Use of steam for pre-heating of CMP components
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsHaosheng Wu, Jianshe Tang, Hari Soundararajan, Shou-Sung Chang, Paul D. Butterfield, Hui Chen, Chih Chung Chou, Alexander John Fisher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of temperature control for a chemical mechanical polishing system includes directing a gas that includes steam from an orifice onto the component in the polishing system while the component is spaced away from a polishing pad of the polishing system to raise a temperature of the component to an elevated temperature, and before the component returns to an ambient temperature, moving the component into contact with the polishing pad.
Claims20
A method of temperature control for a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
- while a component of the polishing system is spaced away from a polishing pad of the polishing system, directing a gas that includes steam from an orifice onto the component to raise a temperature of the component to an elevated temperature;
- and
- before the component returns to an ambient temperature, moving the component into contact with the polishing pad.
A method of temperature control for a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
- while a component in the polishing system is spaced away from a polishing pad of the polishing system, directing a gas that includes steam from an orifice onto the component to raise a temperature of the component to an elevated temperature, wherein the steam is directed onto the component at an inter-platen station;
- and
- before the component returns to an ambient temperature, moving the component into contact with the polishing pad.
A method of temperature control for a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
- while a conditioner disk or conditioner head in the polishing system is spaced away from a polishing pad of the polishing system, directing a gas that includes steam from an orifice onto the conditioner disk or conditioner head to raise a temperature of the conditioner disk or conditioner head to an elevated temperature,
- before the conditioner disk or conditioner head returns to an ambient temperature, moving the conditioner disk or conditioner head into contact with the polishing pad.
A chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
- a platen to support a polishing pad;
- a boiler;
- a movable component;
- a treatment station spaced from the polishing pad, the treatment station having a plurality of nozzles to direct steam from the boiler onto the component of the polishing system when positioned in the treatment station;
- an actuator to move the component from the treatment station into contact with the polishing pad;
- a controller configured to
- cause the treatment station to direct the steam onto the component to raise a temperature of the component to an elevated temperature, and
- cause the actuator to move the component from the treatment station into contact with the polishing pad before the component returns to an ambient temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.