# US 10,500,695 B2 · Retaining ring having inner surfaces with features

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- Number: US 10,500,695 B2
- Document ID: US10500695B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/992,763
- Filed: 2016-01-11
- Published: 2016-12-01
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-29
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Steven Mark Reedy; Simon Yavelberg; Jeonghoon Oh; Steven M. Zuniga; Andrew J. Nagengast; Samuel Chu-Chiang Hsu; Gautam Shashank Dandavate
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500695B2

## CPC

- B24B 37/32: Retaining rings
- H10P 72/7606: {characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring}
- B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Some implementations of a retaining ring has an inner surface having a first portion formed of multiple planar facets and a second portion that adjoins the first portion along a boundary and includes a frustoconical surface that is sloped downwardly from outside in. Some implementations of the retaining ring have a crenellated or serpentine inner surface, and/or an inner surface with alternating region of different surface properties or different tilt angles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A retaining ring comprising:
an annular body including
a top surface configured to be secured to a carrier head;
a bottom surface configured to contact a polishing surface;
an outer surface extending from the top surface at an outer top perimeter to the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter; and
an inner surface extending from the top surface at an inner top perimeter to the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter, the inner surface comprising a first portion adjacent the bottom surface and a second portion adjoining the first portion along a boundary, wherein the first portion of the inner surface comprises seven or more planar facets, adjacent planar facets of the first portion of the inner surface being connected at a straight side edge, and the inner bottom perimeter defined by straight bottom edges of the planar facets, and wherein the second portion comprises a frustoconical surface that is sloped downwardly from outside in.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The retaining ring of claim 1, wherein, the boundary comprises a plurality of curved edges, and each curved edge for a facet has a lowest point at a horizontal center of the facet.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The retaining ring of claim 2, wherein the annular body includes an upper section and a lower section of a different material than the upper section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The retaining ring of claim 3, wherein a lowest point on each curved edge is aligned to a boundary between the upper section and the lower section.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The retaining ring of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface comprises channels extending from the outer surface to the inner surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The retaining ring of claim 5, wherein each channel comprises an end open to the inner surface of the body at a straight side edge.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The retaining ring of claim 6, wherein the first portion of the inner surface comprises a first number of facets and the bottom surface comprises a second number of channels, and wherein the first number is a whole number times the second number.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The retaining ring of claim 7, wherein the whole number is three, four or five.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The retaining ring of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the inner surface comprises between 10 and 150 facets.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The retaining ring of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the inner surface comprises between 60 and 80 facets.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The retaining ring of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the inner surface comprises a total of 72 facets.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The retaining ring of claim 1, wherein the inner bottom perimeter is a regular polygon.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The retaining ring of claim 1, each planar facet intersects the frustoconical surface along an edge that forms a hyperbolic curve.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The retaining ring of claim 1, wherein each planar facet is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface.