Removable tray assembly for CMP systems
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYu-Feng Han, A. S. Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a tray assembly having a dual-structure. The tray assembly comprises an upper tray and a lower tray. The lower tray is capable of being easily disengaged from the upper tray by use of a dovetail joint that allows the lower tray to slidably move relative to the upper tray. The tray assembly also utilizes magnets to reduce the use of mechanical joints. The combination of the magnets together with the dovetail joint provides a quick and efficient way of sliding the lower tray in and out from the upper tray. The lower tray having a collection region collects any external, foreign materials generated during a chemical mechanical polishing/planarizing process. After the cleaning process, the lower tray can be slid back into the upper tray for use.
Claims20
A tray assembly for a polishing head in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, comprising:
- a first tray having a first top surface and a first bottom surface opposite the first top surface, the first tray having a first joint part on the first bottom surface;
- a second tray having a second top surface and a second bottom surface opposite the second top surface, the second top surface of the second tray facing the first bottom surface of the first tray, the second tray having a second joint part on the second top surface, the first joint part and the second joint part, in operation, cooperating with each other to reversibly attach the second tray to the first tray, the second tray including a collection region;
- and
- a plurality of first fasteners positioned at selected locations of the first tray and which, in operation, secures the first tray to the second tray, at least one of the plurality of first fasteners positioned adjacent to the first joint part of the first tray,
- wherein the first joint part is a male dovetail and the second joint part is a female dovetail, and
- wherein, in operation, the male dovetail of the first tray slidably inserts into the female dovetail of the second tray to secure the first tray to the second tray.
A method of using a tray assembly of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, the method comprising,
- providing a first tray having a first top surface and a first bottom surface opposite the first top surface, the first tray having a first joint part on the first bottom surface;
- providing a second tray having a second top surface and a second bottom surface opposite the second top surface, the second top surface of the second tray facing the first bottom surface of the first tray, the second tray having a second joint part on the second top surface, the second tray including a collection region;
- reversibly attaching the second tray to the first tray by slidably inserting the first joint part of the first tray into the second joint part of the second tray such that the first and second joint parts cooperate with each other to secure the first tray to the second tray;
- providing a plurality of first fasteners positioned at selected locations of the first tray;
- and
- securing the first tray to the second tray using the plurality of first fasteners, at least one of the plurality of first fasteners positioned adjacent to the first joint part of the first tray, the first joint part being a male dovetail and the second joint part being a female dovetail.
A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, comprising:
- a head connected to a carousel of the CMP system;
- a plurality of tray assemblies located below the head;
- a center tray having a plurality of arm portions equal to a number of the plurality of tray assemblies, each arm portion connected to a tray assembly;
- each tray assembly of the plurality of tray assemblies including:
- a dovetail joint including a first joint part and a second joint part that interlocks with the first joint part;
- a first tray having a first top surface and a first bottom surface opposite the first top surface, the first tray having the first joint part on the first bottom surface;
- a second tray having a second top surface and a second bottom surface opposite the second top surface, the second top surface of the second tray facing the first bottom surface of the first tray, the second tray having the second joint part on the second top surface, the first joint part with the second joint part being mateable with each other, the second tray being attached to the first tray when the first joint part is mated with the second joint part;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners positioned at selected locations of the first tray and the second tray,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of fastener is positioned adjacent to the first joint part of the first tray,
- wherein the first joint part is a female dovetail and the second joint part is a male dovetail, and
- wherein, in operation, the male dovetail of the second tray slidably inserts into the female dovetail of the first tray to secure the first tray to the second tray.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.