implementation details of the functionalities described above. In some embodiments, the application abstraction layer  413  includes a set of application programming interfaces (APIs), which provide clearly defined methods of communication between the middleware application  651  and the equipment software application  652 . In addition, in some embodiments, the application abstraction layer includes one or more sockets utilized for communication between the middleware application  651  and the equipment software application  652  through a network. 
     Sockets allow bidirectional communications such that the equipment software application  652  and the middleware application  651  may both send and receive information therebetween. In some embodiments, the socket-based software runs on two different computer devices allowing communication between the software applications residing on the different computers. In some other embodiments, the sockets are used for local communication between the various software applications on a single computer. Because of the application abstraction layer  413  described above, the middleware application  651  may easily integrate with very minimal customization to the equipment software application  652 . 
     Moving now to the equipment software application  652 . Typically, the equipment software application  652  is provided by a provider of the polishing system  20  and/or the processing components used therewith, such as the provider of the substrate carrier assembly  108  and/or the polishing pad  32 , etc. In some embodiments, the equipment software application  652  resides in the memory  618  of the controller  612 . In some embodiments, the equipment software resides on another computer device, or memory thereof, and communicates with the middleware application  651  through a communication link  657 . 
     In some embodiments, the equipment software application  652  enables RFID tag read and write requests. For example, in one embodiment, the equipment software application  652  provides a user interface for a user/operator to interact therewith. In one such example, the user/operator requests data from the remote communication devices  600  through a read request and/or sends information to be stored by remote communication devices  600  through a write request. As described above, data sent and received between the remote communication devices  600  and the controller  612  enables detection, authentication, and tracking of a processing component as well as changing or improving the configuration of the polishing system. 
     In one embodiment, the polishing system  20  is configured to engage in operation only when a polishing pad or substrate carrier assembly having remote communication device  600  embedded therein, located thereon, or coupled thereto is installed. In such embodiments, the processing component needs to be detected and authenticated before the polishing system starts the polishing process. As an example, a substrate carrier assembly  108 , having a remote communication device  600  coupled thereto, may be installed for use by a processing system user/operator. The remote communication device  600  includes stored information for detection and authentication of the substrate carrier assembly  108 , such as part identifier information including the Equipment Supplier&#39;s Parts part number, part serial number, part configuration type, etc. After the substrate carrier assembly  108  is installed by the polishing system, user/operator, the remote communication devices  600  coupled to the substrate carrier assembly  108  sends the part identifier information stored in its memory to an interrogator  601 , positioned around a radial slot  72  of the carousel support plates  66 , through one or more wireless signals communicated therebetween. As described in activity  622  of example operations  620  in  FIG. 6 , after receiving the one or more signals from the remote communication device  600 , the interrogator  601  sends the one or more signals to the middleware application  651  in the controller  612 . The middleware application  651  processes the signals to detect and/or authenticate the substrate carrier assembly  108  and/or the processing components thereof, as described in activity  624  of example operations  620  in  FIG. 6 . For example, in one embodiment, the event and data management layer  412  is configured to compare the processing component identifier information derived from the signals against a number of processing component (part) identifiers stored in a database that is accessible by the middleware application  651 . More specifically, the middleware application  651  may parse through a stored database containing a number of Equipment Supplier&#39;s Parts (EPS) part numbers as well as all part serial numbers manufactured by the desired equipment supplier. In some embodiments, the database may reside in memory  618  of controller  612 . In some other embodiments, the database may reside on another system and may be accessed by the middleware application  651  through a network that is accessible to one or more components within the controller  612 . 
     Based on finding a match for the EPS part number and/or the part serial number, in the example above, the middleware application  651  may detect that the one or more signals are being transmitted by a substrate carrier assembly, e.g., substrate carrier assembly  108 , and also authenticate the substrate carrier assembly  108  as an authorized processing component assembly, such as a substrate carrier assembly manufactured by a desired equipment supplier. In addition to the part identifier information, the remote communication devices  600  herein may also transmit processing component (part) configuration information, such as substrate carrier assembly size, flexible diaphragm type, substrate retaining ring type, and/or polishing process information related thereto. Based on the part configuration information, the event and data management layer  412  of the middleware application  651  determines the configuration of the substrate carrier assembly  108  and provides this information to the equipment software application  652  for use in the control of one or more processes performed by the polishing system. 
     As described in activity  626  of example operations  620  in  FIG. 6 , using the information received from a remote communication device  600 , the controller  612  performs one or more substrate processing operations. For instance, in some embodiments, the controller  612  is configured by the middleware application  651  to set up or change the configuration of the polishing system  20  based on the configuration of a substrate carrier assembly  108 , determined as described above. For example, the polishing system  20  may need to be set to configuration type A if the size of substrate carrier assembly  108  is below a predetermined value, while a configuration type B may be used if the size of the substrate carrier assembly  108  is above the predetermined value. Accordingly, instead of manually setting up and/or adjusting the configuration of the polishing system  20  by a user/operator when changing from one size substrate carrier assembly to another, the controller  612  will automatically perform such functions. Similar to the substrate carrier assembly  108  size example discussed above, the configuration of the polishing system  20  can be customized based on the type of flexible diaphragm  108 B and/or substrate retaining ring  108 A comprising the substrate carrier assembly  108 . In some embodiments, the controller  612  configures the polishing system  20  for a certain type of substrate processing based on the polishing process information received from a remote communication device  600 . In some embodiments, the identification information transmitted by a remote communication device  600 , as described above, is used by the controller  612  to automatically assign wafer processing and/or handling sequences. 
     In some embodiments, after authentication of the processing component using the part identifier and configuration information received by the interrogator  601 , the controller  612  will “unlock” the polishing system  20  and engage in full polishing or processing functionality. Also, after the authentication phase, in some embodiments, certain locked features of the equipment software application  652  and/or the middleware application  651  are unlocked. For example, in some embodiments, the polishing system  20  is locked to prevent it from performing certain types of polishing processes and/or operations prior to authenticating a required processing component. After authentication, the polishing system  20  may engage in the previously locked polishing process and/or operations. This is to ensure safety and reliability as, in some circumstances, performing certain functions and/or polishing processes using unauthorized and/or incompatible processing components may result in unsafe processing conditions and/or unreliable polishing results. 
     In addition to the part identifier and part configuration information, in some embodiments, remote communication devices  600  further stores and transmit part history information or assembly history information associated with the processing component to the controller  612 . Part history information herein includes installation date, removal date, number of times the part or its associated assembly has been refurbished, current substrate processing count, past failure data, lifetime tracking information, and other information useful to the tracking thereof. In some embodiments, the part history information may be used by the middleware application  651  or the equipment software application  652  to determine whether the processing component is suitable for further use. For example, in some embodiments, an installation date associated with a processing component will indicate how long the processing component has been in use since it was installed. 
     In addition, for some processing components, in particular consumable components, information relating to substrate processing such as the number of substrates processed and/or the processing conditions associated therewith is indicative of the amount of wear and tear the processing component has incurred. For example, in one embodiment, the controller  612  may identify a processing component or processing component assembly, such as a substrate carrier assembly  108 , that has been used for polishing more than a predetermined number of substrates, once the processing component has been identified, the controller  612  may determine that a consumable component of the substrate carrier assembly, such as the substrate retaining ring and/or the flexible diaphragm need to be replaced. In some embodiments, information relating to usage (e.g., substrate count) is inputted by an operating user/operator using an interface provided by the equipment software application  652  and subsequently stored in the remote communication devices  600  through middleware application  651 , as described below. 
     In some embodiments, where the remote communication devices  600  comprise a sensor, tracking information is provided by sensory data. In such embodiments, the sensor  604  is used to track usage statistics of consumable components, such as polishing pads and/or substrate carrier assemblies, including the consumable components thereof. For example, in one embodiment, the number of substrates polished using a polishing pad and/or a substrate carrier assembly is tracked using remote communication devices  600 , and the tracking data is concurrently and/or subsequently communicated to an interrogator  601 . The tracking data is then interpreted by the controller  612  so that the polishing pad and/or substrate carrier assembly lifetime is more accurately tracked (when compared to a polishing system not using the embodiments described herein) to ensure timely part replacement to provide for improved and/or repeatable polishing performance across the lifetime of the different processing components. In some embodiments, the polishing system  20  adjusts one or more polishing parameters, such as process variable, based on the tracked usage statistics of a consumable component, such as a polishing pad, that was received in the transmitted tag data. In one example, the process variables relating to the use of the substrate carrier assembly  108  (e.g., flexible diaphragm pressure/down force) are adjusted to compensate for changes in the polishing performance experienced by a polishing pad over the polishing pad&#39;s lifetime. 
     As described above, processing component (part) history also includes lifetime tracking data, which, in some embodiments, is used to indicate when, where, and/or how the processing component has been used in the past (e.g., what fabrication facility, what polishing systems, and/or which type of polishing processes, etc.). Lifetime tracking data also includes information about how many hours the processing component has been used which provides an indication of how many and/or which processing components and processing component assemblies (e.g., in case of a substrate carrier assembly, the processing components include a substrate retaining ring, a polishing diaphragm, and/or other consumable components) are nearing the end of their service life, etc. Tracking a part&#39;s, or its associated assembly&#39;s, history ensures the safety and reliability of the polishing system and the processes performed thereon. 
     In addition to part history information, in some embodiments, remote communication devices  600  store and transmit lifecycle information to the controller  612 . Refurbishment of some processing components is common due to the expense associated with the manufacturing thereof. However, polishing performance requirements and other considerations often limit the number of times a processing component may be refurbished. The lifecycle data of a processing component, determined using the embodiments described herein, provides information regarding how many times the part has been refurbished and if the part has reached a predetermined limit of the number of times, it can be refurbished. In one such example, the controller  612  indicates to the operating user/operator that, for example, the processing component needs to be discarded. In some embodiments, the part history information and lifecycle data stored and transmitted by the remote communication devices  600  is used to determine and/or develop maintenance schedules for the corresponding processing components and/or the polishing system associated therewith. 
     In some embodiments, the remote communication devices  600  are used to store and transmit processing component and/or processing component assembly failure information to the controller  612 . In some embodiments, the failure information relating to the current part&#39;s or assembly&#39;s inability to perform as desired is inputted by a user/operator using an interface provided by the equipment software application  652 . In some embodiments, the failure information is subsequently stored by one or more remote communication devices  600  through the middleware application  651 , as further described below. Also, in some embodiments, the failure information is sensed by one or more sensors (e.g., sensor  604 ) disposed in remote communication devices  600  or other areas within polishing system  20 . 
     Further, in some embodiments, a customer/fab name, and processing system identification (ID) information is stored and transmitted by the remote communication devices  600  to the controller  612 . This information indicates where and/or to whom the processing component belongs (e.g., what customer and/or fabrication facility, etc.). Further, using the identification and sensory data transmitted by remote communication devices  600  enables performing failure analysis in a more efficient manner. The results of such failure analysis are typically stored in the remote communication device  600 . 
     In some embodiments, the middleware application  651  provides a diagnostic user interface for tuning an RFID reader&#39;s settings. In addition, in some embodiments, the middleware application  651  is configured to encrypt its communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag for data security. The middleware application  651  herein is further capable of differentiating between multiple RFID tags and engaging in communication with all of them simultaneously. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the middleware application  651  is capable of managing different access privileges of different users. 
     After the identification and sensory information have been received and processed by the middleware application  651 , the middleware application  651  transmits the information, through one or more APIs, to the equipment software application  652 . The equipment software application  652  then displays such information in a user interface to the processing system user/operator. As described in relation to  FIG. 1B , communication between the remote communication devices  600  and the different layers of the software hierarchy, shown in  FIG. 1B , is a two-way communication. 
     Accordingly, in some embodiments, the equipment software application  652  accepts requests for read/write operations to the RFID tag memory. In some embodiments, for authentication purposes, the equipment software application  652  is configured to request identification information from a processing component once the remote communication device  600  coupled thereto has been detected. In some embodiments, the equipment software application  652  is configured to make requests for write operations to the memory  603  of the remote communication device  600 . In such embodiments, as described in activities  702  and  704  of example operations  700  in  FIG. 7 , the controller  612  delivers one or more signals to a remote communication device  600  to be stored therein before removing the processing component (e.g., substrate carrier assembly  108 ) from the polishing system  20 . For instance, in some embodiments, failure information is inputted by a system user/operator in a user interface provided by the equipment software application  652 . The information is then transmitted to the remote communication devices  600  through an interrogator  601  for storage in the memory  603  thereof. In some embodiments, other identification or sensory information described above travels downstream from the equipment software application  652  to be stored by remote communication devices  600  for later retrieval during subsequent usage. 
     In some embodiments, the identification and sensory information, collected by the middleware application  651  or the equipment software application  652  from a remote communication device  600 , is used for statistical process control (SPC) methods, which are statistical methods typically used for quality control of a semiconductor fabrication process. In such embodiments, data including failure information or analysis (as described above) and processing component and/or processing component assembly configuration information is especially useful with SPC methods, in particular, SPC methods that rely on automated data input. In some embodiments, the SPC methods are implemented and executed by the middleware application  651  or the equipment software application  652 . In some other embodiments, the identification and sensory information, collected by the middleware application  651  or the equipment software application  652 , is transmitted to the fab-level software application  653 , and the SPC methods are executed thereon. 
     Typically, the fab-level software application  653  resides on a server that is connected to all of the polishing systems and/or the controllers thereof in the fabrication facility. For example, at a typical fabrication facility, identification and sensor information is collected from a large number of processing components (e.g., substrate carrier assemblies) being used by a number of different polishing systems, such as the polishing system  20  described herein. In such an example, after performing SPC methods, certain trends regarding the specific type of substrate carrier assembly used by these polishing systems are derived by the fab-level software application  653 . As an example, the processed identification and sensory information may indicate that the certain substrate carrier assembly used for polishing substrates having memory devices formed thereon has a higher failure rate than the same substrate carrier assembly when used to polish substrates having logic devices formed thereon. This information may then be used by different parties involved (e.g., system users/operators, part manufacturers, etc.) to make changes to the polishing process and/or processing components, etc. In addition to the fab-level software application  653 , in some embodiments, the identification and sensory data is further transmitted to the polishing system manufacturer and/or the processing component supplier via an external communication link formed with the controller  612  or a fab-level controller (not shown) to provide an update about the status of the processing component. This information provides extra visibility into the status of the processing component after it is installed and detected by the polishing system, during the polishing process, and after the process has ended. 
     As described above, the methods and apparatus described herein may be utilized by tools or devices other than a polishing system  20 . The description relating to one or more polishing components, processing component assemblies, and polishing processes provided herein is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the disclosure provided herein, and one or more of the embodiments disclosed provided herein can thus be used with any type of tool or device that contains processing components and/or processing component assemblies that are replaceable, consumable, and/or have a limited useful lifetime, such as the physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber described in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a substrate processing system, herein a physical vapor deposition (PVD) processing chamber, that may be adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein. Other examples of processing chambers that may be adapted to benefit from the embodiments provided herein is the ALPS® Plus and SIP ENCORE® PVD processing chamber, available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. However, it is contemplated that other processing chambers, including those from other manufacturers, may be adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein. The processing chamber  100  described herein is configured to deposit titanium or aluminum oxides or nitrides on a substrate  105 . In other embodiments, the processing chamber  100  is used for other purposes, for example, to deposit aluminum, copper, tantalum, tantalum nitride, tantalum carbide, tungsten, tungsten nitride, lanthanum, lanthanum oxides, titanium, or combinations thereof. 
     The processing chamber  100  includes a chamber body  101  having one or more upper adapters  102  and one or more sidewall adapters  104 , a chamber bottom  106 , and a lid assembly  808  that define an interior volume  110 . The chamber body  101  is typically fabricated by machining and welding plates of stainless steel or by machining a single mass of aluminum. In one embodiment, the sidewall adapters  104  comprise aluminum, and the chamber bottom  106  comprises stainless steel. The lid assembly  808  of the processing chamber  100 , in cooperation with a ground shield  160  that interleaves with a cover ring  170 , substantially confines a plasma formed in the interior volume  110  to a region above the substrate  105 . 
     The processing chamber  100  further includes a substrate support assembly  120  disposed in the interior volume  110 , which includes a substrate support  126  sealingly coupled to a base plate  128 , which is coupled to a ground plate  125 . The substrate support assembly  120  is disposed on a support shaft  122  movably disposed and sealingly extending through the chamber bottom  106 . The support shaft  122  is coupled to an actuator (not shown) that is configured to raise and lower the support shaft  122 , and thus the substrate support assembly  120  disposed thereon, to facilitate processing of a substrate  105  and transfer thereof to and from the processing chamber  100 . A bellows  124  circumscribes the support shaft  122  and is coupled to the substrate support assembly  120  and the chamber bottom  106  to provide a flexible seal therebetween and to maintain the vacuum integrity of the interior volume  110 . 
     The substrate  105  is transferred into and out of the processing chamber  100  through an opening (not shown) formed through the chamber body  101 , which is conventionally sealed with a door or a valve (not shown). In some embodiments, the processing chamber  100  is coupled to a transfer chamber and/or other chambers of a substrate processing system. Typically, a plurality of lift pins (not shown) are movably disposed through the substrate support assembly  120  to facilitate transferring of the substrate  105  to and from a substrate receiving surface  127  of the substrate support  126 . When the substrate support assembly  120  is in a lowered position, the plurality of lift pins extend above the substrate receiving surface  127 , thereby spacing the substrate  105  from the substrate support  126  for access by a robot handler. When the substrate support assembly  120  is in a raised processing position, the tops of the plurality of lift pins are located flush with, or below, the substrate receiving surface  127 , and the substrate  105  rests directly on the substrate receiving surface  127  for processing. The relative position of the tops of the lift pins and the substrate receiving surface  127  of the substrate support  126  can be changed by contact of their lower ends with a stationary or movable pin plate (not shown), or with the chamber bottom  106  of the processing chamber  100  as the substrate support  126  is lowering in the interior volume  110  of the processing chamber  100 . 
     Typically, the substrate support  126  is comprised of aluminum, ceramic, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the substrate support  126  comprises an electrostatic chuck and is formed of a dielectric material having a chucking electrode  138  embedded therein. In some embodiments, the substrate support  126  and/or the base plate  128  coupled thereto are configured to heat and/or cool the substrate using a resistive heating element (not shown) and/or cooling channels (not shown) disposed therein. Typically, the cooling channels are in fluid communication with a coolant source (not shown), such as a refrigerant source or a temperature-controlled fluid source. Herein, the substrate support assembly  120  supports the deposition ring  302  along with the substrate  105  during the deposition process. 
     The lid assembly  808  generally includes a target backing plate  130 , a target  132 , and a magnetron  134 . The target backing plate  130  is supported by the upper adapters  102  when in the lid assembly  808  is in a closed position, as shown in  FIG. 5 . A ceramic ring seal  136  is disposed between the target backing plate  130  and upper adapters  102  to prevent vacuum leakage therebetween. 
     The target  132  is coupled to the target backing plate  130  and exposed to the interior volume  110  of the processing chamber  100 . The target  132  provides the material which is to be deposited on the substrate  105  during a PVD process. An isolator ring  180  is disposed between the target  132 , target backing plate  130 , and chamber body  101  to electrically isolate the target  132  from the target backing plate  130  and the upper adapter  102  of the chamber body  101 . 
     The target  132  is biased with RF and/or DC power relative to ground, e.g., the chamber body  101 , by a power source  140 . A gas, such as argon, is supplied to the interior volume  110  from a gas source  142  via conduits  144 . The gas source  142  may comprise a non-reactive gas such as argon or xenon, which is capable of energetically impinging upon and sputtering material from the target  132 . Spent process gas and byproducts are exhausted from the interior volume  110  of the processing chamber  100  through exhaust ports  146  that receive spent process gas and direct the spent process gas to an exhaust conduit  148  having a throttle valve to control the pressure of the gas in the interior volume  110  of the processing chamber  100 . The exhaust conduit  148  is fluidly coupled to one or more exhaust pumps  149 . Typically, the pressure of the sputtering gas in the interior volume  110  of the processing chamber  100  is set to sub-atmospheric levels, such as a vacuum environment, for example, gas pressures of about 0.6 mTorr to about 400 mTorr. A plasma is formed from the gas between the substrate  105  and the target  132 . Ions within the plasma are accelerated toward the target  132  and cause material to become dislodged from the surface  133  thereof. The dislodged target material is deposited on the substrate. The magnetron  134  is disposed over the target backing plate  130  and within a target region  815  that is enclosed by a dielectric support  811  and a dielectric target lid  812  that are positioned on the processing chamber  100 . In some embodiments, the dielectric target lid  812  includes a motor (not shown) that is coupled to the magnetron  134  so that it can be moved about an axis  803  within the target region  815  during processing. 
     Processes performed in the processing chamber  100  are controlled by a controller  190  that comprises a program code having instruction sets to operate components of the processing chamber  100  to facilitate the processing of substrates therein. For example, in one embodiment, the controller  190  comprises a program code that includes a substrate positioning instruction set to position the substrate support assembly  120 ; a gas flow control instruction set to operate gas flow control valves to set a flow of sputtering gas to the interior volume  110  of the processing chamber  100 ; a gas pressure control instruction set to operate a throttle valve to maintain a pressure in the interior volume  110 ; a process sputtering power control instruction set to power the target  132 ; a temperature control instruction set to control a temperature control system (not shown) in the substrate support assembly  120  or sidewall adapter  104  to set temperatures of the substrate or sidewall adapters  104 , respectively; and a process monitoring instruction set to monitor the process in the processing chamber  100 . The instruction sets provided by the controller  190  to the processing chamber  100  comprise a set of deposition process parameters, herein deposition process variables, which together comprise a deposition process recipe. Examples of deposition process variables herein include, but are not limited to, the distance between a surface of the substrate  105  and the surface of the target  132 , the bias power provided to the target  132 , the temperature of the substrate support  126  and/or the substrate  105  disposed thereon, flowrate(s) of the sputtering gas(es) and/or reactive gases into the processing chamber  100 , pressure in the interior volume  110 , deposition duration (time), speed of the magnetron  134  about the axis  803 , and in some embodiments a substrate bias power provided to a bias electrode (not shown) disposed in the substrate support  126 . Often, specific types of processing components are required for use with some deposition process recipes and are prohibited for use with other deposition process recipes as some types of processing components are incompatible with some substrate deposition processes and are therefore unauthorized for use therewith. 
     Typically, the processing chamber  100  includes a process kit  150  that comprises various processing components that can be easily removed from the processing chamber  100 , for example, to clean sputtering deposits off the component surfaces, replace or repair eroded components, or to adapt the processing chamber  100  for other processes and/or applications. In one embodiment, the process kit  150  comprises a ground shield  160 , an interleaving cover ring  170 , and a centering mechanism  175  for providing a controlled gap between the one-piece ground shield  160  and the interleaving cover ring  170 . In some embodiments, the process kit  150  further comprises the deposition ring  302 . 
     Herein, one or more remote communication devices  600  are located on, embedded in, disposed within, or otherwise coupled to various areas of processing chamber  100  and/or the processing components disposed therein. In one embodiment, a first remote communication device  600 A is located on, embedded in, disposed within, or otherwise coupled to the target  132  and is in communication with a first interrogator  601 A located on, embedded in, disposed within, or otherwise coupled to the dielectric support  811  of the chamber body  101  and adjacent to the magnetron  134 . In another embodiment, a second remote communication device  600 B located on, embedded in, disposed within, or otherwise coupled to a magnet  801  of the magnetron  134  is in communication with a second interrogator  601 B located on, embedded in, disposed within, or otherwise coupled to a yoke or a process piece, as shown in  FIG. 5 . As further shown in  FIG. 5 , interrogators  601 A and  601 B use communication links  655 A and  655 B, respectively, to communicate with the middleware application  651 , which in some embodiments, resides on the controller  190 . In some embodiments, the communication links  655 A and  655 B are wired connections and, in other embodiments, are wireless communication protocols. 
     Herein the remote communication devices  600 A and  600 B operate to enable the same functionalities as described above in relation to the polishing system  20  described in  FIGS. 1-4 , including detection, authentication, and tracking of processing components (e.g., target  132 ) as well as setting up, reconfiguration, or unlocking of certain differentiated features within the processing chamber  100 . Accordingly, once identification information stored in the remote communication devices  600 A and  600 B is received through signals by the interrogators  601 A and  601 B, respectively, the information may travel through the same software application hierarchy described in relation to  FIG. 4 . The two-way communication between the remote communication device  600 A-B and the different levels of software applications (e.g.,  651 ,  652 , and  653 ) therefore enable the functionalities described above and also allow for storing information in the remote communication device  600 A and  600 B. 
     For example, certain information specific to processing components such as the target  132  and/or the magnet  801  is stored in the remote communication devices  600 A and/or  600 B, respectively. Similar to the substrate carrier assembly  108  of polishing system  20 , the target  132  and/or the magnet  801  are also detected and authenticated using the information stored in their respective remote communication devices  600 A-B, which in some embodiments are RFID tags. In one example, after the authentication, as described in relation to  FIG. 4 , certain processes or operations may be unlocked based on the type of magnet and/or type of target identified through the identification information. For example, in one embodiment, the processing chamber  100  is locked from performing certain types of PVD deposition operations until authentication of the remote communication device containing part(s). After authentication, for example, the processing chamber  100  is unlocked and may engage in the previously locked deposition process variable regimes. In one example, based on information received from the remote communication device  600 A and/or  600 B, the equipment software application  652  will allow the DC or RF power levels applied to the target  132  or temperature set points applied to the substrate support assembly  120  to be increased or decreased based on the received information by the middleware application  651 . In one case, if one of the remote communication devices  600 A and/or  600 B is not present within the system, then the capability of changing one or more process variables within the equipment software application  652  may not be allowed. In some cases, the use of unauthorized and/or incompatible processing components may result in unsafe operating conditions and/or unreliable processing results. The ability to interlock set points of various process variables due to the presence or status of a remote communication device  600 A and/or  600 B containing part ensures the safety and reliability of the deposition processes in a processing chamber or processing system. 
     In some embodiments, the remote communication device  600 A-B, interrogators  601 A-B, and the controller  190  of the processing chamber  100  include the same components and operate in a similar manner to the remote communication device  600 , interrogator  601 , and the controller  612  of the polishing system  20 , respectively, as described in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     It is also important to note that the embodiments described above may not be limited to CMP devices and PVD processing chambers as other types of devices may also utilize wireless communication devices to enable detection, authentication, and tracking of processing components, including the consumable components and non-consumable components disposed therein.