Radially oscillating carousel processing system for chemical mechanical polishing
US5804507A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 27, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB24B37/04
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers and other workpieces that includes a polishing pads mounted on respective platens at multiple polishing stations. Multiple wafer heads, at least one greater in number than the number of polishing stations, can be loaded with individual wafers. The wafer heads are suspended from a carousel, which provides circumferential positioning of the heads relative to the polishing pads, and the wafer heads oscillate radially as supported by the carousel to sweep linearly across the respective pads in radial directions with respect to the rotatable carousel. Each polishing station includes a pad conditioner to recondition the polishing pad so that it retains a high polishing rate. Washing stations may be disposed between polishing stations and between the polishing stations and a transfer and washing station to wash the wafer as the carousel moves. A transfer and washing station is disposed similarly to the polishing pads. The carousel simultaneously positions one of the heads over the transfer and washing station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for wafer polishing so that loading and unloading of wafers and washing …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.