Substrate retainer
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsSteven M. Zuniga, Hung Chih Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retainer is used with an apparatus for polishing a substrate. The substrate has upper and lower surfaces and a lateral, substantially circular, perimeter. The apparatus has a polishing pad with an upper polishing surface for contacting and polishing the lower face of the substrate. The retainer has an inward facing retaining face for engaging and retaining the substrate against lateral movement during polishing of the substrate. The retaining face engages a substrate perimeter at more than substantially a single discrete circumferential location along the perimeter.
Claims14
A retaining ring for holding a substrate in a carrier head during polishing, comprising:
- an annular elastomeric body having an inwardly facing surface for contacting the substrate, wherein the elastomeric body is sufficiently elastic that when lateral forces urge the substrate against the inwardly facing surface during polishing, the elastomeric body engages a perimeter of the substrate simultaneously along a continuous zone of engagement;
- and
- an annular main body surrounding the elastomeric body, the main body being more rigid than the elastomeric body and having a top surface for attachment to the carrier head.
A carrier head for holding a substrate during polishing, comprising:
- a base;
- a substrate backing member to engage an upper surface of the substrate and apply a downward force to the substrate;
- and
- a retaining ring surrounding the substrate backing member, the retaining ring including an annular elastomeric body having an inwardly facing surface for contacting the substrate and an annular main body surrounding the elastomeric body, wherein the elastomeric body is sufficiently elastic that when lateral forces urge the substrate against the inwardly facing surface during polishing, the elastomeric body engages a perimeter of the substrate simultaneously along a continuous zone of engagement, and wherein the main body is more rigid than the elastomeric body and has a top surface attached to the base.
A retainer for use with a carrier to hold a face of a substrate against a polishing surface, the retainer comprising:
- an annular body having a bottom surface configured to contact the polishing surface and an inward facing retaining face including a curved surface and a plurality of projections that extend inwardly from the curved surface to engage a curved perimeter of the substrate simultaneously at a plurality of discrete, spaced apart circumferential locations along the perimeter and retain the substrate against lateral movement during polishing of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.