US 7,008,300 B1 · Advanced wafer refining

Abstract

A refining apparatus having magnetically responsive refining elements that can be smaller than the workpiece being refined are disclosed. The refining apparatus can supply a parallel refining motion to the refining element(s) through magnetic coupling forces. The refining apparatus can supply multiple different parallel refining motions to multiple different refining elements solely through magnetic coupling forces to improve refining quality and versatility. New refining methods, refining apparatus, and refining elements disclosed. Methods of refining using frictional refining, chemical refining, tribochemical refining, and electrochemical refining and combinations thereof are disclosed. A refining chamber can be used. New methods of control are refining disclosed. The new magnetic refining methods, apparatus, and magnetically responsive refining elements can help improve yield and lower the cost of manufacture for refining of workpieces having extremely close tolerances such as semiconductors wafers. Refining fluids are preferred. Reactive refining aids are preferred. Electro-refining for adding and removing material is disclosed. A method to use business calculations combined with physical measurements to improve control is discussed. Use of business calculations to change the cost of finishing semiconductor wafers is discussed. The method can help cost of manufacture forecasting for pre-ramp-up, ramp-up, and commercial manufacture. Actively based accounting can be preferred for some applications. New methods and new apparatus for non-steady state refining control are disclosed.

Claims71

Dependent claims

A method for refining a workpiece, the method comprising:

providing a workpiece holder;
providing an operative control subsystem having at least one operative sensor, a controller, and a processor;
applying a refining energy to the workpiece held in the workpiece holder;
sensing a progress of refining information with the at least one operative sensor during a period of non-steady state refining;
determining a change for at least one process control parameter using the processor, a tracked cost of manufacture information, a tracked information of the workpiece, and the progress of refining information during the period of non-steady state refining;
and
changing the at least one process control parameter to change the refining during the period of non-steady state refining.

4 more elements

A method for refining a workpiece, the method comprising:

providing an operative control subsystem having at least one operative sensor, a controller, and a processor;
applying a refining energy to the workpiece;
sensing a progress of refining information with the at least one operative sensor during a time period of non-steady state refining;
determining a change for at least one process control parameter using the processor, a tracked information of the workpiece, a tracked cost of manufacture information, a process model, a cost of manufacture model, and an historical performance including a quantity of historical tracked information of prior workpieces, and the progress of refining information during the time period of non-steady state refining;
and
changing the at least one process control parameter to change the refining during the time period of non-steady state refining.

3 more elements

A method of refining a workpiece during a refining cycle time comprising:

providing a workpiece holder;
providing at least one operative control subsystem having at least one operative sensor, at least one processor, and at least one controller;
positioning the workpiece in the workpiece holder to expose a workpiece surface for refining;
applying a refining energy to the workpiece surface;
sensing a progress of refining information with the at least one operative sensor during a time period of non-steady state refining;
determining a change for at least one process control parameter using the at least one processor, a tracked information of the workpiece, a tracked cost of manufacture information, a process model, a business model, an historical performance including a quantity of historical tracked information of the prior workpieces, and the progress of refining information during the time period of non-steady state refining;
and
changing the at least one process control parameter during the refining cycle time during the time period of non-steady state refining.

5 more elements

An apparatus for refining a workpiece having a tracking code during a time period of non-steady state refining, the apparatus comprising:

a workpiece holder;
an operative control subsystem having at least three operative sensors, a controller, and a processor and wherein the processor has access to a processor readable memory device having at least a tracked cost of manufacture information, a cost of manufacture model, a process model, and the tracking code for the workpiece;
and
a refining surface for applying a refining energy to the workpiece held by the workpiece holder;
and wherein:
the at least three operative sensors comprise sensors for sensing a progress of refining information during the time period of non-steady state refining;
the processor comprises a processor for determining a change for at least one process control parameter using at least the tracked cost of manufacture information, the cost of manufacture model, the process model, and the tracking code for the workpiece, and a progress of refining information with the operative control subsystem during the time period of non-steady state refining;
and
the controller comprises a controller for changing the at least one process control parameter in real time which changes the refining during the time period of non-steady state refining.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Advanced wafer refining

Life of this patent

Advanced wafer refining

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims71