US 6,004,196 A · Polishing pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time conditioning and cleaning of a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of microelectronic substrates

Abstract

A pad refurbisher that provides in situ, real-time conditioning and/or cleaning of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer and other microelectronic substrates. The pad refurbisher has a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a chemical-mechanical polishing machine, and a refurbishing element connected to the body. The body has a distal face positioned proximate to a perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and facing generally toward the polishing surface of the polishing pad. The body travels with the wafer carrier as the wafer carrier moves over the polishing pad. The refurbishing element is connected to the distal face of the body so that the refurbishing element can operatively engage the polishing surface substantially adjacent to the perimeter of the wafer carrier. The refurbishing element is a pad conditioning device and/or a pad cleaning device that conditions and/or cleans the polishing surface of the pad to remove waste particles from the polishing surface of the polishing pad and place the pad in a desired polishing condition. In operation, the refurbishing element travels with the wafer carrier and is selectively engaged with the polishing surface while the wafer carrier presses the wafer against the polishing surface to selectively condition and/or clean generally only the deteriorated areas on the pad.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time refurbishing of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a chemical-mechanical polishing machine with the body having a face positioned proximate to a perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and facing the polishing surface of the polishing pad, the body being adapted to travel with the wafer carrier as the wafer carrier moves over the polishing pad wherein the body is movably attached to the wafer carrier;
and
a refurbishing element connected to the face of the body, the refurbishing element being adapted to engage the polishing surface substantially adjacent to the perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and traveling with the wafer carrier while the wafer carrier moves the wafer over the polishing surface.

A polishing machine for chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

a platen having an upper surface;
a polishing pad positioned on the upper surface of the platen, the polishing pad having a polishing surface facing away from the platen;
a wafer carrier for carrying the wafer, the wafer carrier being positioned over the polishing pad and moveable along an axis substantially normal to the upper surface of the platen to engage the wafer with the polishing pad, wherein at least one of the platen and the wafer carrier moves with respect to the other to impart relative motion between the wafer and the polishing pad;
and
a pad refurbisher having a body with a face positioned proximate to a perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and facing generally towards the polishing surface and a refurbishing element connected to the face, the body being attached to the wafer carrier so that the body and refurbishing element travel with the wafer carrier as the wafer carrier moves with respect to the polishing pad, wherein the refurbishing element engages the polishing surface substantially adjacent to the perimeter portion of the wafer carrier while the wafer carrier moves the wafer over the polishing surface and wherein the body is movably attached to the wafer carrier.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Polishing pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time conditioning and cleaning of a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of microelectronic substrates

Life of this patent

Polishing pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time conditioning and cleaning of a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of microelectronic substrates

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30