CN101422867B - Smart conditioner rinse station - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and device for monitoring a grinding pad adjustment mechanism. In one embodiment, a semiconductor substrate grinding system includes a rinse station, a grinding surface, an adjustment member, and an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism selectively positions the adjustment member over the abrasive surface and the rinse station. And at least one sensor is provided and configured to detect the first position and the second position of the adjustment member when located above the rinse station.

Description

Smart Regulator Rinse Station

This application is a divisional application of the patent application entitled "Intelligent Adjuster Rinsing Station" filed on January 10, 2006 with the application number "200680009439.4".

technical field

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatus for monitoring a polishing surface adjustment mechanism of a chemical mechanical polishing system.

Background technique

Chemical mechanical polishing is one of the commonly used processes in the manufacture of high-density integrated circuits. Chemical-mechanical polishing planarizes deposited layers of material on semiconductor substrates by moving the substrate and bringing the substrate into contact with an abrasive surface in the presence of an abrasive liquid. Through a combination of chemical and mechanical motion, material is removed from the substrate surface in contact with the abrasive surface.

In order to achieve the desired grinding effect, the grinding surface must be periodically cleaned or adjusted. One such conditioning process is performed on polyurethane polishing pads commonly used in chemical mechanical polishing, and the conditioning process is configured to restore the liquid retention properties of the abrasive surface and remove entrapped material from the abrasive surface. Another conditioning process, typically performed on an abrasive surface with fixed abrasive grains, is configured to present abrasive elements within a structure comprising an abrasive abrasive material while extracting the abrasive from the abrasive material. The upper surface removes asperities and levels the structure containing the ground surface to a uniform height.

In one embodiment, the abrasive surface conditioner includes a replaceable conditioner, such as a diamond disk, which is coupleable to a conditioner head that moves over the abrasive surface. As the trim member rotates, it descends into contact with the abrasive surface. The adjustment head generally sweeps across the rotating grinding surface to allow the adjustment member to adjust a predetermined area of the grinding surface.

Conventional adjusters typically utilize a bulkhead within the adjustment head to control the height of the adjustment member. The chamber behind the baffle is normally pressurized to lower the adjustment member and press against the abrasive surface of the polishing pad during adjustment. After the adjustment is complete, the cavity empties and allows the adjustment member to be retracted by the upper spring biased assist.

Pressurizing and emptying the chamber causes repeated tensioning and relaxation of the diaphragm. In addition, the rising and falling of the adjusting member will further exert stress on the diaphragm. However, elastic diaphragms, like all elastic materials, have a finite life. If not repaired or replaced, eventually the diaphragm will deteriorate and the adjustment will be poor. To avoid inevitable deterioration, the diaphragms are usually replaced at set intervals, for example after a pre-selected number of conditioning cycles. However, conventional methods are not efficient. Sometimes bulkheads are replaced in good condition, causing unnecessary downtime and increasing costs. At other times, the diaphragm is in poor condition and remains unreplaced, deteriorating pad conditioning.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and device for monitoring a polishing pad adjustment mechanism.

Contents of the invention

The invention provides a method and equipment for monitoring a grinding pad adjustment mechanism. In one embodiment, an apparatus for monitoring an adjuster is provided, the apparatus comprising a sensor positioned to detect a performance attribute of an adjuster when the adjuster is not equipped with a process liner. Performance attributes may include at least one of downforce, power transfer, or condition of tuning surfaces, among other properties that may affect tuning performance.

In another embodiment, a semiconductor substrate grinding system includes a rinse station, a grinding surface, an adjustment member, and an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism selectively positions the adjustment member over the abrasive surface and the rinse station. And at least one sensor is provided, the at least one sensor is configured to detect the first position and the second position of the adjustment member when disposed above the flushing station.

In another embodiment, a semiconductor substrate grinding system has a grinding surface and an adjustment mechanism movable between an adjusted position above the grinding surface and an unadjusted position beside the grinding surface. A sensor is provided and configured to detect a performance attribute of the adjustment member in the non-adjustment position.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of characterizing an adjustment mechanism is provided. The method includes sensing a metric of a performance attribute of the adjustment mechanism and determining whether it is within a process window based on the sensed metric.

In another embodiment, a method for calibrating a component of an adjustment mechanism includes actuating an adjustment member of an adjustment mechanism to move the adjustment member between first and second positions. Then, the time required to actuate the adjusting member between the first position and the second position is analyzed.

Description of drawings

Therefore, the above-mentioned features and aspects of the present invention can be understood in more detail by referring to the above-mentioned implementation manners and referring to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings are only typical embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may cover other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary grinding system with an embodiment of an adjustment mechanism having a rinse station.

2 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of the adjustment mechanism and flushing station of FIG. 1 .

3A and 3B depict side and top views, respectively, of one embodiment of a rinse station.

4A, 4B and 4C illustrate the method of using the rinse station; and

Figure 5 is a graph depicting sensor timing for a rinse station.

For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same elements in the drawings as much as possible. It should be understood that elements from one embodiment can also be applied to other embodiments without further description.

Detailed ways

化学机械研磨系统以及REFLEXION LK Ecmp^TM。可受益于本发明的另一研磨系统是描述于Birang等人于2001年6月12日所领证的美国专利第6,244,935号案，标题为“Apparatus and Methods for ChemicalMechanical Polishing with an Advanceable Polishing Sheet(利用具有可推进的研磨薄板的化学机械研磨的设备及方法)”一文中。FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary grinding system 100 having one embodiment of a rinse station 135 of the present invention. The grinding system 100 generally includes a factory interface 104 , a cleaning component 106 and a grinding component 108 . A two-grinding system that can benefit from the present invention is the lock-on available from Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California.

Chemical Mechanical Polishing System and REFLEXION LK Ecmp ^TM . Another polishing system that may benefit from the present invention is described in U.S. Patent No. 6,244,935, issued June 12, 2001 to Birang et al., entitled "Apparatus and Methods for Chemical Mechanical Polishing with an Advanceable Polishing Sheet Apparatus and method for chemical mechanical polishing of a propellable lapped sheet)" in the article.

A controller 160 is provided to assist in system 100 control and integration. Controller 160 typically includes a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and support circuitry (not shown). The controller 160 is coupled to various elements of the system 100 to facilitate control of processes such as planarization, cleaning, and transport.

In one embodiment, the factory interface 104 includes a first or interface robot 110 adapted to transfer substrates from one or more substrate magazines 112 to a first transfer station 114 . A second robotic arm 116 is positioned between the factory interface 104 and the abrasive article 108 and is configured to transfer a substrate between a first transfer station 114 of the factory interface 104 and a second transfer station 118 disposed on the abrasive article 108 . The cleaning element 106 is typically located at or near the factory interface 104 and is adapted to clean and dry the substrate returned by the abrasive element 108 before the interface robot 110 returns the substrate to the substrate storage magazine 112 .

The abrasive article 108 includes at least one abrasive station 126 and a conveying device 120 disposed on a base 140 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the abrasive article 108 includes three abrasive stations 126 each having a platform 130 supporting an abrasive material 128 on which the substrate is processed.

The conveyor 120 supports at least one grinding head 124, which can hold the substrate during processing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the transfer device 120 is a turntable supporting a grinding head 124 on each of the four arms 122 of the turntable. One arm 122 of the transfer device is cut away to reveal the second transfer station 118 . The transfer device 120 facilitates moving the substrate held in each polishing head 124 between the second transfer station 118 and the polishing station 126 where the substrate is processed. Grinding head 124 is configured to hold the substrate while grinding. The polishing head 124 is coupled to a transport mechanism configured to move a substrate held in the polishing head 124 between the transport station 118 and the polishing station 126 . Instead, one type of abrasive head that may benefit from the present invention is the TITAN HEAD ^™ substrate carrier available from Applied Materials.

The second transfer station 118 includes a load cup 142 , an input buffer 144 , an output buffer 146 and a transfer station robot 148 . The input buffer 144 can receive substrates transferred from the second robotic arm 116 to the abrasive article 108 . The transfer station robot 148 may transfer substrates from the input buffer 144 to the load cup 142 . The load cup 142 can transport the substrate vertically to the grinding head 124 (the grinding head 124 can hold the substrate during processing). The ground substrate is transferred from the grinding head 124 to a load cup 142 and then moved by a transfer station robot 148 to an output buffer 146 . The ground substrate is transferred from the output buffer 146 to the first transfer station 114 by the second robotic arm 116 and then transferred through the cleaner 106 . A second transfer station that may benefit from the present invention is described in U.S. Patent No. 6,156,124 issued December 5, 2000 to Tobin, entitled "Wafer Transfer Station for a Chemical Mechanical Polisher" Station)" in the article.

The slurry delivery system 102 includes at least one slurry delivery supply 150 coupled to at least one slurry delivery arm assembly 152 . In general, each grinding station 126 is provided with a respective delivery arm assembly 152 that is located adjacent to each platform 130 to provide slurry during grinding. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , three grinding stations 126 each have an associated transfer arm assembly 152 .

Platform 130 of each grinding station 126 may support grinding material 128 . During processing, the substrate is held against an abrasive material 128 by abrasive head 124 in the presence of an abrasive liquid provided by delivery system 102 . Platform 130 rotates to provide at least a portion of the abrasive motion between the substrate and abrasive material 128 . Alternatively, abrasive motion may be imparted by moving at least one of the abrasive head 124 or abrasive material 128 in a linear, orbital, random, rotational, or other motion.

Abrasive material 128 may be formed from a foamed polymer such as polyurethane, a conductive material, a fixed abrasive material, or a combination of the foregoing foamed polymers. A fixed abrasive material generally includes a plurality of abrasive elements disposed on a flexible backplane. In one embodiment, the abrasive elements consist of geometric shapes formed by abrasive particles floating in a polymeric binder. The abrasive material 128 may be in the form of a pad or a mesh.

The adjustment mechanism 134 is located adjacent to each grinding station 126 and is suitable for leveling or adjusting the grinding material 128 on each platform 130 . Each adjustment mechanism 134 is adapted to move between a position without the abrasive material 128 and the platform 130 (as shown in FIG. 1 ) and an adjusted position above the abrasive material 128 . In the adjusted position, the adjusted mechanism 134 is actuated to engage the abrasive material 128 and bring the surface of the abrasive material 128 into a condition for the desired abrasive result. In a position free of abrasive material 128 and platform 130 , adjustment mechanism 134 is positioned to engage rinse station 135 .

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the adjustment mechanism 134 engaged within the rinse station 135 . The adjustment mechanism 134 generally includes a head assembly 202 coupled to a support 204 by an arm 206 . The support 204 is disposed through the base 140 of the abrasive 108 . The bearing 212 is disposed between the base 140 and the support member 204 to facilitate the rotation of the support member 204 . The actuator 210 is coupled between the base 140 and the supporting member 204 to control the rotation orientation of the supporting member 204 . Actuator 210, such as a pneumatic cylinder, servo motor, motorized ball screw, harmonic drive, or other motion control element suitable for controlling the rotational orientation of support 204, may cause arm 206 extending from support 204 to rotate about support 204 , thus positioning the head assembly 202 laterally relative to the grinding station 126 . The adjustment member 208 is coupled to the bottom of the head assembly 202 and can be selectively pressed against the platform 130 to adjust the abrasive material 128 .

The height of the adjuster 208 is generally controlled by means of a pressurized expandable chamber 290 partially constrained by a bulkhead 240 located in the head assembly 202 . A spring 242 provided in the head assembly 202 provides an upward biasing force to assist in retracting the adjustment member 208 when the chamber 290 behind the bulkhead 240 is evacuated or evacuated. Such an example of a conditioning mechanism suitable for use in the present invention is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 10/411,752, filed April 10, 2003, by Lischka et al., entitled "Conditioner Mechanism for Chemical Mechanical Polishing" Adjuster Mechanism), and U.S. Patent No. 6,572,446, issued June 3, 2003 to Osterheld et al., entitled "Chemical Mechanical Polishing Pad Conditioning Element with Discrete Points and Compliant Membrane Chemical Mechanical Pad Adjustment)" in the article. Although the adjustment head assembly 202 shown in FIG. 2 shows a rotating baffle 240 and a spring 242, it should be understood that other actuating mechanisms (such as full baffles, conveyor belts, springs, actuators, and the like) may be used in the flushing station 135. or) the features of the adjustment head assembly 202, which will be discussed further below. Additionally, it should be understood that the teachings herein may also be used to calibrate other process equipment components, such as baffles and/or bladders in the grinding head 124, or other components that consume useful life.

The support 204 may house a drive shaft 214 that couples a motor 216 below the base 140 to a pulley 218 adjacent the first end 220 of the arm 206 . A conveyor belt 222 is provided in the arm 206 and is operatively coupled to the pulley 218 and the head assembly 202 , thereby enabling the motor 216 to selectively rotate the adjustment member 208 . Conveyor belt 222 may be any element suitable for transmitting rotational motion between motor 216 and head assembly 202 .

Control fluid conduit 224 from fluid control system 226 is rotatable via support 204 and arm 206 and coupled to head assembly 202 . The fluid control system 226 includes a gas supply and various control elements (ie, valves, regulators, and the like) to assist in applying and/or removing fluid pressure from the chamber 290 of the head assembly 202 . In one embodiment, the fluid control system 226 may provide air or nitrogen to control the height of the adjustment member 208 relative to the platform 130 (or base 140) and to control the pressure ( e.g. adjusting the lowering force of the head).

Adjustment member 108 is moved to rinse station 135 when not in use. Rinse station 135 generally includes a body 230 , one or more sensors 250 , and a rinse nozzle 234 . In one embodiment, the body 230 is placed on the base 140 through the supporting member 238 . The body 230 may also be directly coupled to the support 238 . Alternatively, the body 230 may be coupled to the support 238 via the mounting plate 232 . Having the body 230 higher than the base 140 facilitates the drainage of liquid and the removal of other debris when the trim 208 is flushed, as will be discussed further below.

One or more sensors 250 are provided to detect a measure of regulator performance. Several regulator performance metrics that may be sensed include regulator downforce, parameters of the trim surface, power transfer (eg, for regulator rotation), seal and diaphragm performance, and wash fluid flow, among other similar metrics. In one embodiment, the sensor 250 is configured to sense the position of the adjustment member 208 at a plurality of predetermined extended positions relative to the head assembly 202 . The sensor 250 may be positioned at any location suitable for detecting the position of the adjustment member 208 at a predetermined location. Alternatively, one or more sensors may be located at a location remote from flushing station 135 . For example, one or more sensors 250 may be positioned in or on head assembly 202 , arm 206 , base 140 , or other locations suitable for sensing the position of adjuster 208 relative to head assembly 202 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , at least one sensor 250 is coupled to the body 230 .

Rinse nozzle 234 may provide cleaning fluid from fluid source 236 to rinse or clean the working surface of trim 208 . Nozzle 234 is positioned to effectively flush trim 208 and/or other elements of head assembly 202 . In one embodiment, rinse nozzle 234 is located at mounting plate 232 .

3A and 3B illustrate side and top views, respectively, of one embodiment of a rinse station 135 . The body 230 of the rinse station 135 includes an arm 302 and a support 306 . The arm 302 may be coupled to the mounting plate 232 in any other manner, such as by several bolts (not shown) to the mounting plate 232 . Arm 302 includes a contoured inner edge 330 and protrusion 304 . The inner edge 330 is contoured to leave clearance for the adjuster 208 when the rinse station 135 is engaged (as shown in FIG. 2 ). The protrusion 304 may provide a hard stop for the adjustment member 208 when lowered to the rinse station 135 . Thus, when the adjustment member 208 is located within the rinse station 135, the adjustment member 208 is disposed adjacent the inner edge 330 of the arm 302 and may contact the protrusion 304 when lowered. Typically, the protrusion 304 is profiled such that the flush arm 234 flushes the trim 208 (ie, the protrusion 304 is removed to expose a substantial portion of the bottom of the trim 208).

Optionally, one of the sensors 250 used to characterize the performance of the adjuster may be a sensor 390 disposed in the protrusion 304, said sensor 390 being adapted to detect a measure of adjuster downforce. Accordingly, when trim 208 is actuated against protrusion 304 , sensor 390 may provide a measure indicative of downforce to the controller, which may be compared to an expected value or value of the process window. If the sensed downforce exceeds the process window and/or differs from the expected value, the controller may flag the event, notify the operator or interrupt the processing operation. Data provided by sensors 390 may also be used to determine performance trends to predict or monitor useful life. Additionally, downforce sensor 390 may detect seal and/or diaphragm leaks, pressure supply airflow, and the like by providing data that enables detection of force changes over time.

Alternatively, in addition to providing characterization information directly to controller 160 , a dedicated power line carrier (PLC) 292 or other computing device may monitor sensor 250 . The power line carrier 292 may have an output coupled to the controller 160 to flag potential regulator performance issues that have been identified as causing the controller to terminate or alter conditioning and/or substrate processing.

Also depicted in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is one or more sensors 250 , including a first sensor 312 disposed on the inner edge 330 of the arm 302 ; and a second sensor 316 coupled to the bottom surface of the arm 302 . Sensor 250 may include any suitable sensor for detecting the position of adjustment member 208 . In one embodiment, the first sensor 312 is a break-through sensor configured to transmit and receive a light beam (indicated by dashed line 314) to sense Insert (ie, adjuster 208).

In one embodiment, the second sensor 316 is a proximity sensor located below the portion 318 of the protrusion 304 . The proximity sensor or second sensor 316 may detect the adjustment member 208 at a predetermined distance from or above the portion 318 of the protrusion 304 .

The sensors 312, 316 are typically coupled to the PLC 292 or other device suitable for recording data (data obtained by the sensors), such as a strip chart recorder or memory module. Various calibrations of the adjustment mechanism 134 can be effectively performed by detecting the position of the adjustment member 208 at various locations in the rinse station 135, as will be discussed further below.

Bracket 306 is adjustably coupled to arm 302 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of screws or bolts (not shown) disposed through elongated slot 310 . Adjustment of bracket 306 may align support protrusion 308 formed in bracket 306 with protrusion 304 of arm 302 , thereby providing an extended support area for adjustment member 208 of head assembly 202 when positioned at rinse station 135 . The extended support area prevents uneven force from being applied to the elements of the head assembly 202 as the adjuster 208 is lowered against the protrusion 304 .

In another embodiment, sensor 390 may be configured to provide a metric indicative of the surface condition of adjuster 208 . For example, sensor 390 may be a roughness sensor that detects the surface condition of the trim. In another example, the sensor 390 may be a camera that visually monitors the surface condition of the adjustment 208 . It should be understood that images from the surface of the adjustment member 208 can be electronically analyzed to determine adjustment conditions, such as absence of diamonds or abrasives and the like. It should also be understood that sensor 390 may also be configured to provide a metric indicative of the cut rate of trim 208 .

Rinse nozzles 234 are positioned to provide a rinse and/or cleaning fluid to the bottom surface of trim 208 and/or head assembly 202 . In one embodiment, the rinse nozzle 234 is coupled to the mounting plate 232 in a suitable manner, such as a threaded engagement. The configuration and location of the nozzles 234 are selected to direct the fluid flow to a desired location on the adjustment member 208 when the head assembly 202 is in the flushing station 135 . The nozzle 234 is then coupled to a fluid source 236 . It is contemplated that rinse nozzle 234 could alternatively be coupled to a different element of grinding system 100 , such as base 140 , as long as said nozzle 234 is positioned in a location suitable for dispensing rinse and/or cleaning fluid to adjustment member 208 and/or head assembly 202 location.

Optionally, additional nozzles may also be formed elsewhere on element 320 or rinse station 135 and coupled to liquid source 236 . For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , second nozzle 324 is formed in mounting plate 232 and positioned to spray rinse and/or cleaning fluid around trim member 208 and/or head assembly 202 .

In one embodiment, one of the sensors 250 used to characterize the regulator may be positioned to detect the flow of cleaning fluid to the rinse station 135 . For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B , a sensor 322 (eg, a flow sensor) may be interfaced with a conduit that provides liquid to nozzle 234 and configured to provide a measure of the flow in flushing station 135, thereby turning the regulator An indication of whether 208 was flushed as expected is provided to PLC 292.

In another embodiment, one of the sensors 250 used to characterize the adjustment may be positioned to detect rotational movement of the adjustment. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2B , a sensor 252 (e.g., a rotation sensor) may interface with conveyor belt 222 and/or head assembly 202 or other elements and be configured to provide a metric indicative of rotation of adjustment member 208, thereby turning An indication that the adjustment member 208 is rotated in a predetermined manner is provided to the PLC 292.

In operation, the adjustment mechanism 134 is rotated to position the head assembly 202 and the adjustment member 208 over the rinse station 135 . A cleaning fluid may be supplied from nozzles 322 and 324 to remove any debris (eg, abrasive slurry, particulate matter, and the like) on the trim 208 and/or head assembly 202 surfaces.

The adjustment member 208 can further be lowered through the pressurized chamber 290 to contact the protrusions 304 , 308 of the flushing station 135 (shown in FIG. 2 ). As the trim 208 is lowered, the PLC 292 may record corresponding data when the trim 208 contacts the protrusion 304 (eg, when the beam 314 is broken). The PLC 292 also records corresponding data when the adjustment member 208 contacts the protrusion 304 , as detected by the second sensor 316 .

By comparing the data recorded when the adjustment member 208 passes the first sensor 312 and the second sensor 316 , the time between the adjustment member 208 moving down a known distance (ie, between the sensors 312 and 316 ) can be obtained. The time may be compared to a predetermined amount of time, or the time may be graphed over a number of cycles to monitor the time trend of the downward movement of the activation adjustment member 208 .

Characterization of movement of the adjustment member relative to flushing station 135 may also be obtained using one or more parameters, such as time between thermal movement of the adjustment member (i.e., pressurization of chamber 290), chamber pressure at different heights, and/or Or change the rate etc. In addition, the bottom surface of the adjuster can also be monitored for cleanliness, damage and/or wear. Furthermore, operational aspects of the adjuster (such as downforce, spin rate, cut rate, and cleanliness, etc.) can be compared to the process window so that the adjuster can be re-cleaned or surface-treated before adjusting the grinding surface to avoid process damage. abnormal.

For example, FIG. 4A depicts a method 400 for monitoring an adjustment mechanism, which is described with reference to the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A-B. The method 400 begins at step 402 in which the adjustment member 208 is lowered down to the rinse station 135 in the manner of the pressurized chamber 290 . The method continues at step 404 where the required time to lower the trim 208 to within the predetermined distance of the protrusion 304 is recorded. The time recorded may be the time between starting chamber pressurization and triggering the sensor.

In one embodiment, step 404 includes sub-step 406, when the first sensor 312 senses the adjustment member 208 (eg, when the adjustment member 208 blocks the light beam 314 between the transmitter and receiver pair of the first sensor 312) , the timer starts counting. At sub-step 408 , the timer is terminated when the second sensor 316 detects the adjustment member 208 on the protrusion 304 . Alternatively, the start time can be recorded at step 406 and the end time can be recorded at step 408 , the required time for lowering the adjustment member 208 can be calculated by subtracting the start time from the end time.

In other embodiments, the sensors 312 , 316 may detect the spacing position of the adjustment member 208 . For example, the sensors 312 , 316 or the method may be configured to record the time required to raise the head assembly 202 . Furthermore, it is also possible that the sensor 252 can be used to detect the rotation of the adjusting member 208 . By recording the time required to raise, lower or rotate the adjustment member 208, the condition of the diaphragm, spring or other elements of the head assembly 202 of the adjustment mechanism 134 can be monitored.

In another example, FIG. 4B depicts a method 410 for monitoring an adjustment mechanism, which is described with reference to the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A-B . The method 410 begins at step 412 when the desired time for lowering the adjustment member 208 is stored, eg in a database. Next, at step 414 , the time required to lower the trim 208 is analyzed. The time required to lower trim 208 can be analyzed in many different ways. For example, at sub-step 416 , the time required to lower the head assembly may be plotted over a plurality of cycles to determine or monitor changes in the time required to lower the adjustment member 208 . Alternatively, the sub-step 418 may be used to compare the time required for the adjustment member 208 to drop to a predetermined threshold.

Then, at step 420 , an action process is determined according to the analysis of step 414 . For example, at step 422 , a decision may be made to repair or replace bulkhead 240 of head assembly 202 . Alternatively, the analysis value may also indicate that the separator 240 is still in an acceptable condition and can continue to be used, as shown in sub-step 424 . The decision made at step 420 can also be done in different ways.

For example, in embodiments where the time required to lower trim 208 is plotted over multiple cycles (as in sub-step 416), a decision may be made based on the change in slope of the graph curve, which may indicate a diaphragm The condition of the 240 has a tendency to deteriorate rapidly. Alternatively, before using sub-step 418, a preselected threshold may be compared with the required time to lower the trim 208 to indicate that the diaphragm 240 has deteriorated to the point where it needs to be replaced when the required time to lower the trim 208 exceeds the threshold. Replacement point.

It should be understood that step 412 and sub-step 416 of method 410 can also be omitted. For example, the method 410 may simply include comparing the desired time of the drop adjustment 208 to a predetermined threshold (as in step 418), without reference to previous values, and thus, without storing the drop adjustment 208 or graphing the times over several cycle times the required time.

FIG. 4C is a flowchart of another method 440 of monitoring an adjustment mechanism. The method 440 begins at step 442 by detecting a metric indicative of a characteristic of the adjustment mechanism 134 . This metric may be provided to controller 160 and/or PLC 292, which are responsible for monitoring regulator function and/or performance of one or more sensors, as previously described. At step 444, the metrics and/or information derived from the sensors are analyzed. Analyzing values may include determining whether the characteristic falls within a process window, determining whether maintenance is required, determining wear rates of components, determining imminent need for maintenance based on wear rates, determining whether adjustment member 208 needs to be replaced, determining power transmission parts (such as conveyor belts, Bearings, etc.) need maintenance, determine whether the adjustment member 208 should be cleaned again, determine whether the cleaning of the adjustment member is operating as specified, and determine whether the adjustment operation needs to be delayed or changed. It should be appreciated that many other performance/tuner status indicators should also be monitored. At step 446 , if the analysis indicates that the sensed metric is out of specification or outside the process window, corrective action is required at step 448 . Examples of corrective actions include flagging maintenance and/or component replacement, adjusting downforce, adjusting revs, adjusting pad tuning routines to account for trimmer cut rates, unclogging fluid lines, re-cleaning trims, anticipating the need for further repairs, and Flag possible adjustment exceptions and the like. If the analysis at step 446 indicates that the performance is within specification, the method returns to step 442 to continue monitoring the adjustment mechanism 134 .

FIG. 5 depicts a graph of sensor timing, representing additional variables that may be monitored, recorded, or graphed, etc., to further characterize key elements of the adjustment mechanism 134 . Figure 5 depicts the digital state, i.e. the "on" or "off" state (along axis 502) of the first sensor (line 506), second sensor (line 508) and pressure command (line 510) over time (along axis 504) .

A pressure command is a command to pressurize or evacuate diaphragm 240 pressure to raise or lower trim 208 . The graph can arbitrarily start where the adjuster 208 is lowered and placed against the protrusion 304 . At time 520 , the state of the pressure command is changed from off to on, depending on the command to raise the trim 208 . At time 522 , the state of the second sensor 316 changes from on to off, indicating that the adjustment member 208 has begun to rise and is no longer on the protrusion 304 . At time 524 , the state of the first sensor 312 changes from off to on, indicating that the adjustment member 208 has passed the first sensor 312 .

The length of time between the change state of the pressure command and the change state of the second sensor 316 is denoted T1. T1 represents the amount of time elapsed between issuing the command to raise trim 208 and lifting trim 208 off protrusion 304 . The length of time between the state change of the pressure command and the state change of the first sensor 312 is denoted as T2. T2 represents the amount of time elapsed between the command to raise the trim 208 and the arrival of the trim 208 in an upper position proximate to the first sensor 312 . The time difference between T2 and T1 indicates the actual required time for the adjustment member 208 to travel between the lower position of the protrusion 304 and the upper position close to the first sensor 312 .

At time 526 , the state of the pressure command is changed from ON to OFF, associated with the command to drop trim 208 . At time 528 , the state of the first sensor 312 changes from on to off, indicating that the adjustment member 208 has started to descend and is no longer close to the first sensor 312 . At time 530 , the state of the second sensor 316 changes from off to on, indicating that the adjustment member 208 has contacted the protrusion 304 .

The length of time between the change of state of the pressure command and the change of state of the first sensor 312 is denoted as T3. T3 refers to the amount of time elapsed between the command to lower the trim 208 and the lowering of the trim 208 from a position proximate to the first sensor 312 . The length of time between the change of state of the pressure command and the change of state of the second sensor 316 is denoted as T4. T4 represents the amount of time elapsed between the command to lower the trim 208 and the arrival of the trim 208 on the protrusion 304 . The time difference between T4 and T3 represents the amount of time that the adjustment member 208 actually takes to travel between the upper position proximate to the first sensor 312 and the lower position on the protrusion 304 .

Any one or combination of the lengths of time may be monitored and/or plotted over time, as previously described with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B , to determine whether the partition 240 requires maintenance or replacement. Alternatively, other motions, such as rotation of the head assembly 202, may also be monitored to characterize the status of desired critical components.

Therefore, the method and device for monitoring and adjusting the mechanism have been provided above. In one embodiment, an intelligent flushing station is provided to clean the adjustment mechanism when not in use, and to characterize key elements of the adjustment mechanism, such as diaphragms, springs, and the like. The adjustment mechanism can be characterized over a period of time to detect trends or compared to predetermined thresholds to detect degradation in the performance of the adjustment mechanism and avoid improper adjustments. While the foregoing apparatus and methods have been described with reference to adjustment mechanisms, it should be understood that the foregoing teachings can also be varied to monitor or characterize critical components in other systems.

Although the foregoing relates to embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the invention, which shall be defined by the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A semiconductor substrate grinding system comprising at least: Grinding surfaces for grinding semiconductor substrates; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the grinding surface, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment member that selectively presses against the grinding surface to adjust the grinding surface during adjustment; and At least one sensor for sensing a parameter of the adjustment mechanism, wherein the parameter indicates the performance of the adjustment member, wherein the at least one sensor includes: a first sensor, wherein the state of the first sensor changes to indicate that the adjustment member has passed an upper position close to the first sensor; and A second sensor, wherein the state of the second sensor changes to indicate that the adjusting member passes close to the lower position of the second sensor. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is disposed in the adjustment mechanism. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism further comprises: a support, positioned to pass through the base of the milling system; a robotic arm extending from the support; a head assembly, with the mechanical arm coupled to the support, wherein the adjuster is coupled to the bottom of the head assembly, an actuator coupled between the base and the support of the grinding system, to The rotational orientation of the support is controlled and the robotic arm is rotated about the support, thereby moving the head assembly laterally relative to the abrasive surface. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor is disposed on one of a base, a robot arm, or a head assembly of the grinding system. 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor is used to sense the position of the adjustment member relative to the head assembly. the 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: A wetting station includes a wetting nozzle that provides a cleaning liquid to wet or clean the working surface of the adjustment. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor is disposed in the wetting station. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to perform at least one of the following: detecting the down force of the adjustment member, detecting the time required to lower the adjustment member, or providing adjustment A numerical representation of the adjustment surface of the part. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a see-through sensor and the second sensor is a proximity sensor. 10. A wetting station in a grinding system comprising: a body for incorporating an adjuster for adjusting the grinding surface of the grinding system; Wetting nozzles that provide cleaning fluid to wet or clean the working surfaces of said adjusters; and At least one sensor, coupled to the body, for detecting the performance parameters of the regulator, wherein the at least one sensor includes: a first sensor, wherein the state of the first sensor changes to indicate that the adjustment member of the adjuster has passed an upper position close to the first sensor; and A second sensor, wherein the state of the second sensor is changed to indicate that the adjusting member of the adjuster passes close to the lower position of the second sensor. 11. The wetting station of claim 10, wherein said at least one sensor further comprises at least one of the following: A force sensor, a flow detection sensor, a cut-rate sensor, a rotation sensor, or a sensor for providing an image of an adjustment member of the adjuster. 12. The wetting station of claim 10, wherein the first sensor is a penetration sensor and the second sensor is a proximity sensor. 13. The wetting station of claim 10, further comprising: A mounting plate, wherein the wetting nozzle and the body are disposed on the mounting plate. 14. The wetting station of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to perform at least one of the following: detecting the down force of the adjustment member, detecting the time required to lower the adjustment member, or Provides a numerical representation of the trim surface of the trim. 15. A method for calibrating an element of an adjustment mechanism comprising: connecting the adjustment mechanism in the non-adjustment position to one or more sensor interfaces; Obtaining a numerical representation of the performance of the adjustment mechanism from the one or more sensors, wherein the numerical representation of the performance of the adjustment mechanism obtained from the one or more sensors includes: detecting a first time when the adjustment mechanism passes a first sensor, wherein the state of the first sensor changes to indicate that an adjustment member of the adjustment mechanism passes an upper position close to the first sensor; detecting that the adjustment mechanism passes a second time for a second sensor, wherein the state of the second sensor changes to indicate that the adjustment member of the adjustment mechanism has passed a lower position close to the second sensor; and It is determined whether the performance value falls within the process window. the

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