Apparatus and method for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of micro-device workpieces

A machine for polishing a production micro-device workpiece, comprising:

• a table;
• a polishing pad on the table;
• a carrier head positionable over the polishing pad;
• at least one transducer carried by at least one of the table, the polishing pad, and the carrier head to produce ultrasonic motion in at least one of the carrier head, the polishing pad, and the production workpiece;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the carrier head, the polishing pad, and the transducer, the controller having a computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform a method, comprising:
• pressing the production workpiece against the polishing pad and rotating the production workpiece relative to the polishing pad;
• and
• moving the production workpiece at an ultrasonic frequency greater than an estimated frequency of serial defects, defined as a number of occurrences per unit of time, in a test workpiece.

A machine for polishing a production micro-device workpiece, comprising:

• a carrier head for carrying the production micro-device workpiece;
• a transducer to generate motion;
• a polishing pad positionable under the carrier head for polishing the production micro-device workpiece;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the carrier head, the transducer, and the polishing pad, the controller having a computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform a method, comprising:
• pressing the production workpiece against the polishing pad and moving the production workpiece relative to the polishing pad;
• and
• periodically relieving stress between particles in a planarizing solution and the production workpiece by imparting relative motion between the production workpiece and the polishing pad in a direction transverse to a plane defined by the production workpiece at a frequency greater than a predetermined frequency of serial defects, defined as a number of occurrences per unit of time, in a test workpiece.

A machine for polishing a micro-device workpiece, comprising:

• a carrier head for carrying the micro-device workpiece;
• a transducer to generate motion;
• a polishing pad positionable under the carrier head for polishing the micro-device workpiece;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the carrier head, the transducer, and the polishing pad, the controller having a computer-readable medium containing instructions to perform a method, comprising:
• pressing the workpiece against the polishing pad and moving the workpiece relative to the polishing pad;
• and
• vibrating at least one of the workpiece or the polishing pad at a frequency greater than an estimated frequency of serial defects, defined as a number of occurrences per unit of time, in the workpiece.