Chemical mechanical polishing apparatus with improved polishing control
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorNorm Shendon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom. The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing pad may be used, in conjunction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.
Claims23
A polishing apparatus for polishing the working surface of a substrate, comprising:
- a rotatable polishing pad;
- and
- a carrier including
- a substrate receiving portion to receive the substrate and to position the substrate against the polishing pad, and
- a differential biasing member having a first pressurizable chamber, said differential biasing member adapted to provide different loading pressures between the substrate and the polishing pad at the center and edge portions of the substrate.
A method of polishing a substrate, comprising:
- rotating a polishing pad;
- placing a substrate in a carrier having a variable biasing portion, said variable biasing portion including a pressurizable chamber;
- positioning the carrier to position the substrate on the polishing pad;
- biasing the substrate against the polishing pad;
- and
- pressurizing said chamber to provide different loading pressures between the substrate and the polishing pad at the center and edge portions of the substrate to evenly polish the surface of the substrate on the polishing pad.
A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, comprising:
- a polishing pad;
- and
- a carrier including
- a substrate receiving portion to receive the substrate and to position the substrate against the polishing pad, and
- a differential biasing member to provide different loading pressures between the substrate and said polishing pad at different discrete portions of the substrate, the differential biasing member having an enclosed cavity with a lower conformable wall with a variable thickness forming an inward terminus of said substrate receiving portion.
A method of polishing substrates, comprising:
- providing a rotating polishing pad;
- providing a carrier having a variable biasing portion, said variable biasing portion including an enclosed cavity and a bellows portion;
- locating a substrate in the carrier;
- positioning the carrier to position the substrate on the polishing pad;
- and
- differently biasing different discrete portions of the substrate against the polishing pad to evenly polish the surface of the substrate on the polishing pad.
A polishing apparatus for polishing the working surface of a substrate, comprising:
- a polishing pad;
- and
- a carrier including
- a substrate receiving portion to receive the substrate and to position the substrate against the polishing pad, and
- a biasing member having a pressurizable cavity, said cavity having a lower conformable wall with a variable thickness to provide different loading pressures between the substrate and said polishing pad at different discrete portions of the substrate.
A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, comprising:
- a polishing pad;
- and
- a carrier including
- a substrate receiving portion to receive the substrate and to position the substrate against the polishing pad,
- a first biasing member adapted to provide a primary load force between the substrate and the polishing pad, and
- a second biasing member adapted to provide a secondary load force between the substrate and the polishing pad to apply different loads to different discrete portions of the substrate on the polishing pad.
A method of polishing a substrate, comprising:
- rotating a polishing pad;
- placing a substrate in a carrier;
- positioning the carrier to position the substrate on the polishing pad;
- applying a primary load force between the substrate and the polishing pad;
- and
- applying a secondary load force to differently load different discrete portions of the substrate on the polishing pad.
A polishing apparatus for polishing the working surface of a substrate, comprising:
- a rotatable polishing pad;
- and
- a carrier including
- a substrate receiving portion to receive the substrate and to position the substrate against the polishing pad, and
- means for providing different loading pressures between the substrate and the polishing pad at the center and edge portions of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.