Polishing apparatus and related polishing methods
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsMoo-Yong Park, Sang-Rok Hah, Jong-Gyoon Kim, Hong-Seong Son, Ja-Hyung Han
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Abstract
Polishing apparatus and related methods employ aligned first and second magnetic field sources to adjust the compressive force and/or pressure applied by a carrier head against a target workpiece (such as a wafer) by selectively and controllably generating a repellant or attractive force between the two magnetic field sources.
Claims13
A polishing method using a carrier head configured to house a first magnetic field source and a second spatially aligned magnetic field source, comprising:
- generating a repellant or attractant magnetic force between the first and second magnetic field sources;
- rotating a turntable that is cooperably aligned with the carrier head, with an object to be polished positioned therebetween, in a predetermined direction, with the carrier head configured to apply pressure against the object in a direction toward the turntable;
- and
- controlling the pressure applied to the object by the carrier head using the generated repellant or attractant magnetic forces.
A polishing system for polishing a coating, film or other target surface material on a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- means for applying a plurality of spatially separate magnetic forces arranged to cover greater than a major portion of a rear surface area of a semiconductor substrate to force the semiconductor substrate toward a polishing device;
- and
- means for individually dynamically adjusting the strength of the applied magnetic forces.
A method of applying pressure to a target workpiece undergoing polishing using a carrier head, comprising:
- generating a plurality of individually adjustable magnetic forces at a plurality of spaced apart locations across a lower surface of a carrier head;
- and
- pressing against a rear surface of a target workpiece with the plurality of separately generated magnetic forces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.