Circumferentially oscillating carousel apparatus for sequentially polishing substrates
US6136715A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 26, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 26, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB24B37/32
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A polishing apparatus including a plurality of polishing pads on respective rotating platens. The polishing platens, and therefore the attached pads also, may be of substantially different diameters. Multiple wafer heads can simultaneously polish multiple wafers on the multiple polishing pads or at different positions on one of the pads. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable carousel, which provides positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces. Additionally, a loading/unloading station is provided. The carousel selectively positions the heads on the polishing surfaces, or positions one of the heads over the loading/unloading station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for substrate polishing, at which positions the wafers can be polished. The carousel can rotate to sweep all wafer heads attached thereto over respective polishing pads that they overlie.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.