US 6,281,128 B1Granted

Wafer carrier modification for reduced extraction force

AssigneeAgere Systems Guardian Corp.

InventorsAlvaro Maury, John A. Maze, Frank Miceli, Jose Omar Rodriguez, Robert M. Symons

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The present invention provides a wafer carrier for use with a semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus. In one embodiment, the wafer carrier comprises a carrying head having opposing first and second surfaces, a primary channel system formed in the second surface, and a secondary channel system formed in the second surface. The first surface is coupleable to the semiconductor polishing apparatus and the second surface is adapted to receive a semiconductor wafer to be polished. The primary channel system comprises first and second intersecting channels. The secondary channel system intersects the primary channel system so that the secondary channel system and the primary channel system cooperate to occupy a substantial portion of a surface area of the second surface. Therefore, the primary channel system and the secondary channel system decrease an amount of force required to remove the semiconductor wafer from the second surface.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method of polishing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

mounting the semiconductor wafer in a wafer carrier and interposing a fluid between a surface of the wafer carrier and a surface of the semiconductor wafer;
channeling a first portion of the fluid through first and second intersecting channels of a primary channel system formed in the surface of the wafer carrier wherein the first and second intersecting channels each have a width of about 12 percent of the diameter of the wafer carrier;
channeling a second portion of the fluid through a secondary channel system intersecting the primary channel system and formed in the surface of the wafer carrier;
polishing the semiconductor wafer on the polishing apparatus;
and
removing the semiconductor wafer from the wafer carrier, the primary channel system and the secondary channel system cooperating to occupy a substantial portion of the surface area and thereby decrease an amount of force required to remove the semiconductor wafer from the surface.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.