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Methods and apparatus for active substrate precession during chemical mechanical polishing

a technology of active substrate and chemical mechanical polishing, which is applied in the direction of grinding drive, grinding machine components, manufacturing tools, etc., can solve the problem of difficult to maintain thickness uniformity across the entire surface of the substrate, and achieve the effect of limiting the lateral movement of the substra

Inactive Publication Date: 2013-10-31
APPLIED MATERIALS INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about a method for polishing a substrate by pressing it against a polishing pad using a special tool. The tool has a rotating spindle, a membrane for pressing the substrate against the pad, and a retaining ring for holding the substrate in place during polishing. The method involves rotating the spindle and membrane at a certain speed to polish the substrate, and then rotating the retaining ring at a different speed to cause the substrate to rotate relative to the membrane. This technique can improve the polishing process by making it more efficient and controllable.

Problems solved by technology

However, maintaining thickness uniformity across the entire surface of a substrate is difficult.

Method used

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  • Methods and apparatus for active substrate precession during chemical mechanical polishing
  • Methods and apparatus for active substrate precession during chemical mechanical polishing
  • Methods and apparatus for active substrate precession during chemical mechanical polishing

Examples

Experimental program
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first embodiment

[0022]FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an example polishing system 300 provided in accordance with the present invention. With reference to FIG. 3, the polishing system 300 includes polishing head 104 coupled to a controller 302. The controller 302 may be a computer, a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller or any other suitable controller.

[0023]Polishing head 104 includes a central spindle 304 rotatably coupled to a retaining ring 204 via one or more bearing assemblies 306. A membrane 308 is coupled to the central spindle 304 and may contact substrate 202, pressing substrate 202 against polishing pad 108. The membrane 308 is adapted to expand to press the substrate 202 against the polishing pad 108. For example, the membrane 308 may be a liquid or gas filled bladder. In some embodiments, the portion of the membrane 308 that contacts the substrate 202 may be a low friction material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or a similar material.

[0024]Spindle 304 is coupled ...

second embodiment

[0031]FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of an example polishing system 400 provided in accordance with the present invention. The polishing system 400 of FIG. 4A is similar to the polishing system 300 of FIG. 3. However, in the polishing system 400 of FIG. 4A, the retaining ring 204 remains stationary during polishing as indicated by coupling 402, and one or more rollers 404 are employed to rotate substrate 202 relative to membrane 308 during polishing. FIG. 4B is a schematic top view of the polishing system 400 showing two rollers 404a and 404b. It will be understood that other numbers of rollers may be used (e.g., 3, 4, 5, etc.).

[0032]Rollers 404a and 404b may be formed from any suitable material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or the like. Exemplary diameters for the rollers 404a-b may range from about 0.5 to about 2 inches. In some embodiments, the rollers 404a-b may be spaced apart by about 1 to 5 inches. Other m...

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Abstract

In some aspects, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus is provided that includes a polishing head having (a) a rotatable spindle; (b) a membrane coupled to the rotatable spindle and adapted to press a substrate against a polishing pad during polishing of the substrate; and (c) a retaining ring rotatable coupled to the spindle and adapted to surround a substrate being pressed against a polishing pad during polishing and to limit lateral movement of the substrate relative to the polishing head. The CMP apparatus also includes a drive mechanism coupled to the retaining ring and adapted to drive the retaining ring at a different rate of rotation than the spindle during polishing. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to semiconductor device processing, and more particularly to active substrate precession during chemical mechanical polishing.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]During semiconductor device manufacturing, numerous material layers are deposited, patterned and etched to form electronic circuitry and / or electrical connections on the substrate. In many instances, a top surface of a substrate may be planarized between processing steps. Such planarization typically is performed using an etch-back step or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).[0003]During CMP, a substrate is placed face down on a polishing pad and pressed against, and rotated relative to, the polishing pad via a polishing head in the presence of a slurry. The slurry may contain abrasive particles and / or chemicals that assist in material removal from the substrate. Polishing is continued until enough material is removed to form a planar surface on the substrate.[0004]Main...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B24B47/10B24B1/00B24B37/32
CPCB24B47/10B24B37/32
Inventor CHEN, HUNGKARUPPIAH, LAKSHMANAN
Owner APPLIED MATERIALS INC