Linear CMP tool design using in-situ slurry distribution and concurrent pad conditioning

An apparatus for chemical mechanical planarization of a semiconductor wafers, comprising:

• a platform for mounting semiconductor wafers;
• a means for rotating said platform for mounting semiconductor wafers wherein said means consists of a rotary activator;
• a cylindrical platform for mounting semiconductor polishing pads;
• polishing pads to fit and match said cylindrical platform for mounting semiconductor polishing pads;
• a means for rotating said cylindrical platform wherein said means consists of a rotary activator;
• a polishing pad arrangement wherein said polishing pad arrangement is one or more polishing pads mounted on the outside periphery of said cylindrical platform for mounting polishing pads;
• a polishing pad conditioner arrangement wherein said polishing pad conditioner consists of one or more concave stainless steel constructs where the profile of the inside surface of said constructs is the same as the outside profile of the cylindrical platforms for mounting said semiconductor polishing pads and where the inside surface of said polishing pad conditioners is covered with an abrasive material such as diamond;
• a means for rotating said cylindrical polishing pad wherein said means consists of a rotary activator;
• a means for varying the pressure by which the polishing pads are urged toward the semiconductor wafers wherein said means consists of air activated cylinders mounted on the extremities of said platform for mounting said polishing pads;
• a means for varying the pressure by which the pad conditioner disks are urged toward the polishing pads wherein said means consists of air activated cylinders mounted on the extremities of said platform for mounting said pad conditioner disks;
• a means for evenly distributing slurry across the surface of said polishing pads wherein said means consists of a slurry supply system that pumps slurry into-hollow channels within the polishing pad platform from where the slurry is released to the surface of the polishing pads by means of slurry ports that connect said channels with said the surface of said platform for mounting said polishing pads;
• a means for entering said slurry into said cylindrical platform wherein said means consists of a pump contained within the rotary activator that rotates said cylindrical platform;
• a means for mixing multiple slurries wherein said means consists of a mixing coil into which one or more slurry components are pumped and within which said slurry components are mixed by means of rotary propulsion;
• a means for controlling the rate of slurry flow wherein said means is the setting of openings that provide control over the flow of a multiplicity of slurry components into a slurry supply vat into which one or more slurry components can be entered;
• and
• a means for entering a multiplicity of slurries into said planarization apparatus wherein said means consists of a multiplicity of slurry supply reservoirs.