Carrier head with a flexible membrane for a chemical mechanical polishing system
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsIlya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Sen-Hou Ko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A carrier head with a flexible member connected to a base to define a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber. A lower surface of the flexible member provides a substrate receiving surface with an inner portion associated with the first chamber, a substantially annular middle portion surrounding the inner portion and associated with the second chamber, and a substantially annular outer portion surrounding the middle portion and associated with the third chamber. The width of the outer portion may be significantly less than the width of the middle portion. The carrier head may also include a flange connected to a drive shaft and a gimbal pivotally connecting the flange to the base.
Claims18
A carrier head for use in a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
- a base;
- and
- a flexible member connected to the base to define a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber, a lower surface of the flexible member providing a substrate receiving surface with an inner portion associated with the first chamber, a substantially annular middle portion surrounding the inner portion and associated with the second chamber, and a substantially annular outer portion surrounding the middle portion and associated with the third chamber, such that pressures on each of the inner, middle and outer portions of the flexible member are independently controllable.
A carrier head for use in a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
- a base;
- a flexible inner member positioned below the base and associated with a first chamber to apply a first pressure to a central portion of a substrate;
- a substantially annular flexible middle member positioned below the base and associated with a second chamber and surrounding the inner member to apply a second pressure to a middle portion of the substrate;
- and
- a substantially annular flexible outer member positioned below the base and associated with a third chamber and surrounding the middle member to apply a third pressure to an outer portion of the substrate, wherein the outer member is substantially narrower than the middle member, and wherein the first, second and third chambers are independently pressurizable so that pressures on each of the inner, middle and outer members are independently controllable.
A method of chemical mechanical polishing, comprising:
- loading a substrate in a carrier head;
- pressurizing a first chamber in the carrier head to apply a first pressure to a central portion of the substrate through a flexible inner member associated with the first chamber;
- pressurizing a second chamber in the carrier head to apply a second pressure to a middle portion of the substrate through a flexible middle member associated with the second chamber;
- and
- pressurizing a third chamber in the carrier head to apply a third pressure to an outer portion of the substrate through a flexible outer member associated with the outer chamber, wherein the outer member is substantially narrower than the middle member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.