US 12,454,036 B2Granted

Substrate handling systems and methods for CMP processing

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsJeonghoon Oh, Manoj A. Gajendra, John Anthony Garcia, Chetan Kumar Mylappanahalli Narasingaiah, Sanjay Bhanurao Chavan, Gagan Dobhal, Manoj Balakumar, Jamie Stuart Leighton, Van H. Nguyen

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Abstract

A system and method for sequential single-sided CMP processing of opposite facing surfaces of a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate are disclosed. A method includes urging a first surface of a substrate against one of plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens. The method includes transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station. The method includes transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to a substrate carrier loading station. The method includes urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A substrate polishing system, comprising:

a substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support a substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
a plurality of polishing stations, each comprising a rotatable polishing platen;
a substrate carrier loading station;
a substrate handler comprising an end effector having a first side and a second side that is opposite of the first side;
and
a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising sequentially:
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of the plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to the substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station;
and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing pads.

8 more elements

A method for processing a substrate, comprising

(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using a first side of an end effector, the substrate from a substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position, the substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support the substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station;
and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.

2 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising:

(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using a first side of an end effector, the substrate from a substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position, the substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support the substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station;
and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/407,062Filed 19 Aug 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 Sep 2020
Published: US 2022/0072682 A110 Mar 2022
Granted: 28 Oct 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

B24B 57/02
Devices for feeding, applying, grading or recovering grinding, polishing or lapping agents: for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or…
B24B 27/0076
Other grinding machines or devices: grinding machines comprising two or more grinding tools
B24B 37/005
Lapping machines or devices; Accessories: control means for lapping machines or devices
B24B 37/042
Designed for working plane surfaces: operating processes therefor