Apparatus and method for loading and unloading substrates to a chemical-mechanical planarization machine

Abstract

A planarizing machine and a method for reducing the number of residual particles on wafers and other substrates after CMP processing. In one embodiment, the planarizing machine has a platen mounted to a support structure, a polishing pad positioned on the platen, and a wafer carrier with a chuck. The polishing pad has a planarizing surface facing away from the platen, and the wafer carrier assembly is adapted to hold the backside of the wafer in the chuck and engage the front face of the wafer with the planarizing surface of the polishing pad. The planarizing machine also has a wafer loading assembly with a pedestal upon which the wafer is placed to load and unload the wafer to the chuck. The pedestal is preferably connected to an actuator that raises and lowers the pedestal with respect to the wafer carrier assembly. A particle barrier film is positioned in the chuck to engage the backside of the wafer and/or on the pedestal to engage the front face of the wafer. The particle barrier film is preferably a substantially non-porous film that does not entrap residual particles. Thus, substantially all of the residual particles are readily removed from the particle barrier film by a wash fluid to reduce the number of residual particles on surfaces of the CMP machine.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.