An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, a pad conditioner to hold a conditioning disk against the polishing surface, an in-situ polishing pad thickness monitoring system, and a controller. The controller is configured to store data associating each of a plurality of conditioner disk products with a respective threshold value, receive an input selecting a conditioner disk product from the plurality of conditioner disk products, determine a particular threshold value associated with the selected conditioner disk product, receive a signal from the monitoring system, generate a measure of a pad cut rate from the signal, and generate an alert if the pad cut rate falls beyond the particular threshold value.

During chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate, a signal value that depends on a thickness of a layer in a measurement spot on a substrate undergoing polishing is determined by a first in-situ monitoring system. An image of at least the measurement spot of the substrate is generated by a second in-situ imaging system. Machine vision processing, e.g., a convolutional neural network, is used to determine a characterizing value for the measurement spot based on the image. Then a measurement value is calculated based on both the characterizing value and the signal value.

During chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate, a signal value that depends on a thickness of a layer in a measurement spot on a substrate undergoing polishing is determined by a first in-situ monitoring system. An image of at least the measurement spot of the substrate is generated by a second in-situ imaging system. Machine vision processing, e.g., a convolutional neural network, is used to determine a characterizing value for the measurement spot based on the image. Then a measurement value is calculated based on both the characterizing value and the signal value.

Disclosed is a light transmitting member for a polishing pad. The light transmitting member has a cylindrical or truncated conical shape, and a screw thread is formed on a side portion thereof. A polishing pad includes such a light transmitting member and a substrate polishing apparatus includes such a polishing pad.

Disclosed is a light transmitting member for a polishing pad. The light transmitting member has a cylindrical or truncated conical shape, and a screw thread is formed on a side portion thereof. A polishing pad includes such a light transmitting member and a substrate polishing apparatus includes such a polishing pad.

A polishing head system capable of precisely controlling a pressing force of a retainer member, such as a retainer ring, against a polishing pad. The polishing head system includes: a polishing head including an actuator configured to apply a pressing force to the workpiece, a retainer member arranged outside the actuator, and piezoelectric elements coupled to the retainer member; and a drive-voltage application device configured to apply voltages independently to the piezoelectric elements.

A polishing head system capable of precisely controlling a pressing force of a retainer member, such as a retainer ring, against a polishing pad. The polishing head system includes: a polishing head including an actuator configured to apply a pressing force to the workpiece, a retainer member arranged outside the actuator, and piezoelectric elements coupled to the retainer member; and a drive-voltage application device configured to apply voltages independently to the piezoelectric elements.

To terminate polishing at an appropriate position, an end point position of the polishing is sensed. According to one embodiment, a method that chemomechanically polishes a substrate including a functional chip is provided. The method includes: a step of disposing the functional chip on the substrate; a step of disposing an end point sensing element on the substrate; a step of sealing the substrate on which the functional chip and the end point sensing element are disposed with an insulating material; a step of polishing the insulating material; and a step of sensing an end point of the polishing based on the end point sensing element while the insulating material is polished.

To terminate polishing at an appropriate position, an end point position of the polishing is sensed. According to one embodiment, a method that chemomechanically polishes a substrate including a functional chip is provided. The method includes: a step of disposing the functional chip on the substrate; a step of disposing an end point sensing element on the substrate; a step of sealing the substrate on which the functional chip and the end point sensing element are disposed with an insulating material; a step of polishing the insulating material; and a step of sensing an end point of the polishing based on the end point sensing element while the insulating material is polished.

A polishing apparatus 100 includes a first electric motor 14 that rotationally drives a polishing table 12, and a second electric motor 22 that rotationally drives a top ring 20 that holds a semiconductor wafer 18. The polishing apparatus 100 includes: a current detection portion 24; an accumulation portion 110 that accumulates, for a prescribed interval, current values of three phases that are detected by the current detection portion 24; a difference portion 112 that determines a difference between a detected current value in an interval that is different to the prescribed interval and the accumulated current value; and an endpoint detection portion 29 that detects a polishing endpoint that indicates the end of polishing of the surface of the semiconductor wafer 18, based on a change in the difference that the difference portion 112 outputs.