Backing members and planarizing machines for mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies, and methods of making and using such backing members

A backing member for selectively coupling a microelectronic-device substrate assembly to a carrier head of a planarizing machine, comprising a body configured to hold a backside of the substrate assembly for planarization against a polishing pad, the body including a contact surface, a primary vacuum conduit extending through the body, and a plurality of secondary vacuum conduits extending through the body and being coupled to the primary conduit, the secondary conduits being open at the contact surface of the body.

A backing member for selectively coupling a microelectronic-device substrate assembly to a carrier head of a planarizing machine, comprising:

• a first body section configured to be received in the carrier head, the first section including a vacuum port and a primary conduit coupled to the vacuum port;
• and
• a second body section depending from the first section, the second section including a contact surface configured to support a backside of the substrate assembly and a plurality of secondary conduits extending through the second section from the primary conduit, the secondary conduits having openings at the contact surface to transfer a vacuum drawn in the primary conduit to a backside of the substrate assembly.

A planarizing machine for planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies, comprising:

• a table for carrying a polishing pad;
• a carrier assembly including a carrier head having substrate assembly mounting zone and a vacuum source, the carrier assembly having a drive mechanism to move the carrier head with respect to the table and the polishing pad;
• a backing member in the mounting zone of the carrier head, the backing member comprising a thin body including a contact surface configured to support a backside of a substrate assembly, a vacuum port coupled to the vacuum source in the carrier head, a primary vacuum conduit extending through the body coupled to the vacuum port, and a plurality of secondary vacuum conduits extending through the body, the secondary conduits being coupled to the primary conduit and open at the contact surface of the body, the primary conduit distributing a vacuum force drawn through the vacuum port in a first vacuum distribution and the secondary conduits distributing the first vacuum distribution into a second vacuum distribution at the contact surface for coupling the substrate assembly to the carrier head.

A planarizing machine for planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies, comprising:

• a table for carrying a polishing pad;
• a carrier assembly including a carrier head having substrate assembly mounting zone and a vacuum source, the carrier assembly having a drive mechanism to move the carrier head with respect to the table and the polishing pad;
• a backing member including a first section configured to be received in the carrier head and a second section depending from the first section, the first section having a vacuum port coupled to the vacuum source of the carrier head and a primary conduit coupled to the vacuum port, and the second section having a contact surface and a plurality of secondary conduits extending through the second section from the primary conduit to openings at the contact surface to transfer a vacuum drawn in the primary conduit to a backside of the substrate assembly.

A method of removably attaching a microelectronic-device substrate assembly to a backing member connected to carrier head during planarization against a polishing pad, comprising:

• distributing a vacuum throughout a first portion of the backing member;
• and
• transferring the distributed vacuum from the first portion of the backing member to a plurality of spaced-apart regions of the substrate assembly, the vacuum force acting against the substrate assembly to hold the substrate assembly against the backing member.

A method of planarizing a microelectronic-device substrate assembly, comprising:

• holding a substrate assembly to a carrier head by applying a vacuum through a backing member in the carrier head, the vacuum force being applied by drawing a vacuum through a primary conduit in backing member to distribute a vacuum force in a first vacuum distribution relative to the substrate assembly and transferring the vacuum force from the primary conduit through a plurality of secondary conduits in the backing member coupled to the primary conduit to redistribute the vacuum force in a second vacuum distribution at a contact surface of the backing member, the vacuum force acting against the substrate assembly in the second vacuum distribution to hold the substrate assembly against the contact surface;
• and
• removing material from the substrate assembly by pressing the substrate assembly against a planarizing surface of a polishing pad and moving at least one of the substrate or the polishing pad to impart relative motion therebetween while holding the substrate to the carrier head with the vacuum force.