Dual purpose handoff station for workpiece polishing machine
US6575816B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 17, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 10, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 17, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB24D9/10
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a dual purpose workpiece handoff station for intermediately staging a semiconductor wafer, or other workpiece, being transferred between processing stations in, for example, a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) machine. The handoff station includes a workpiece processing surface; such as a polishing pad or buffing pad, defining a plurality of apertures for applying fluids, including water, chemicals, slurry, or vacuum, to the surface of a workpiece. In operation, a workpiece carrier moves a polished wafer from a primary polishing surface to the handoff station, and polishes, buffs, or cleans the wafer in the handoff station by rotating the wafer and oscillating the wafer across the handoff station polishing surface while pressing the wafer thereon.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.