US 2002/0173240 A1 · Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus having edge, center and annular zone control of material removal

Abstract

An apparatus (100) and method are provided for polishing a substrate (105) that achieves a high-planarization uniformity. In one embodiment, the apparatus (100) includes a subcarrier (165) with a lower surface (170), a flexible member (245) extending across the lower surface, and a control-insert (280) disposed between the flexible member and the lower surface. The flexible member (245) has a surface adapted to press the substrate against a polishing pad. The control-insert (280) inhibits non-planar polishing by providing a variable removal rate across the substrate surface. The control-insert (245) can be an annular ring (280A) located near an outer edge of the flexible member (245) to control the removal rate near an edge of the substrate (105), or a disk (280B) near a center (290) of the flexible member to control the removal rate near a center of the substrate. The removal rate can be further controlled by varying a cross-sectional thickness of the control-insert (245).

Claims28

Dependent claims

A polishing head for positioning a substrate having a surface on a polishing pad of a polishing apparatus, the polishing head comprising:

a subcarrier adapted to hold the substrate during a polishing operation, the subcarrier having a lower surface;
a flexible member secured to the subcarrier and extending substantially across the lower surface thereof, the flexible member having:
a receiving surface adapted to contact the substrate so as to press the substrate against the polishing pad;
an inner surface in facing opposition with the lower surface of the subcarrier;
and
a control-insert attached to the inner surface, the control-insert adapted to provide a variable rate of removal of material across the surface of the substrate,
whereby non-planar polishing of the surface of the substrate is inhibited.

4 more elements

A method of polishing a surface of a substrate using an apparatus comprising a polishing pad, a polishing head having a subcarrier with a lower surface, a flexible member extending substantially across the lower surface, the flexible member having a receiving surface adapted to hold the substrate so as to press the substrate against the polishing pad, and a control-insert disposed between the flexible member and the lower surface, the method comprising steps of:

positioning the substrate on the receiving surface of the flexible member;
pressing the surface of the substrate against the polishing pad to provide a variable rate of removal of material across the surface of the substrate;
and
providing relative motion between the subcarrier and the polishing pad to polish the surface of the substrate, whereby non-planar polishing of the surface of the substrate is inhibited.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus having edge, center and annular zone control of material removal

Life of this patent

Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus having edge, center and annular zone control of material removal

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28