Patent · US Active

Polishing apparatus, polishing head and polishing method

US7654883B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
17References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 13, 2009
Grant dateFeb 2, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 13, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB24B37/30
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A polishing apparatus comprises a polishing plate (24), an abrasive cloth (25) attached to the surface of the polishing plate (24), a chuck (19) for holding and pressing one surface of a wafer (39) against the abrasive cloth (25), and a circular retaining ring (23) concentrically arranged on the periphery of the chuck (19). The retaining ring (23) is rotatable and vertically movable with respect to the chuck (19), and is pressed against the abrasive cloth (25) during the lapping step. The retaining ring (23) is lifted upward during the final polishing step, thereby preventing lapping grains from being brought into the final polishing stage. Accordingly, lapping and final polishing can be successively conducted using the same polishing head. With this structure, cost cutting of the apparatus can be realized, since lapping and final polishing are successively conducted using the same polishing head without bringing the lapping grains used for lapping into the final polishing stage.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.