Carrier head with a flexible membrane to form multiple chambers
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 flexible membrane for a carrier head, comprising:
- a circular sheet portion having a substrate receiving outer surface and an inner surface on a side of the sheet portion opposite the outer surface;
- and
- a plurality of annular flaps connected to the sheet portion and located on the side of the sheet portion opposite the outer surface, the plurality of annular flaps including an outer flap extending from an outer edge of the sheet portion and an inner flap extending from the inner surface.
A carrier head assembly, comprising:
- a rotatable drive shaft;
- a carrier head secured to a lower end of the drive shaft to rotate with the drive shaft, the carrier head including a base and a flexible membrane connected to the base to define a plurality of chambers with independently controllable pressures, a lower surface of the flexible membrane providing a substrate receiving surface with portions associated with the plurality of chambers;
- and
- a vertical actuator coupled to an upper end of the drive shaft to control the vertical position of the drive shaft and the carrier head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.