Back to results
US 2006/0151110 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for controlled slurry distribution
AssigneeSpeedFam-IPEC Corporation
InventorsThomas Laursen, Guangying Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeSpeedFam-IPEC Corporation
InventorsThomas Laursen, Guangying Zhang
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for ‘through-the-pad’ delivery of slurry polishing agents directly to the land areas of a polishing pad is disclosed. The present invention further provides for improved control of the chemical composition of the slurry to address loss of chemical reactivity of the slurry during the polishing cycle. Additionally, various groove modifications to the polishing surface of the pad are also disclosed for improved slurry retention over substantially the entire surface of the polishing pad and reduction of the slow band effect. The present invention thus provides for a higher degree of planarization and uniformity of material removed from the surface of a processed workpiece in order to eliminate, or otherwise reduce, small-scale roughness and large-scale topographic differentials as well as to reduce the Cost-of-Ownership associated with slurry costs.
1-29. (canceled)
An apparatus for polishing an object comprising a polishing surface having grooves disposed thereon which define a plurality of land areas between the grooves wherein at least one of the land areas has a slurry channel extending therethrough.
An apparatus for polishing an object comprising a polishing surface having grooves disposed thereon which define a plurality of land areas between the grooves wherein there are minor grooves disposed within the land areas;
The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the minor grooves have a smaller cross-sectional area than the grooves defining the boundaries of the land areas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.