A back grinding apparatus includes a grinding wheel that is rotatable and movable in a vertical direction and including at least one abrasive, and a grinding gauge below the grinding wheel and configured to measure a wear amount of the at least one abrasive, where the grinding gauge includes a measuring body and a photoelectric sensor supported by the measuring body and configured to determine the wear amount of the at least one abrasive, and where the photoelectric sensor includes at least one light emitter, and at least one light receiver spaced apart from the at least one light emitter in a horizontal direction and configured to receive light emitted from the at least one light emitter.

A system and method for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pad replacement on a CMP processing tool. A platen carrier having two or more platens is positioned within a platen cleaning process module. Each platen includes a CMP pad affixed thereto, and is capable of being independently rotated during operations. When a pad requires replacement, the platen carrier rotates towards a pad tearer tool, which extends and pivots to remove the used pad from the platen as the carrier rotates. A pad tape replacement module is positioned above the CMP tool with pad tape extending from a supply roll to a recycle roll. As the pad tape transits through the module, a backing of the tape is separated and recycled. A pad disposed in the pad tape is then applied to a platen via a pressure roller.

A system includes: a pad removal assembly; a replacement pad reservoir; an inspection unit; and a controller. The pad removal assembly includes: a separating element arranged proximal a slot; and a guide surface opposite the separating element. The replacement pad reservoir: arranged adjacent the separating element and housing sanding pads configured to couple the sanding head; and including an aperture in alignment with the guide surface. The inspection unit includes an optical sensor defining a field of view directed toward an imaging plane. The controller configured to: access an image recorded by the optical sensor depicting an abrasive area of a sanding pad arranged on a sanding head; extract features from the image; interpret an abrasive degradation for the abrasive area in the image based on the features; and in response to the abrasive degradation exceeding a threshold degradation, triggering a tool change cycle.

A system and method for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pad replacement on a CMP processing tool. A platen carrier having two or more platens is positioned within a platen cleaning process module. Each platen includes a CMP pad affixed thereto, and is capable of being independently rotated during operations. When a pad requires replacement, the platen carrier rotates towards a pad tearer tool, which extends and pivots to remove the used pad from the platen as the carrier rotates. A pad tape replacement module is positioned above the CMP tool with pad tape extending from a supply roll to a recycle roll. As the pad tape transits through the module, a backing of the tape is separated and recycled. A pad disposed in the pad tape is then applied to a platen via a pressure roller.

A method includes: accessing a toolpath and processing parametersincluding a target force and feed rateassigned to a region of a workpiece; and accessing a wear model representing abrasive degradation of a sanding pad arranged on a sanding head. The method also includes, during a processing cycle: accessing force values output by a force sensor 199 coupled to the sanding head; navigating the sanding head across the workpiece region according to the toolpath and, based on the force values deviating the sanding head from the toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece region proximal the target force; accessing contact characteristics representing contact between the sanding pad and the workpiece; estimating abrasive degradation of the sanding pad based on the wear model and the sequence of contact characteristics; and modifying the set of processing parameters based on the abrasive degradation.

In one embodiment, a method is provided for polishing a substrate. The method generally includes receiving a plurality of dwell times of a pad conditioning disk, wherein the plurality of dwell times are to be used in a pad conditioning process performed on a pad disposed on a platen, and each dwell time corresponding to a zone of a plurality of zones of the pad disposed on the platen, determining a plurality of total pad conditioning disk cut times to be used in the pad conditioning process, each total pad conditioning disk cut time corresponding to a zone of the plurality of zones, and generating a first pad wear removal model based on a set of parameters, including the plurality of dwell times and the plurality of total pad conditioning disk cut times.

A method includes: accessing a toolpath and processing parametersincluding a target force and feed rateassigned to a region of a workpiece; and accessing a wear model representing abrasive degradation of a sanding pad arranged on a sanding head. The method also includes, during a processing cycle: accessing force values output by a force sensor 199 coupled to the sanding head; navigating the sanding head across the workpiece region according to the toolpath and, based on the force values deviating the sanding head from the toolpath to maintain forces of the sanding head on the workpiece region proximal the target force; accessing contact characteristics representing contact between the sanding pad and the workpiece; estimating abrasive degradation of the sanding pad based on the wear model and the sequence of contact characteristics; and modifying the set of processing parameters based on the abrasive degradation.

The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus to remove consumable (e.g., sacrificial) polishing pad layers from a multilayer polishing pad. For example, the method includes measuring a thickness profile of a top polishing pad layer of a multilayer polishing pad and comparing the thickness profile to a threshold. The method, in response to the thickness profile being above the threshold, rinses the top polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad and removes, after the top polishing pad layer has been rinsed, the top polishing pad layer to expose an underlying polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad.

The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus to remove consumable (e.g., sacrificial) polishing pad layers from a multilayer polishing pad. For example, the method includes measuring a thickness profile of a top polishing pad layer of a multilayer polishing pad and comparing the thickness profile to a threshold. The method, in response to the thickness profile being above the threshold, rinses the top polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad and removes, after the top polishing pad layer has been rinsed, the top polishing pad layer to expose an underlying polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad.