TW201738034A - CMP pad conditioner, pad conditioning system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioner, a CMP pad conditioning system and a CMP pad conditioning method are provided. The CMP pad conditioner includes an adaptor configured to receive an abrasive member and a sensing circuit comprising one or more sensing elements. Each of the one or more sensing elements is configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member.

Description

Chemical mechanical flattening pad dresser, pad dressing system and method

The present invention is generally, but not exclusively, directed to a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioner, and a CMP pad conditioning system and method.

Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing processes such as wafer fabrication. In general, a polishing pad is dispensed with a slurry for removing material from one surface of the wafer through relative movement between the polishing pad and the wafer. The slurry may also contain chemicals that react with the wafer material. Over time, the surface of the polishing pad becomes smooth, that is, it loses its abrasiveness, and needs to be trimmed to restore its abrasiveness.

The dressing procedure generally involves the use of a pad conditioner having an abrasive surface and is typically operated periodically for a fixed length of time. Conventionally, the customer may not know if the program is inadequate or excessive. For example, there may be cases where the pad conditioner cannot be lowered onto the polishing pad for trimming due to a machine failure. There may also be cases where the slurry cannot be dispensed onto the polishing pad due to a formulation error or machine failure, such that the temperature of the polishing pad will rise when polishing is continued without the slurry. Such events may not be noticed until after the CMP step, the in-line parameter measurement of the product is performed, where the product is crystalline circle. As a result, the product must be scrapped or reprocessed, resulting in inefficiency and additional operating costs. Also, the polishing pad and/or the pad conditioner may have to be repaired, resulting in downtime.

A prior method for solving the above problems as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 7,840,305 includes incorporating a sensor into one of the abrasive articles for roughening the surface of the polishing pad. The sensor can provide CMP information to a remote receiver via a wireless transmitter, the wireless transmitter also incorporating the abrasive article. However, the sensor and transmitter typically have a useful lifespan that is much longer than the abrasive article. Since the sensor and the transmitter are attached to the abrasive article, the sensor and the transmitter are generally disposed of with the abrasive article when the abrasive article reaches the end of life. Therefore, this method is not economical and also leads to waste of resources. If the sensor and the transmitter are taken out when the abrasive article is replaced, it is also difficult to recycle and reuse. Also, this system would be useful when using the correct type of abrasive article (i.e., incorporating the sensor and transmitter). There may be situations where such abrasive items are not readily available but the CMP procedure must continue.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a CMP conditioning apparatus, system, and method that can address at least one of the above problems.

According to one aspect, a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioner is provided, comprising: an adapter configured to receive an abrasive member; and a sensing circuit including one or more sensing An element, each of the one or more sensing elements, is configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member.

The sensing circuit can further include a wireless module and a processor coupled between the one or more sensing components and the wireless module.

The processor can be configured to control the wireless module to transmit a parameter measurement received from the one or more sensing elements to a remote receiver.

The wireless module can be configured to transmit the parameter measurements at predetermined intervals.

These parameter measurements can be instantaneous measurements.

The one or more sensing elements can be selected from the group consisting of: a force sensor, a temperature sensor, a roughness sensor, a wear sensor, a geometric sensor, and a microphone.

The sensing circuit can be configured to be mounted adjacent to a major surface of the adapter, the opposing major surface of the adapter being configured to receive the abrasive member.

The sensing circuit can be further configured to read identification data associated with the abrasive member, the identification data being stored in a passive circuit embedded in the abrasive member.

The adapter can include a contact point coupled to the sensing circuit, the contact point configured to engage a corresponding contact element of the passive circuit for reading the identification data.

The sensing circuit can be configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) field to engage a near field communication (NFC) tag of the passive circuit for reading the identification data.

According to another aspect, a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning system is provided, comprising: A pad conditioner comprising: an adapter configured to receive an abrasive member; and a sensing circuit including one or more sensing elements, each of the one or more sensing elements Configuring to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member; and an arithmetic device communicatively coupled to the pad conditioner, wherein the computing device is configured to receive from the pad conditioner The parameter measurement value, and a warning is generated if a parameter measurement value is outside a respective operation range.

The parameter measurement value may include one selected from the group consisting of: a down force measurement value, a temperature measurement value, a roughness measurement value, and an abrasion measurement value, Geometric measurements, and a sound measurement.

The computing device can be configured to receive the parameter measurements at predetermined intervals.

These parameter measurements can be instantaneous measurements.

The computing device can be further configured to identify the abrasive member based on identification data associated with the abrasive member, the identification data being read by the pad conditioner and transmitted to the computing device.

The identification material can be stored in a passive circuit embedded in the abrasive member.

The computing device can include a storage unit for storing at least one of the parameter measurements and identification data received from the pad conditioner.

The computing device can be further configured to compensate for a parameter measurement in response to the identification data of the respective abrasive member.

According to another aspect, a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning method is provided, comprising the steps of: providing a CMP pad conditioner comprising: an adapter configured to receive an abrasive member; a sensing circuit comprising one or more sensing elements, each of the one or more sensing elements configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member; to communicate The pad conditioner is coupled to an arithmetic device; the abrasive member is mounted to the adapter; and the CMP pad is trimmed while transferring the parameter measurement from the pad conditioner to the computing device.

The method can further include generating a warning if a parameter measurement is outside a predetermined range.

The parameter measurement may include one selected from the group consisting of: a downward force measurement, a temperature measurement, a roughness measurement and an abrasion measurement, a geometric measurement, And a sound measurement.

The parameter measurements can be transmitted at predetermined intervals.

These parameter measurements can be instantaneous measurements.

Mounting the abrasive member to the adapter can include: reading, by the pad conditioner, identification data associated with the abrasive member; The identification data is transmitted to the computing device by the pad conditioner; and the abrasive member is identified by the computing device.

Reading the identification material associated with the abrasive member can include reading an identification material stored in a non-volatile memory embedded in one of the passive components of the abrasive member.

The method can further include storing at least one of the parameter measurement value and the identification data received from the pad conditioner in a storage unit of the computing device.

The method can further include responding to the identification data of the respective abrasive member, and compensating for a parameter measurement by the computing device.

100‧‧‧Chemical Mechanical Grinding (CMP) Pad Dresser

102‧‧‧Adapter or holder

104‧‧‧Abrasive components

106‧‧‧Sensor or sensor

108‧‧‧Sensor or sensor

110‧‧‧Printed circuit board

112‧‧‧Shell

114‧‧‧Main surface

116‧‧‧ opposite main surface

118‧‧‧Rotatable motor shaft; shaft

200‧‧‧pad dresser

202‧‧‧Abrasive components

204‧‧‧Contact points

206‧‧‧Lower surface

208‧‧‧ Adapter

210‧‧‧Shell

212‧‧‧Contact components

300‧‧‧pad dresser

302‧‧‧Adapter or holder

304‧‧‧ cylindrical wall

306‧‧‧Base

308‧‧‧Sensor components

310‧‧‧Sensor components

312‧‧‧ below surface

314‧‧‧Translucent or transparent cover

400‧‧‧pad dressing system; CMP dressing system

402‧‧‧pad dresser

404‧‧‧ arithmetic device

406‧‧‧Wireless network

408‧‧‧Wireless Module

410‧‧‧CMP machine

412‧‧‧CMP controller

700‧‧‧Subsidiary circuit

702‧‧‧ EEPROM data storage

704‧‧‧Power connection; power cord

706‧‧‧ Ground connection

708‧‧‧Sequential clock line (SCL)

710‧‧‧ Serial Data Line (SDA)

712‧‧‧Subsidiary circuit

714‧‧‧Microprocessor

716‧‧‧ EEPROM data storage; data storage

718‧‧‧Power cord

720‧‧‧ Grounding wire

722‧‧‧ Receiver pin

724‧‧‧Transmitter pins

726‧‧‧passive circuit

728‧‧‧Abrasive components

730‧‧‧Data storage

732‧‧‧Microprocessor

734‧‧‧Near Field Communication (NFC) interface

800‧‧‧ Flowchart

802‧‧ steps

804‧‧‧ steps

806‧‧‧Steps

808‧‧‧Steps

810‧‧‧Steps

812‧‧‧ steps

814‧‧‧Steps

816‧‧ steps

818‧‧‧Steps

900‧‧‧Flowchart

902‧‧ steps

904‧‧‧Steps

906‧‧‧Steps

908‧‧‧Steps

1000‧‧‧ arithmetic device; computer system

1002‧‧‧Display interface

1004‧‧‧ processor

1006‧‧‧Communication infrastructure

1008‧‧‧ main memory

1010‧‧‧ memory

1012‧‧‧hard disk drive

1014‧‧‧Removable storage drive

1018‧‧‧Removable storage unit

1020‧‧" interface

1022‧‧‧Removable storage unit

1024‧‧‧Communication interface

1026‧‧‧Communication path

1030‧‧‧ display

1032‧‧‧ audio interface

1034‧‧‧Speakers

The embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood and readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art in the <Desc/Clms Page number> Schematic perspective view.

Figure 1b shows another alternative schematic perspective view of the pad conditioner of Figure 1a.

Figure 1c shows another alternative schematic perspective view of the pad conditioner of Figure 1a with an abrasive member mounted to the pad conditioner.

Figure 1d shows a schematic exploded view of the pad conditioner of Figure 1a.

2 shows a schematic perspective view of a pad conditioner and an abrasive member in accordance with another example embodiment.

3a-3b show schematic perspective views of a pad conditioner in accordance with another example embodiment.

4 shows a schematic block diagram showing a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning system in accordance with an example embodiment.

Figure 5 shows a graph comparing the measured weight to the actual weight using five sets of data from the CMP conditioning system of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a graph comparing the measured temperature to the actual temperature using the CMP conditioning system of Figure 4.

Figures 7a through 7c show schematic block diagrams showing an embodiment of a passive circuit embedded in an abrasive member.

Figure 8 shows a flow chart illustrating a method of identifying an abrasive member using a pad conditioner of an example embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart illustrating a CMP pad trimming method in accordance with an example embodiment.

Figure 10 shows a schematic block diagram showing one of the operational systems suitable for use in an example embodiment.

1a-1d show various views of a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioner 100 in accordance with an example embodiment. The pad conditioner 100 includes an adapter or holder 102 that is configured to receive an abrasive member 104, such as a sintered abrasive plate. The pad conditioner 100 also includes a sensing circuit that includes one or more sensing elements or sensors 106, 108. Each of the one or more sensing elements 106, 108 is configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member 104.

In general, one or more of the sensing elements 106, 108 are disposed at appropriate locations relative to the adapter 102 and are coupled to one of the printed circuit boards 110 disposed in a housing 112. For example, the sensor 106 can be disposed substantially flush with one of the major surfaces 114 of the adapter 102 (FIG. 1b), while the sensor 108 is disposed on the opposing major surface 116 of the adapter 102. The housing 112 is radio-translucent, and more preferably transparent to facilitate visual inspection of the sensing circuitry and to allow transmission/reception of radio frequency signals. The pad conditioner 100, including the adapter 102, the abrasive member 104, the sensing circuit, and the housing 112, is typically mounted to a rotatable motor shaft 118 of a suitable CMP machine (not shown in Figures 1a-1d). During operation, rotation of the shaft 118 causes the pad conditioner 100 to move relative to a polishing pad (not shown), and the abrasive member 104 wipes/grinds the surface of the polishing pad to trim the polishing pad.

The parameters measured by the sensing elements 106, 108 during trimming include press down-force, temperature between polished surfaces, pad surface roughness, pad wear, geometry, and sound. Accordingly, the one or more sensing elements 106, 108 include a force sensor, a temperature sensor, a roughness sensor, a wear sensor, a geometric sensor, and a microphone. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensing circuit further includes a transmitter/transceiver, and a processor coupled between the one or more sensing elements 106, 108 and the transmitter/transceiver (not shown) 1a to 1d) such that the processor can control the transmitter/transceiver to transmit parameter measurements received from one or more sensing elements 106, 108 to a remote receiver (not Shown in Figures 1a to 1d). For example, the transmitter/transceiver can be a wireless module configured to transmit parameter measurements at predetermined intervals, for example, while the pad conditioner 100 is in use. Again The pre-positioning transmits the parameter measurements quasi-instantaneously (ie, instantaneously). Also, this interval can be reduced to one of the response time support levels of the sensing elements 106, 108 such that the data is "live" at any one time.

2 shows a schematic perspective view of a pad conditioner 200 and an abrasive member 202 in accordance with another example embodiment. The pad conditioner 200 is substantially identical to the pad conditioner 100 as described above with reference to Figures 1a through 1d, except that the pad conditioner 200 can identify the abrasive member 202 from the identification data stored in the abrasive member 202. In a preferred embodiment, the abrasive member 202 includes an accessory circuit that is embedded in one of the passive members of the abrasive member. The passive electronic circuit includes at least one non-volatile memory component in which the identification data is stored. Pad conditioner 200 is configured to read the non-volatile memory component through a connection between the accessory circuit and a sensing circuit in pad conditioner 200. The connection can be established by a contact member such as an exposed conductive pad, or a non-contact member such as near field communication (NFC) or radio frequency identification (RFID). In the example shown in FIG. 2, the pad conditioner 200 includes a contact point 204 disposed on a lower surface 206 of an adapter 208 and coupled to a sensing circuit disposed in the housing 210. The contact point 204 is configured to engage a corresponding contact element 212 of the passive electronic circuit embedded in the abrasive member 202 for reading the identification material. Further details are provided below with reference to Figures 7a through 7c, and Figure 8.

3a-3b show schematic perspective views of a pad conditioner 300 in accordance with another example embodiment. Compared to the pad conditioners 100, 200 described above, the pad conditioner 300 has a relatively flat design and includes an adapter or holder 302 that can also serve as a housing for the sensing circuit. For example, the adapter 302 has a substantially cylindrical shape extending from a base 306 Wall 304. In Figures 3a to 3b, the sensing elements 308, 310 are visible, but the printed circuit board is omitted for brevity. An abrasive member (not shown) can be mounted to one of the lower surfaces 312 of the adapter 302. The adapter 302 can be attached to a semi-transparent or transparent outer cover 314 that is then mounted to a rotational axis (not shown) similar to the rotational axis of the pad conditioner 100 (Figs. 1a-1d).

The pad conditioner can be incorporated into a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning system. 4 shows a schematic block diagram showing a pad conditioning system 400 in accordance with an example embodiment. The pad conditioning system includes a pad conditioner 402 and an arithmetic device 404 similar to that described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3, the computing device being communicatively coupled to the pad conditioner 402. Here, the connection between the pad conditioner 402 and the computing device 404 is transmitted through a wireless network 406 that is routed into the wireless module 408 of one of the sensing circuits of the pad conditioner 402. Wireless network 406 can be one of the following: a Bluetooth network, a Zigbee network, an IEEE 802.15.4 network, a WiFi network, and the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a wired connection can be used in place of a wireless connection to communicatively couple pad conditioner 402 to computing device 404.

In one operation of the pad conditioning system 400, the computing device 404 searches for all of the pad conditioners 402 within the wireless network 406. In other words, although only one pad conditioner 402 is shown in FIG. 4, multiple pad conditioners can be integrated into system 400. The individual pad conditioner 402 is registered with the computing device 404, including its device information, the services it provides, and the like. Each pad conditioner 402 periodically transmits device and program information (ie, parameter measurements), including temperature, pressure sensor values, battery levels, and the like. The arithmetic device 404 is directed to the pad conditioner The received data is processed by 402 and displayed in its user interface (e.g., on a display device). All relevant information is also stored in the database of the computing device (such as a storage unit). The arithmetic device 404 generates an alert if a parameter measurement is outside a respective range of operation. In a preferred embodiment, the parameter measurements are instantaneously transmitted from the individual pad conditioner 402 to the computing device 404 so that intervention can be performed in a timely manner with a warning.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the pad conditioner 402 is typically coupled to a CMP machine 410 that controls the speed, position, etc. of the pad conditioner 402. The CMP machine 410 is in turn controlled by a CMP controller 412 (e.g., a server system) that includes CMP software known to those of ordinary skill in the art. A connection between the computing device 404 and the CMP controller 412 can be provided such that a closed loop system can be implemented. The communication mode between the computing device 404 and the CMP controller 412 can be, for example, a remote protocol call (RPC) through a serial connection, or an application programming interface (API).

An evaluation of the downward force and temperature sensor has been performed using data that is fed back to the computing device 404 via a wireless connection. Figure 5 shows a graph comparing the measured weight (y-axis) versus the actual weight (x-axis) of five sets of data using the CMP conditioning system 400 of Figure 4. The results show that the measured weight is accurately fed back to the computing device 404 using a wireless connection. 6 shows a graph comparing the measured temperature (y-axis) to the actual temperature (x-axis) using the CMP conditioning system 400 of FIG. As can be seen from Figure 6, the measured temperature is also accurately fed back (up to about 45 °C) to the computing device 404 using a wireless connection.

As described above, in an exemplary embodiment, the pad conditioner can read identification material stored in a passive circuit embedded in the abrasive member to identify the abrasive member. Generally, the identification data is stored in one of the non-volatile memories of the passive circuit, and includes, for example, a serial number, a manufacturing date, a hash digest, and other related materials. Once the abrasive member is attached to the pad conditioner, the pad conditioner reads the information through a contact or non-contact mechanism. One of the appropriate non-volatile memory systems for storing the identification data can be erased with a programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), such as a 128-bit capacity. Other types of non-volatile memory systems are feasible. Table 1 shows an example of how the relevant information is stored in the non-volatile memory of the passive circuit.

The non-volatile memory can be read using a contact connection or a contactless connection. The passive circuit, also referred to as an accessory circuit, can be implemented in several ways depending on the type of connection used.

An example embodiment of a contact connection is shown in FIG. Figures 7a through 7b show schematic block diagrams showing an embodiment of a passive circuit embedded in an abrasive member when a contact connection is used. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7a, the accessory circuit 700 includes an EEPROM data storage (i.e., non-volatile memory) 702 and its connections. The connections include a power connection 704, a ground connection 706, and a series of clock lines. (SCL) 708, and a serial data line (SDA) 710. Upon contact with the pad conditioner entity, the accessory circuit is powered via power line 704, and the pad trimmer's sensing circuitry is capable of accessing the EEPROM via I ² C lines (SDA 710 and SCL 708).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7b, the accessory circuit 712 includes a microprocessor 714 and an EEPROM data store 716. The connection to microprocessor 714 includes power line 718, ground line 720, receiver pin 722, and transmitter pin 724. This embodiment may be practical when a strong authentication is necessary. For example, the main circuit may throw dynamic authentication to the data store 716 of the accessory circuit 712 via a challenge-response protocol. Since the auxiliary circuit 712 must perform local computation, the microprocessor 714 is required.

Figure 7c shows a schematic block diagram showing one passive circuit 726 embedded in an abrasive member 728 when a non-contact connection is used in accordance with an example embodiment. The passive circuit 726, also referred to as an accessory circuit, includes a data storage (i.e., non-volatile memory) 730, a microprocessor 732, and an NFC interface 734. During operation, an NFC-enabled pad conditioner will actively generate an RF field when in close proximity to the abrasive member 728. The passive circuit 726 in the abrasive member 728 is powered so that the sensing circuitry in the pad conditioner can communicate with the passive circuit 726.

8 shows a flow chart 800 illustrating a method of using a pad conditioner of an example embodiment to identify an abrasive member, also referred to as a sintered abrasive (SA) sheet. During production of the SA board, an accessory circuit (such as described above with reference to Figures 7a through 7c) is embedded in the SA board (step 802), and the identification data associated with the SA board is stored in the In the attached circuit (step 804). During a CMP procedure, the SA board is attached to the pad conditioner (step 806) to form a connection between the accessory circuit and the pad circuit of the pad conditioner (step 808). Next, the sensing circuit reads the identification data stored in the accessory circuit (step 810) and transmits the data to a server (such as the computing device 404 of FIG. 4) (step 812). The server then performs an SA board identification (step 814). If the result is positive, the server stores the serial number of the SA board and associates the serial number with the pad conditioner (step 816). On the other hand, if the result is negative, the server records the result and continues to operate the pad conditioner in a reduced functional mode (step 818).

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart 900 illustrating a CMP pad conditioning method in accordance with an example embodiment. At step 902, a CMP pad conditioner is provided. The pad conditioner includes an adapter and a sensing circuit configured to receive an abrasive member, the sensing circuit including one or more sensing elements, the one or more sensing elements Each is configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member. At step 904, the pad conditioner is communicatively coupled to an computing device. At step 906, the abrasive member is mounted to the adapter. At step 908, the CMP pad is trimmed while the parameter measurements are transmitted from the pad conditioner to the computing device.

The apparatus, system, and method of the example embodiments provide for immediate monitoring of the pad conditioning process. By incorporating various sensors, the pad conditioner can collect and record various measurements with the SA plate attached thereto. Reduced productivity can be achieved with reduced production time and early warnings to improve downtime. For example, with a proper position down force sensor, the pad conditioner can detect an abnormal downward force and issue an alert. also, With a temperature sensor in place, the pad conditioner detects an abnormal temperature rise and alerts. Therefore, these events can be corrected immediately before any damage is caused to the wafer to reduce downtime and improve productivity. In addition, wafer waste can be reduced, resulting in cost savings.

In addition, the real-time performance of the trimming process allows end users to become more aware of the CMP program. For example, the collected program can be used to change the polishing process time based on the readiness of the pad to improve the overall quality and efficiency of the CMP process. Preferably, the mat will be trimmed until the desired surface roughness has been measured by the adapter. Therefore, it is possible to prevent under-polishing and excessive polishing, or to minimize such. Advantageously, wafer reprocessing and extended pad life can be reduced, respectively, to improve program productivity.

Also, the ability to identify an abrasive component or SA panel can be achieved by providing an identification and tracking of the abrasive plates attached to a particular pad conditioner, with the individual SA panels being part of an immediate monitoring system. For example, if over-polishing occurs and can be attributed to manufacturing defects in the SA board, it is possible to identify the board, obtain the serial number and lot number, cross-check other SA boards of the same manufacturing lot, and verify that the boards have the same problem. In addition to this, the system can identify how many times a particular sintered abrasive plate has been used and whether it has reached the replacement time. This identification also allows the use of sintered abrasive plates for exclusive or general purpose. Additional information can be embedded in the sintered abrasive plate to improve the measurement of the pad conditioner. For example, if there are different types of abrasive plates of different weights, the pad conditioner can use appropriate compensation methods when measuring pressure.

Figure 10 depicts an exemplary computing device 1000, which will hereinafter be referred to alternately as a computer system 1000, in which one or more such computing devices 1000 can be used for computing Set 404 or CMP controller 412 (Fig. 4). The following is merely an example and is not intended to provide a description of the computing device 1000 as a limitation.

As shown in FIG. 10, the example computing device 1000 includes a processor 1004 for executing a software routine. Although a single processor is shown for clarity, the computing device 1000 can also include a multi-processor system. The processor 1004 is coupled to a communication infrastructure 1006 for communicating with other components of the computing device 1000. Communication infrastructure 1006 can include, for example, a communication bus, cross-bar, or network.

The computing device 1000 further includes a main memory 1008 and a primary memory 1010, such as a random access memory (RAM). The secondary memory 1010 can include, for example, a hard disk drive 1012 and/or a removable storage drive 1014, which can include a floppy disk drive, a tape drive machine, and a disk drive machine. Or similar. Removable storage drive 1014 reads and writes a removable storage unit 1018 in a well known manner. The removable storage unit 1018 can include a floppy disk drive, magnetic tape, optical disk, or the like that is read and written by the removable storage drive 1014. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art(s) that the removable storage unit 1018 includes a computer readable storage medium having computer executable code instructions and/or data stored therein.

In another alternative embodiment, secondary memory 1010 may additionally or alternatively include other similar components to allow computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computing device 1000. Such components may include, for example, a removable storage unit 1022 and an interface 1020. Examples of removable storage unit 1022 and interface 1020 include a program (program cartridge) and interface (such as those found in video game console devices), a removable memory chip (such as erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) or programmable read only Memory (PROM) and associated sockets, as well as other removable storage units 1022 and software and data are transferred from the removable storage unit 1022 to the interface 1020 of the computer system 1000.

The computing device 1000 also includes at least one communication interface 1024. The communication interface 1024 allows software and data to be transferred between the computing device 1000 and the external device via a communication path 1026. In various embodiments of the invention, communication interface 1024 allows data to be transferred between computing device 1000 and a data communication network, such as a public data or private data communication network. Communication interface 1024 can be used to exchange data between different computing devices 1000, such computing devices 1000 forming part of an interconnected computer network. Examples of communication interface 1024 can include a data machine, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communication port, an antenna with associated circuitry, and the like. The communication interface 1024 can be wired or wireless. The software and data transferred via the communication interface 1024 are in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals that can be received by the communication interface 1024. These signals are provided to the communication interface via communication path 1026.

As shown in FIG. 10, the computing device 1000 further includes a display interface 1002 and an audio interface 1032. The display interface performs an operation of presenting images to an associated display 1030 for performing (one or more) The operation of the associated speaker 1034 to play the audio content.

The term "computer program product" as used herein refers in part to a removable storage unit 1018, a removable storage unit 1022, a hard disk mounted in the hard disk drive 1012, or The software is carried over the communication path 1026 (wireless link or cable) to the carrier of the communication interface 1024. Computer readable storage medium refers to any non-transitory tangible storage medium that provides recorded instructions and/or materials to computing device 1000 for execution and/or processing. Examples of such storage media include floppy disks, tape, CD-ROM memory (CD-ROM), digital video disc ^{(DVD), Blu-ray TM} ( Blu-ray Disc), a hard disk drive, a read only memory A body (ROM) or integrated circuit, a USB memory, a magneto-optical disk, or a computer readable card (such as a PCMCIA card), and the like, whether such device is internal or external to the computing device 1000. Examples of temporary or non-tangible computer readable transmission media that can also share software, applications, instructions, and/or materials to computing device 1000 include radio or infrared transmission channels and connection to another computer or network ( Networked) The network of the device, and the Internet or internal network, which includes email transmissions and information recorded on the website, and similar objects.

A computer program (also referred to as a computer code) is stored in the main memory 1008 and/or the secondary memory 1010. The computer program can also be received via the communication interface 1024. Such computer programs, when executed, enable computing device 1000 to perform one or more of the features of the embodiments discussed herein. In various embodiments, such computer programs, when executed, enable processor 1004 to perform the features of the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system 1000.

The software can be stored in a computer program product and loaded into the computing device 1000 using a removable storage drive 1014, a hard disk drive 1012, or an interface 1020. Alternatively, the computer program product can be downloaded to the computer system via communication path 1026. 1000. The software, when executed by processor 1004, causes computing device 1000 to perform the functions of the embodiments described herein.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment of Figure 10 is presented by way of example only. Thus, in some embodiments, one or more features of computing device 1000 may be omitted. Also, in some embodiments, one or more features of computing device 1000 can be combined. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more features of computing device 1000 can be separated into one or more components.

It will be understood that the function of the elements illustrated in Figure 10 provides means for performing the various functions and operations of the servers described in the above embodiments.

In one embodiment, a server can be generally described as a physical device that includes at least one processor and at least one memory, and the at least one memory includes computer code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the physical device to perform a desired operation.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be modified and/or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present embodiments are to be considered in all respects

202‧‧‧Abrasive components

204‧‧‧Contact points

206‧‧‧Lower surface

208‧‧‧ Adapter

210‧‧‧Shell

212‧‧‧Contact components

Claims (27)

A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioner comprising: an adapter configured to receive an abrasive member; and a sensing circuit including one or more sensing elements, the one or more Each of the sensing elements is configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit further comprises a wireless module and a processor coupled between the one or more sensing components and the wireless module. A CMP pad conditioner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to control the wireless module to transmit a parameter measurement value received from the one or more sensing elements to a remote receiver. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 3, wherein the wireless module is configured to transmit the parameter measurements at predetermined intervals. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 4, wherein the parameter measurement value is an instantaneous measurement value. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensing elements are selected from the group consisting of: a force sensor, a temperature sensor, a roughness sensor, and an abrasion. A sensor, a geometric sensor, and a microphone. A CMP pad conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to be mounted adjacent to a major surface of the adapter, the opposing major surface of the adapter being configured to receive the abrasive member. A CMP pad conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit is further configured to An identification material associated with the abrasive member is read and stored in a passive circuit embedded in the abrasive member. A CMP pad conditioner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the adapter includes a contact point connected to the sensing circuit, the contact point being configured to engage with a corresponding contact element of the passive circuit for reading the Identify the data. A CMP pad conditioner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) field to engage a near field communication (NFC) tag of the passive circuit for reading the identification data. A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning system comprising: a pad conditioner comprising: an adapter configured to receive an abrasive member; and a sensing circuit comprising one or more a sensing component, each of the one or more sensing components configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member; and an arithmetic device communicatively coupled to the pad conditioner Wherein the computing device is configured to receive a parameter measurement from the pad conditioner and generate an alert if a parameter measurement is outside of a respective range of operation. The system of claim 11, wherein the parameter measurement value comprises one selected from the group consisting of: a down force measurement value, a temperature measurement value, a roughness measurement value, and A wear measurement, a geometric measurement, and a sound measurement. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is configured to receive at predetermined intervals These parameters are measured. The system of claim 13, wherein the parameter measurements are instantaneous measurements. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is further configured to identify the abrasive member based on the identification data associated with the abrasive member, the identification data being read by the pad conditioner and transmitted to the computing device. The system of claim 15 wherein the identification material is stored in a passive circuit embedded in the abrasive member. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device comprises a storage unit for storing at least one of the parameter measurements and identification data received from the pad conditioner. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is further configured to compensate for a parameter measurement in response to the identification data of the respective abrasive member. A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad conditioning method comprising the steps of: providing a CMP pad conditioner comprising: an adapter configured to receive an abrasive member; and a sensing circuit comprising One or more sensing elements, each of the one or more sensing elements configured to measure a respective parameter associated with the abrasive member; communicatively coupling the pad conditioner to a An arithmetic device; the abrasive member is mounted to the adapter; and the CMP pad is trimmed while transferring the parameter measurement from the pad conditioner to the computing device. The method of claim 19, further comprising generating a warning if the parameter measurement is outside a predetermined range. The method of claim 20, wherein the parameter measurement value comprises one selected from the group consisting of: a downward force measurement, a temperature measurement value, a roughness measurement value, and an abrasion measurement value. , a geometric measurement, and a sound measurement. The method of claim 19, wherein the parameter measurements are transmitted at predetermined intervals. The method of claim 22, wherein the parameter measurements are instantaneous measurements. The method of claim 19, wherein installing the abrasive member to the adapter comprises: reading, by the pad conditioner, identification data associated with the abrasive member; transmitting the identification data to the pad by the pad conditioner An arithmetic device; and the abrasive member is identified by the arithmetic device. The method of claim 24, wherein reading the identification material associated with the abrasive member comprises reading identification data stored in a non-volatile memory embedded in one of the passive circuits. The method of claim 24, further comprising storing at least one of the parameter measurements and the identification data received from the pad conditioner in a storage unit of the computing device. The method of claim 24, further comprising responding to the identification data of the respective abrasive member by means of the computing device for compensating for a parameter measurement.