Multiple-sided cmp pad conditioning disk

Abstract

A conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable condition. The tool includes a base that attaches to a driven machine and has a surface from which a shoulder protrudes that receives a peripheral edge of a disk. The disk has two opposing surfaces, each of which is substantially planar and has abrasive mounted thereon. The disk's peripheral edge is held in place between the base shoulder and a ring that has a shoulder that is complementary to the disk's peripheral edge. The ring is fastened to the base with the abrasive of the first disk surface protruding through an aperture in the ring, and the opposing disk surface spaced from the base's surface. After the disk's first surface is worn, the disk can be turned around to expose the opposite surface's abrasive to a CMP pad.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field Of The Invention[0002]This invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses related to the polishing of workpieces, such as semiconductor wafers, and particularly to an improved disk or other shape substrate for conditioning and restoring polishing pads used in such methods.[0003]2. Description Of The Related Art[0004]The production of integrated circuits involves the manufacture of high quality semiconductor wafers. As well known in this industry, a surface that is flat (planar) to a high degree of precision is required on at least one side of the wafer to ensure that appropriate performance objectives are achieved. As the size of the circuit components decreases and the complexity of the microstructures involved increases, the requirement for high precision surface qualities of the wafers increases.[0005]This high precision surface is formed on semiconductor wafers by the polishing or planarization of semiconductor wafers. During thi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]A fastener, such as a screw or magnets, mounts the disk to the base. The first abrasive faces away from the base, and the second abrasive is spaced from the base surface so that no wear is experienced by either the second abrasive or the base surface due to contact.

[0018]A fastener, such as a screw or magnets, mounts the ring to the base with the disk held between the ring and the base by a clamping force. The clamping force is preferably applied only to the peripheral edge of the disk by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder. The first abrasive protrudes through the aperture of the ring, and the second abrasive is spaced from the base surface so that no wear is experienced by either the second abrasive or the base surface due to contact.

Problems solved by technology

As the size of the circuit components decreases and the complexity of the microstructures involved increases, the requirement for high precision surface qualities of the wafers increases.

Additionally, with continued use, the surface of the polishing pad normally experiences uneven wear which results in undesirable surface irregularities.

If abrasive particles fall free and become embedded in the polishing pad or are otherwise exposed to the wafer being polished, significant deformations in, or abrasions of, the wafer surface may occur that could cause the wafer to be unusable.

Such a situation represents a loss of many thousands of dollars of time and labor.

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