Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for polishing the face of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer is held in position by a tooling head and is contacted by an abrasive pad. A table is provided on to which the abrasive pad is fixedly attached, both of which move in directions parallel to the face of the wafer being polished. A controller controls the motion of the table according to a predetermined polishing pattern and is capable of maintaining a constant velocity between the wafer and the abrasive pad. The tooling head includes a circular platen and a retention ring peripherally oriented about the outer edge of the platen which resists lateral forces on the wafer caused by engagement of the face of the wafer with the polishing surface. An adjustable coupling is mounted to the platen and the ring, and serves to adjustably position during polishing the height of the ring relative to the face of the wafer as well as to rigidly support during polishing the position of the retaining ring.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing wafers, preferably by chemical mechanical polishing. The apparatus includes a table defining a planar polishing surface adapted to contain a polishing medium and a wafer carrier assembly adapted to hold a wafer against the polishing surface. The wafer carrier assembly includes a wafer carrier and prevents rotation of the wafer carrier with respect to the polishing table even when the wafer carrier is moved in a circular or orbital path on the polishing surface. Polishing is carried out relative movement between the wafer carrier and the polishing surface in any direction within the plane of the polishing surface. The relative movement can be accomplished by moving the wafer carrier, the polishing table, or a combination of movements of the wafer carrier and polishing table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for polishing the face of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer is held in position by a tooling head and is contacted by an abrasive pad. A table is provided on to which the abrasive pad is fixedly attached, both of which move in directions parallel to the face of the wafer being polished. A controller controls the motion of the table according to a predetermined polishing pattern and is capable of maintaining a constant velocity between the wafer and the abrasive pad. The tooling head includes a circular platen and a retention ring peripherally oriented about the outer edge of the platen which resists lateral forces on the wafer caused by engagement of the face of the wafer with the polishing surface. An adjustable coupling is mounted to the platen and the ring, and serves to adjustably position during polishing the height of the ring relative to the face of the wafer as well as to rigidly support during polishing the position of the retaining ring.

Abstract: An etch rate monitor for use with semiconductor wafer etching processes includes a source of light of normal incidence to the wafer surface through a window in the etching chamber. In a first embodiment, a Fresnel or positive lens is used to collect some of the diffraction orders caused by the repetitive patterns on the wafer surface which merge from the window. In alternate embodiments, a concave spherical mirror and/or a photodetector system are used to collect the diffraction orders. A collimating lens applies these diffraction orders of normal incidence to interference filters which reject plasma and ambient light and pass the diffraction orders to a photodetector to monitor etch rate as a function of the cycle period between interference minima or maxima caused by the difference in path length between the etched and not etched surfaces of the wafer.

Abstract: A disc transfer device for the manipulation of hard discs without damage to the recording surfaces thereof. The device is manually operated and consists of a U-shaped handle adapted for fitting over a disc storage spindle. The handle includes two grippers made of a rigid and smooth yet soft material which will not damage the disc surfaces. One gripper is fixedly attached to one end of the handle, and the other gripper is attached to a pivotable arm affixed to the other end of the handle. A lever attached to the movable arm allows for moving the arm outwards to enable a disc to fit between the grippers. A spring biases the arm in the normally closed position.