CMP Substrate Transfer Orbit for Parallel Wafer Polishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process in semiconductor manufacturing faces inefficiencies due to long waiting times and sequential processing of substrates, which complicates the addition of new metal layers and irregularities in the surface, necessitating improved parallel processing and reduced substrate transfer paths.
Innovation Solution
A substrate polishing system with a shaft and transfer arms forming a transfer orbit, enabling simultaneous transfer and polishing of multiple substrates, and a carrier system forming a carrier orbit for parallel polishing operations, integrated with a loader for efficient loading and unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sequential processing is used in the CMP process, then the process is simple to control, but the production efficiency is low due to long waiting times
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the substrate processing into separate functional modules: a substrate transfer unit with transfer arms that operate independently from a carrier unit with carriers. Multiple substrates are processed in parallel through this segmentation, with transfer arms sequentially picking up substrates and placing them on carriers that rotate independently, thereby eliminating waiting times between sequential operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a rotational dimension by implementing a carrier unit that rotates carriers in a circular path around a central axis. This rotational movement allows multiple carriers to be positioned at different angular locations simultaneously, enabling parallel processing of multiple substrates at different stages of the polishing process, thus improving production efficiency without increasing waiting time.
2Quantity of substance
If a long substrate transfer path is used, then the system can accommodate more substrates, but the transfer time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier unit employs a circular rotational path for carriers, replacing linear transfer paths with curved orbital motion. This allows multiple substrates to be processed simultaneously at different angular positions around the rotation axis, increasing substrate capacity without proportionally increasing transfer time, as all carriers complete their cycle in parallel.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous substrate transfer and polishing operations through the rotational movement of carriers. While one carrier is being polished, another is being loaded, and a third is being unloaded, ensuring that the transfer path is continuously utilized without idle time, thereby accommodating more substrates without increasing overall transfer time.
3Productivity
If multiple transfer arms are used to increase parallel processing, then the productivity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each transfer arm is designed as a multi-functional unit that can perform multiple operations: picking up substrates from different positions, placing them on carriers at appropriate locations, and adjusting its position radially and angularly. This universality allows a smaller number of transfer arms to handle multiple substrates sequentially and in parallel, reducing the total number of components needed compared to dedicated single-function transfer mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer arms are equipped with dynamic positioning capabilities, including radial extension/retraction and angular rotation, allowing them to adapt their positions and orientations based on the current processing stage. This dynamic flexibility enables the same transfer arm to serve multiple functional roles throughout the substrate processing cycle, reducing the need for multiple static transfer mechanisms and thereby lowering overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate polishing system may include a substrate transfer unit comprising a shaft to rotate on a rotation axis perpendicular to a ground and at least one transfer arm to support a bottom surface of a substrate and transfer the substrate while forming a transfer orbit by rotation of the shaft, and at least one carrier to perform polishing the substrate transferred by the substrate transfer unit.