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US 2002/0164926 A1Published application
Retainer ring and method for polishing a workpiece
OwnerMark G. Simoninventor
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OwnerMark G. Simoninventor
Estimating the term…
A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine (20) includes a workpiece carrier assembly (22) having a carrier base (24) with a workpiece contacting side (26) for holding a first surface (30) of a workpiece (32). A method utilizing the CMP machine (20) to polish the workpiece (32) and achieve a minimal edge exclusion region (92) entails adapting the carrier base (24) to reduce a first diameter (53) of a workpiece contacting side (26) of the carrier base (24) to a second diameter (84). The method further calls for providing a retainer ring (68, 106) disposed concentrically on the carrier base (24) for retaining the workpiece (32), and applying pressure on the carrier base (24) to urge a second surface (34) of the workpiece (36) against a polishing pad (36) of the CMP machine (20). In a first embodiment, the retainer ring (68) includes a body portion (70) and a holding lip (78) protruding radially inward from an inner periphery (80) of the body portion (70) and overlying an outer edge of the workpiece (32) to reduce the first diameter (53) of the workpiece contacting side (26) to the second diameter (84). In an alternative embodiment, the carrier base (24) is modified to reduce the first diameter (53) of the workpiece contacting side to the second diameter (84). Correspondingly, a width of the retainer ring 106 is defined to include a value substantially equivalent to one half of the difference between the first diameter (53) and the second diameter (84).
A retainer ring for retaining a workpiece within a workpiece carrier assembly of a polishing machine, said workpiece carrier assembly including a carrier base for holding a first surface of said workpiece and for abutting a second surface, opposite said first surface, of said workpiece against a polishing pad of said polishing machine, said retainer ring comprising:
A method for utilizing a polishing machine to polish a workpiece to achieve a minimal edge exclusion region, said polishing machine including a workpiece carrier assembly having a carrier base with a workpiece contacting side for holding a first surface of said workpiece, said workpiece contacting side exhibiting a first diameter, and said method comprising:
A workpiece carrier assembly retrofit kit for adapting a workpiece carrier assembly of a polishing machine to polish a workpiece having a minimal edge exclusion region, said workpiece carrier assembly including an existing carrier base and an existing retainer ring coupled to said existing carrier base, said existing carrier base having a workpiece contacting side exhibiting a first diameter, said existing retainer ring exhibiting a first width, and said kit comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.