Finishing components and elements
AssigneeBeaver Creek Concepts Inc
InventorCharles J. Molnar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
New, versatile finishing surfaces are described. Unitary finishing elements having discrete finishing members attached to unitary resilient body are disclosed for finishing microdevices such as semiconductor wafers. Finishing surfaces such as discrete finishing members can be comprised of a multiphase polymeric composition. The new unitary finishing elements have lower cost to manufacture and high precision. The unitary finishing elements and finishing surfaces can reduce unwanted surface defect creation on the semiconductor wafers during finishing.
Claims40
A unitary refining element having a plurality of discrete refining members for refining a semiconductor wafer comprising:
- discrete refining members wherein:
- each discrete refining member has a surface area of less than the surface area of the semiconductor wafer being finished;
- each discrete refining member has a discrete refining member refining surface and a refining member body;
- each refining member body is comprised of a continuous region of organic synthetic resin;
- and
- a ratio of the shortest distance across in centimeters of the discrete refining member body to the thickness in centimeters of each discrete refining member body is at least 10/1;
- a unitary resilient body comprised of an organic polymer wherein the unitary resilient body has a plurality of discrete refining members attached to the unitary resilient body in such a manner that each discrete refining member is separated in space from its nearest discrete refining member;
- and
- the organic polymer of the unitary resilient body has a different flexural modulus than the organic synthetic resin in the continuous region of the refining member body.
A method of buffing a semiconductor wafer surface with a unitary buffing element having a plurality of discrete buffing members comprising the steps of:
- providing a unitary buffing element comprising
- the plurality of discrete buffing members wherein:
- each discrete buffing member has a surface area of less than the surface area of the semiconductor wafer being finished;
- each discrete buffing member has a discrete buffing member buffing surface and a buffing member body;
- and
- each buffing member body is comprised of a continuous region of polymer;
- a unitary resilient body comprised of an organic polymer and wherein the unitary resilient body having the plurality of separate and distinct buffing members attached to the unitary resilient body;
- positioning the semiconductor wafer surface proximate to the unitary buffing element;
- applying an operative buffing motion with a buffing pressure between the semiconductor wafer surface and the discrete buffing members;
- and
- buffing the semiconductor wafer surface.
A process for refining a semiconductor wafer surface with a multiphase polymeric composition, the multiphase polymeric composition comprising:
- a multiphase synthetic polymer composition having a continuous phase of synthetic polymer “A” and a synthetic polymer “B” and wherein the multiphase composition has at least two distinct glass transition temperatures;
- and
- a compatibilizing polymer “C”;
- and the process for refining comprises the steps of:
- applying the multiphase polymeric composition to a semiconductor wafer surface;
- and
- operatively refining a semiconductor wafer surface with the multiphase polymeric composition.
A process for refining a semiconductor wafer surface with an multiphase polymeric composition, the multiphase polymeric composition comprising:
- a multiphase synthetic polymer composition comprising a first polymer and a second polymer;
- at least one of the first or second polymer precleaned by undergoing a precleaning which removes material capable of scratching a semiconductor wafer surface, the precleaing done before adding the precleaned polymer to the multiphase polymeric composition;
- and the process for refining comprising the steps of:
- applying the multiphase polymeric composition to a semiconductor wafer surface;
- and
- operatively refining the semiconductor wafer surface with the multiphase polymeric composition.
A process for refining a semiconductor wafer surface with an multiphase polymeric composition, the multiphase polymeric composition comprising:
- a multiphase synthetic polymer composition comprising a first polymer and a second polymer;
- at least one of the first or second polymers comprising a filtered polymer by undergoing a filtering which removes particles capable of scratching a semiconductor wafer surface, the filtering done before adding the filtered polymer to the multiphase polymeric composition;
- and the process for refining comprising the steps of:
- applying the multiphase polymeric composition to a semiconductor wafer surface;
- and
- operatively refining the semiconductor wafer surface with the multiphase polymeric composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.