Chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus and method for controlling the same

摘要

In a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus and a method for controlling the same, a table of an initial thickness of a layer to be polished concerning a detected light quantity of an endpoint detecting member is prepared in accordance with a polishing process recipe of the layer to be polished. The polishing process recipe of the layer is inputted, and a light quantity reflected from the layer is detected using the endpoint detecting member by projecting a light onto a semiconductor wafer. A thickness of the layer is calculated before the polishing process from a detection signal as the detected light quantity with reference to the table of the initial thickness of the layer concerning the detected light quantity. A polishing time is calculated from the calculated thickness before the polishing process to a desired thickness. An endpoint is detected by discounting the calculated polishing time while polishing the layer to be polished. Then, the polishing process is stopped when the endpoint is detected. An accurate control of a polishing endpoint can be achieved by simply adding a program to a controller of a CMP apparatus, and conditions and an efficiency of the operation can be improved.