Polishing pad ironing system and methods for implementing the same
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsYehiel Gotkis, Aleksander A. Owczarz, Rodney Kistler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ironing assembly for use in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is provided. The ironing assembly is designed for use over a linear polishing pad which has a plurality of asperities and applied slurry. The ironing assembly includes an ironing disk having a contact surface. The ironing disk is oriented over the linear polishing pad such that the contact surface of the ironing disk can be applied over the surface of the linear polishing pad to at least partially flatten the plurality of asperities before planarizing a semiconductor wafer surface over the linear polishing pad.
Claims13
An ironing assembly for use in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) apparatus, the ironing assembly designed for use over a polishing pad having a post-conditioned surface, the post-conditioned surface being configured to include a plurality of asperities, comprising:
- an ironing disk having a contact surface, the ironing disk being oriented over the polishing pad such that the contact surface of the ironing disk is configured to be applied onto the post-conditioned surface of the polishing pad;
- an ironing head having a base and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the ironing head being coupled to a non-contact surface of the ironing disk;
- an ironing track bar being coupled to the base of the ironing head, wherein the ironing disk is to be applied onto the post-conditioned surface of the polishing pad as the ironing base moves along the ironing track bar and the polishing pad moves along a direction of rotation, the application of the contact surface of the ironing disk onto the post-conditioned surface acts to at least partially flatten the plurality of asperities.
An ironing assembly for use in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), the ironing assembly designed for use over a linear polishing pad, the linear polishing pad having a plurality of asperities and applied slurry, comprising:
- an ironing disk having a contact surface, the ironing disk being oriented over the linear polishing pad such that the contact surface of the ironing disk can be applied over the surface of the linear polishing pad to at least partially flatten the plurality of asperities before planarizing a semiconductor wafer surface over the linear polishing pad.
An apparatus for use in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system, the apparatus being configured to improve the planarization uniformity of the CMP system, the apparatus comprising:
- a polishing pad previously used in polishing a surface of a substrate;
- a track bar;
- an arm having a first point and a second point, the first point being separate from the second point, the arm being coupled to the track bar at the first point;
- a conditioning assembly having a conditioning base, the base being coupled to the arm at a conditioning point defined between the first point and the second point, wherein the conditioning assembly being configured to condition the polishing pad so as to create a post-conditioned surface having a plurality of asperities;
- and
- an ironing assembly having an ironing base, the ironing base being coupled to the arm at an ironing point defined between the first point and the second point such that the conditioning point is configured to precede the ironing point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.