Linear reciprocating disposable belt polishing method and apparatus
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsWilbur Krusell, Glenn Travis, Erik Engdahl, James Bagley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for chemically mechanically planarizing a semiconductor wafer is disclosed having a continuous polishing strip with first side having a fixed abrasive surface and a second side opposite the first side. In one embodiment, a first drive roller holds a first end of the polishing strip, a second drive roller holds a second end of the polishing strip, and a pair of support rollers contacts the second side of the polishing strip on either end of a polishing strip support. A drive motor is operably connected to the first and second drive rollers for moving the polishing strip in a linear, bi-directional manner.
Claims6
An apparatus for chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer, the apparatus comprising:
- a continuous polishing strip comprising a fixed abrasive surface;
- a feed roller for holding an unused portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a take-up roller for holding a used portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a polishing strip support disposed between a pair of polishing strip support rollers;
- and
- a pair of drive rollers positioned adjacent opposite ends of a polishing region and between the feed and take-up rollers, the drive rollers each comprising polishing strip clamping regions having clamps for releasably clamping a portion of the polishing strip to the drive rollers, wherein the drive rollers are configured to oscillate a length of the polishing strip across the polishing region.
An apparatus for chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer, the apparatus comprising:
- a continuous polishing strip comprising a fixed abrasive surface;
- a feed roller for holding an unused portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a take-up roller for holding a used portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a polishing strip support disposed between a pair of polishing strip support rollers;
- and
- a pair of drive rollers positioned adjacent opposite ends of a polishing region and between the feed and take-up rollers, the drive rollers each comprising polishing strip clamping regions having clamps for releasably clamping a portion of the polishing strip to the drive rollers, wherein the drive rollers are configured to oscillate a length of the polishing strip across the polishing region, and wherein each of the drive rollers is operably connected with a different drive motor.
An apparatus for chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer, the apparatus comprising:
- a continuous polishing strip comprising a fixed abrasive surface;
- a feed roller for holding an unused portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a take-up roller for holding a used portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a polishing strip support disposed between a pair of polishing strip support rollers;
- and
- a pair of drive rollers positioned adjacent opposite ends of a polishing region and between the feed and take-up rollers, the drive rollers each comprising polishing strip clamping regions having clamps for releasably clamping a portion of the polishing strip to the drive rollers, wherein the drive rollers are configured to oscillate a length of the polishing strip across the polishing region, and wherein the clamps on each of the drive rollers comprise a movable clamping member and a clamp attachment point designed to cooperate with the movable clamping member to maintain a first portion of the polishing strip on a first of the pair of drive rollers and a second portion of the polishing strip on a second of the pair of drive rollers.
An apparatus for chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer, the apparatus comprising:
- a continuous polishing strip comprising a fixed abrasive surface;
- a feed roller for holding an unused portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a take-up roller for holding a used portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a polishing strip support disposed between a pair of polishing strip support rollers;
- and
- a pair of drive rollers positioned adjacent opposite ends of a polishing region and between the feed and take-up rollers, the drive rollers each comprising polishing strip clamping regions having clamps for releasably clamping a portion of the polishing strip to the drive rollers, wherein the drive rollers are configured to oscillate a length of the polishing strip across the polishing region, and wherein the polishing member defines a first region of slack between the take-up roller and a first one of the pair of drive rollers, a second region of slack between the feed roller and a second one of the pair of drive rollers, and the polishing region is defined by a length of polishing strip maintained under a tension between the pair of drive rollers.
An apparatus for chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer, the apparatus comprising:
- a continuous polishing strip comprising a fixed abrasive surface;
- a feed roller for holding an unused portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a take-up roller for holding a used portion of the continuous polishing strip;
- a polishing strip support disposed between a pair of polishing strip support rollers;
- and
- a pair of drive rollers positioned adjacent opposite ends of a polishing region and between the feed and take-up rollers, the drive rollers each comprising polishing strip clamping regions having clamps for releasably clamping a portion of the polishing strip to the drive rollers, wherein the drive rollers are configured to oscillate a length of the polishing strip across the polishing region, and wherein at least one of the take-up and feed rollers is operably connected with a motor configured to selectively rotate the at least one of the take-up and feed rollers and position a different portion of the polishing member between the pair of drive rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.