Determination of an endpoint for removing a film from a wafer, by determining a first reference point removal time indicating when a breakthrough of the film has occurred, determining a second reference point removal time indicating when the film has been polished almost to completion, determining an additional removal time indicating an overpolishing interval, and adding the second reference point removal time with the additional removal time to get a total removal time to the endpoint.

A method is provided to optimize the chemical mechanical planarization process of wafers having a target removal layer and a stop layer. A slurry is added to a polishing table which includes a polishing pad and a platen adapted for rotation; a portion of the slurry is allowed to engage an interface between the polishing pad and the wafer. A gaseous sample is continuously extracted from the slurry; the gaseous sample includes a reactant product created when the polishing pad engages the stop laye...

In a chemical mechanical planarization assembly directed for the removal of oxide layers, which stop on films containing silicon nitride, a conventional polishing table is provided with a gas extraction unit which transmits a gas sample to an infrared spectrometer. The presence of ammonia in the slurry, which is generated when a stop layer containing silicon nitride is abraded under high pH conditions, can be detected using infrared spectroscopy and accordingly provides for an in situ endpoint d...

A fluid collection apparatus having an accumulator for contacting a polishing surface of a polishing pad and collecting fluid from the polishing pad, a reservoir for receiving fluid from the accumulator, and a volume maintainer for maintaining a set volume of fluid in the reservoir.

A method and apparatus for Chemical-Mechanical Polishing of semiconductor wafers using various formulations of high viscosity slurry.

An apparatus is described for detecting the presence of a gaseous chemical produced during a chemical-mechanical polishing operation. The apparatus includes a catalytic converter, a reaction chamber and a light sensor. The catalytic converter, heated to about 800.degree. C. converts the chemical to a different chemical product. The reaction chamber produces an excited species; the pressure in the reaction chamber is maintained sufficiently low to substantially avoid collisional deactivation of t...

Device for in-situ collection of a gaseous reaction product from a polishing slurry as a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, is being polished with the slurry, including a probe capable of being placed in contact with the slurry, the probe having a channel for transmitting the gaseous reaction product to an analyzer, a first hydrophobic membrane for allowing passage of the gaseous reaction product from the slurry to the channel, and means for directing a carrier gas through the channel.