Rotary Work Holder Patents (Class 451/285)
  • Patent number: 7527544
    Abstract: A method and system are provided using an offset dial gage for alignment and adjustment of a polishing pad that has been attached to a turntable of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) device. In a described embodiment, an offset dial gage has a surface that contacts a side of a turntable, while a sensor tip contacts the edge of a polishing pad positioned on the turntable. This provides an assessment of radial displacement of the polishing pad edge at this measurement point relative to the side of the turntable. Based on one or more such measurements, the polishing pad may be found acceptably positioned, may be trimmed, or may be replaced. The method and system reduce or eliminate the occurrence of a defect pattern found to be related to side unloading of semiconductor wafers from a CMP turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jose Omar Rodriguez, Charles A. Storey, Andres B. Garcia, Margareth Seputro, Frank Miceli
  • Patent number: 7524237
    Abstract: An apparatus for turning a hard and/or brittle material includes a precision workpiece spindle, a workpiece support, a hard and/or brittle workpiece rigidly coupled to the workpiece support, and a diamond tool blade rigidly coupled to a spin-turner mechanism. The diamond tool blade is formed to include a cutting edge arranged to confront the hard and/or brittle workpiece to remove material from the workpiece to form precision-turned components such as optical lenses, mirrors, and optical molds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Inventors: George A. Kim, James Andrew Simonson
  • Patent number: 7520796
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing pad having an annular polishing track and a concentric center O. The polishing pad includes a polishing layer having a plurality of pad grooves formed therein. The polishing pad is designed for use with a carrier, e.g., a wafer carrier, that includes a polishing ring having a plurality of carrier grooves. Each of the plurality of pad grooves has a carrier-compatible groove shape configured to enhance the transport of a polishing medium beneath the carrier ring on the leading edge of the carrier ring during polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory P. Muldowney
  • Patent number: 7520955
    Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a retaining ring having a flexible lower portion and a rigid upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Zuniga, Thomas H. Osterheld
  • Patent number: 7520798
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing pad having an annular polishing track and a concentric center O. The polishing pad includes a polishing layer having a plurality of pad grooves formed therein. The polishing pad is designed for use with a carrier, e.g., a wafer carrier, that includes a polishing ring having a plurality of carrier grooves. Each of the plurality of pad grooves has a carrier-compatible groove shape configured to enhance the transport of a polishing medium beneath the carrier ring on the leading edge of the carrier ring during polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory P. Muldowney
  • Publication number: 20090098809
    Abstract: A bowling ball surface treatment device for abrading, polishing or cleansing a bowling ball includes a housing, a ball displacing unit movably mounted to the housing for holding the bowling ball in a rotatable manner and for reciprocatingly displacing the bowling ball between a temporary waiting region and a surface treatment region, a surface treatment disc for supporting and spinning the bowling ball in the surface treatment region, the surface treatment disc having a surface treatment element for making frictional contact with the bowling ball, a temporary support disc for temporarily supporting the bowling ball in the temporary waiting region when the bowling ball is moved out of the surface treatment region, and a disc drive unit for rotatingly driving the surface treatment disc and the temporary support disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventor: Sang-Bae Shim
  • Patent number: 7513818
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus to monitor a frictional coefficient of a substrate undergoing polishing is described. A polishing pad assembly includes a polishing layer including a polishing surface, and a substrate contacting member flexibly coupled to the polishing layer having a top surface to contact an exposed surface of a substrate. At least a portion of the top surface is substantially coplanar with the polishing surface. A sensor is provided to measure a lateral displacement of the substrate contacting member. Some embodiments may provide accurate endpoint detection during chemical mechanical polishing to indicate the exposure of an underlying layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel Lorimer Miller, Manoocher Birang, Nils Johansson, Boguslaw A. Swedek, Dominic J. Benvegnu
  • Patent number: 7510460
    Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a polishing surface of a substrate has a film thickness monitoring device for monitoring a state of a film thickness of a thin film on the polishing surface of the substrate during polishing. The apparatus includes a table, a polishing member fixed on a surface of the table, a substrate support member for pressing the substrate onto the polishing member, an optical system composed of an optical fiber for irradiating the polishing surface of the substrate with a light of irradiation and an optical fiber for receiving a reflected light reflected on the polishing surface of the substrate, an analysis-processing system for processing an analysis of the reflected light received with the optical system, and the film-thickness monitoring device. The table is provided with a liquid-feeding opening for feeding a translucent liquid into a through-hole disposed in the polishing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Kobayashi, Shunsuke Nakai, Hitoshi Tsuji, Yasuo Tsukuda, Hiroki Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7503837
    Abstract: A two part retaining ring is described that has a lower ring and an upper ring. The lower ring contacts a polishing surface during chemical mechanical polishing. The upper surface and the lower surface of the lower ring have thick and thin subportions to increase the flexibility of the lower ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeonghoon Oh, Hung Chih Chen, Thomas B. Brezoczky, Douglas R. McAllister, David Datong Huo
  • Publication number: 20090042493
    Abstract: A chamfering apparatus is used to chamfer a peripheral edge of a glass substrate. The chamfering apparatus includes a grindstone having a cylindrical hollow end portion; a grindstone driving unit that rotates the grindstone around an axis of the cylindrical hollow end portion; a substrate rotation-driving unit that rotates the glass substrate around either one of an axis of the outer periphery and an axis of the center circular hole; and a pressing unit that presses the grindstone to the glass substrate such that an annular end surface of the grindstone contacts with an edge of either one of the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the glass substrate while the cylindrical hollow end portion of the grindstone faces with one of the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the glass substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicants: SHODA TECHTRON CORP., KOHKEN KOGYO CO., LTD., THE FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro NAKIRI, Yoshio Kawakami, Tetsuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7488240
    Abstract: A polishing device includes a polishing pad for polishing a wafer and a polishing head for holding the wafer. The polishing head has a retainer ring for retaining the wafer in the in-plane direction of the wafer, a membrane sheet for pressing the wafer against the polishing pad, and a head body for supporting the retainer ring and the membrane sheet. The retainer ring has a subordinate retainer member having a ring portion and a plurality of fins extending from the ring portion to retain the peripheral surface of the wafer. The subordinate retainer member has a thickness equal to the thickness of the wafer. The membrane sheet has a diameter larger than the wafer, and presses the wafer and the vicinity of the inner edge of the subordinate retainer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiya Saito
  • Patent number: 7481695
    Abstract: CMP systems and methods implement instructions for moving a polishing pad relative to a wafer and a retainer ring and for applying pressure for CMP operations. Feedback of polishing pad position is coordinated with determinations of desired inputs of variable forces by which changing areas of the wafer, a pad conditioning puck, and the retainer ring are separately urged into contact with the polishing pad so that the pressure on each such area is separately controlled. Processing workload is evaluated according to criteria related to the characteristics of the instructions. If none of the criteria is exceeded, a central CMP processor is used for the processing. If any of the criteria is exceeded, the force determinations are made separately from the central CMP processor by a force controller, and the central processor manages data transfer to the force controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Miguel A. Saldana, Damon Vincent Williams
  • Publication number: 20080318503
    Abstract: A substrate holding mechanism, a substrate polishing apparatus and a substrate polishing method have functions capable of minimizing an amount of heat generated during polishing of a substrate to be polished and of effectively cooling a substrate holding part of the substrate holding mechanism, and also capable of effectively preventing a polishing solution and polishing dust from adhering to an outer peripheral portion of the substrate holding part and drying thereon. The substrate holding mechanism has a mounting flange, a support member 6 and a retainer ring. A substrate to be polished is held on a lower side of the support member surrounded by the retainer ring, and the substrate is pressed against a polishing surface of a polishing table. The mounting flange is provided with a flow passage contiguous with at least the retainer ring. A temperature-controlled gas is supplied through the flow passage to cool the mounting flange, the support member and the retainer ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Tetsuji TOGAWA, Toshio Watanabe, Hiroyuki Yano, Gen Toyota, Kenji Iwade, Yoshikuni Tateyama
  • Patent number: 7465221
    Abstract: A first supply unit sprays and supplies abrasive slurry containing abrasive grains into a mixing unit. A second supply unit sprays and supplies additive into the mixing unit. A third supply unit sprays and supplies pure water into the mixing unit. The mixing unit mixes the mist of abrasive slurry, the mist of additive and the mist of pure water to prepare polishing solution, and supplies the polishing solution onto the major surface of a polishing stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanobu Iwasaki, Yoshio Hayashide
  • Publication number: 20080305725
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polish system includes a polishing pad, a platen supporting and rotating the polishing pad, a top slurry dispenser placed over a polishing pad, a bottom slurry dispenser placed through an opening in the polishing pad, and a duct connected to the bottom slurry dispenser, the duct extending toward the bottom of the polishing pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Jerry Hwang
  • Patent number: 7459397
    Abstract: During the polishing of a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor wafer that has been reduced in thickness, and hence in strength, by polishing, suffers outer-surface damage (or cracking) due to the initial damage caused by the use of polishing quartz. In order to solve these problems, the present invention applies a semiconductor substrate fixing jig formed with, on the face for fixing the semiconductor substrate, a groove(s) of almost the same diameter as that of the semiconductor substrate. Semiconductor substrate damage and cracking can be suppressed by applying this jig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: OpNext Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryu Washino, Yasushi Sakuma, Masaru Mukaikubo, Hura Harpreet Singh, Kenji Uchida
  • Publication number: 20080293340
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to polish an edge of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head adapted to retain a backing pad having a selected contour, wherein the polishing head is adapted to press the backing pad against an edge of a substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Eashwer Kollata, Shou-Sung Chang, Zhenhua Zhang, Paul D. Butterfield, Sen-Hou Ko, Antoine P. Manens, Gary C. Ettinger, Ricardo Martinez
  • Publication number: 20080293341
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to polish an edge of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head including a backing pad, wherein a width of the backing pad that contacts the substrate edge is larger than a width of a notch in the substrate edge. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Eashwer Kollata, Shou-Sung Chang, Zhenhua Zhang, Paul D. Butterfield, Sen-Hou Ko, Antoine P. Manens, Gary C. Ettinger, Ricardo Martinez
  • Publication number: 20080293339
    Abstract: A retainer ring and a method of using the retainer ring are provided. The retainer ring has openings along a bottom surface. Grooves encompass the openings and extend to an interior portion of the retainer ring wherein a semiconductor wafer may be held. In operation, a semiconductor wafer is placed inside the retainer ring. As the retainer ring and the semiconductor wafer are moved relative to an underlying polishing pad, slurry is dispensed through the openings in the retainer ring. The grooves in the retainer ring allow the slurry to flow from the openings to the interior portion of the retainer ring and the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Soon Kang Huang, Chih-Lung Lin, Chyi-Shyuan Chern
  • Publication number: 20080287043
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, a top ring configured to hold and press the substrate against the polishing surface, a top ring shaft configured to lift and lower the top ring, and an elongation detecting device configured to detect an elongation of the top ring shaft. The polishing apparatus further includes a controller configured to set a vertical position of the top ring at the time of polishing, and control a lifting and lowering mechanism to lower the top ring to a preset polishing position as the set vertical position. The controller corrects the preset polishing position based on the elongation of the top ring shaft which has been detected by the elongation detecting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Kenichiro Saito, Osamu Nabeya, Kimihide Nagata, Tetsuji Togawa
  • Publication number: 20080287044
    Abstract: A method of transferring a wafer is disclosed. The method comprises providing a pedestal and at least one spray orifice extending through the pedestal; disposing a wafer above the pedestal using a first robot, wherein the wafer has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface faces the pedestal, a fluid is sprayed onto the first surface simultaneously to avoid a contact of the first surface with the pedestal, and the fluid contains a charge-forming chemical substance dissolved therein; and taking the wafer using a robot for delivery. Due to the charge-forming chemical substance dissolved in the fluid, the waterfall effect to cause discharge damage on the wafer is avoided in the spraying of the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Kuo-Wei Yang, Hui-Shen Shih, Chih-Jen Mao, Cho-Long Lin
  • Publication number: 20080268223
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite sheet for mounting a workpiece and a method for making the same. The composite sheet includes a buffer layer and an adsorption layer. The buffer layer has a plurality of continuous pores. The adsorption layer is located on the buffer layer for adsorbing a workpiece, and the compression ratio of the buffer layer is higher than that of the adsorption layer. Thereby, due to low hardness, good adsorption effect, and high compression ratio, the composite sheet of the present invention has good buffer effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Chung-Chih Feng, I-Peng Yao, Lyang-Gung Wang, Zong-Yao Ku
  • Publication number: 20080261402
    Abstract: A method of removing an insulating layer on a substrate is described, including a first CMP process and a second CMP process performed in sequence, wherein the polishing slurry used in the first CMP process and that used in the second CMP process have substantially the same pH value that exceeds 7.0. A cleaning step is conducted between the first and the second CMP processes to remove a specific substance which would otherwise cause undesired particles to form in the second CMP process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chan Lu, Teng-Chun Tsai, Chih-Yueh Li, Kai-Gin Yang, Chien-Chung Huang, Chia-Hsi Chen, Tzu-Hui Wu
  • Publication number: 20080261497
    Abstract: A two-layer structure retainer ring is capable of giving a uniform pressing force while uniting a first ring and a second ring more securely. A first ring 11 is formed with a pressed-and-fitted portion 11d over the full circumference of a lower surface 11c thereof and a second ring 12 is formed with a pressing-and-fitting portion 12d over the full circumference of an upper surface 12c thereof; the first ring 11 and the second ring 12 are united by pressing and fitting the pressing-and-fitting portion 12d into the pressed-and-fitted portion 11d; and an adhesive 13 is provided between the lower surface 11c of the first ring 11 and the upper surface 12c of the second ring 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventor: Tsutomu Ichinoshime
  • Patent number: 7438795
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing pad, intended for polishing a substrate, and designed for improved flow and distribution of a polishing composition to the area of interaction between the pad and substrate. In one aspect, a polishing pad is provided having first and second pluralities of unidirectional pores configured to communicate polishing composition between the top and bottom surfaces of the pad. A cyclic flow of composition is established to continuously renew composition to the area of interaction between the pad and the substrate. In another aspect, a polishing apparatus is provided having a polishing composition transfer region between a polishing pad and a platen. Pores disposed through the pad communicate composition from the transfer region to the top surface. To facilitate directing the composition into the pores, the apparatus includes a plurality of protrusions protruding into the transfer region that are aligned with the pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Ian W. Wylie, Sriram P. Anjur
  • Patent number: 7438632
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning a web-based chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) system. Specifically, a fluid spray bar is coupled to a frame assembly which may be mounted on a CMP system. The fluid spray bar will move along the frame assembly. As the fluid spray bar traverses the length of the frame assembly, a cleaning fluid is sprayed onto the web in order to clean the web between planarization cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott E. Moore, Dinesh Chopra
  • Patent number: 7435165
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a chemical-mechanical polishing pad substrate comprising a porous material having an average pore size of about 0.01 microns to about 1 micron. The polishing pad substrate has a light transmittance of about 10% or more at at least one wavelength of about 200 nm to about 35,000 nm. The invention is further directed to a polishing pad comprising the polishing pad substrate, a method of polishing comprising the use of the polishing pad substrate, and a chemical-mechanical apparatus comprising the polishing pad substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventor: Abaneshwar Prasad
  • Patent number: 7429207
    Abstract: A method of forming a polishing pad with a polishing layer having a polishing surface and a back surface. A plurality of grooves are formed on the polishing surface, and an indentation is formed in the back surface of the polishing layer. A region on the polishing surface corresponding to the indentation in the back surface is free of grooves or has shallower grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Boguslaw A. Swedek, Manoocher Birang
  • Patent number: 7419420
    Abstract: A substrate holding mechanism, a substrate polishing apparatus and a substrate polishing method have functions capable of minimizing an amount of heat generated during polishing of a substrate to be polished and of effectively cooling a substrate holding part of the substrate holding mechanism, and also capable of effectively preventing a polishing solution and polishing dust from adhering to an outer peripheral portion of the substrate holding part and drying thereon. The substrate holding mechanism has a mounting flange, a support member 6 and a retainer ring. A substrate to be polished is held on a lower side of the support member surrounded by the retainer ring, and the substrate is pressed against a polishing surface of a polishing table. The mounting flange is provided with a flow passage contiguous with at least the retainer ring. A temperature-controlled gas is supplied through the flow passage to cool the mounting flange, the support member and the retainer ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tetsuji Togawa, Toshio Watanabe, Hiroyuki Yano, Gen Toyota, Kenji Iwade, Yoshikuni Tateyama
  • Publication number: 20080207093
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for concurrently chemically and mechanically polishing a substrate edge. The invention includes a substrate support adapted to rotate a substrate; a polishing head adapted to contact an edge of the substrate, the polishing head including a first channel adapted to apply a first fluid to the edge of the substrate; a second channel adapted to direct a second fluid onto a major surface of the rotating substrate; and a third channel adapted to direct a third fluid at the major surface of the substrate and to prevent the second fluid from diluting the first fluid. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Sen-Hou Ko, Zhenhua Zhang, Yufei Chen, Wei-Yung Hsu
  • Patent number: 7407433
    Abstract: Tools and methods for in-situ characterizing of a surface of a polishing pad are described. A characterization tool is integrated with polishing tool so that the polishing pad can be monitored in-situ. The characterization tool and the polishing pad can be rotated or moved so that any portion of the polishing pad can be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Rashid A. Mavliev, Simon Yavelberg, Gerald J. Alonzo
  • Patent number: 7404757
    Abstract: An apparatus for breaking in new pad conditioning disks for use in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system that polishes a semiconductor wafer by pressing the semiconductor wafer against a moving polishing pad. The apparatus comprises a break-in head that is removably attached to a drive shaft to which a polishing head that holds the semiconductor wafer is normally attached. The break-in head holds multiple pad conditioning disks and presses the plurality of pad conditioning disks against the moving polishing pad. The break-in head comprises a drive mechanism for rotating the multiple pad conditioning disks. The drive mechanism is coupled to the drive shaft and rotates the multiple pad conditioning disks by translating a rotating motion of the drive shaft into rotating motions of the multiple pad conditioning disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignees: Samsung Austin Semiconductor, L.P., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Randall J. Lujan
  • Publication number: 20080176488
    Abstract: The grinding method of a disk-shaped substrate that grinds a disk-shaped substrate including a portion having a hole at the center thereof while rotating the disk-shaped substrate is provided with: grinding an inner circumference of the disk-shaped substrate while an inner circumference grinding device is fed in a radial direction toward an outer circumference of the disk-shaped substrate and grinding the outer circumference of the disk-shaped substrate while an outer circumference grinding device is fed in the radial direction toward the inner circumference of the disk-shaped substrate; and stopping the feedings of the inner circumference grinding device and the outer circumference grinding device at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicants: SHOWA DENKO K.K., CITIZEN SEIMITSU CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki HANEDA, Satoshi Fujinami
  • Publication number: 20080160884
    Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a rotating polishing tool with high durability that can finish a polished surface with desired surface roughness. As means thereof, a substantially cylindrical polishing member 3 is constituted by a pair of polishing units 9 at opposite ends, and an intermediate portion 10 provided between the pair of polishing units 9. The polishing member 3 is rotatably supported around the central axis thereof, and polishes a polished surface with a peripheral surface thereof. The polishing unit 9 includes a plurality of abrasive cloth/paper sheets 7 pressingly held by an inner metal fitting 8, and forms peripheral edges of the abrasive cloth/paper sheets 7 into a serpentine shape. The intermediate portion 10 includes a plurality of laminated abrasive cloth/paper sheets 7 axially pressingly held by the polishing units 9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2004
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Naomi Nishiki
  • Publication number: 20080160885
    Abstract: A retaining ring for a chemical mechanical polishing tool comprises a pad side surface. The pad side surface has an edge portion adjacent its outer circumference. A surface normal of the edge portion and a surface normal of the pad side surface include an acute angle. Additionally, or alternatively, the retaining ring may comprise at least one groove extending from an inner circumference of the pad side surface to the outer circumference of the pad side surface. The groove comprises at least one edge portion adjacent the pad side surface. A surface normal of the at least one edge portion and a surface normal of the pad side surface include an acute angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Sven Winterlich, Alexander Ulrich
  • Patent number: 7390242
    Abstract: An apparatus for turning a hard and/or brittle material includes a precision workpiece spindle, a workpiece support, a hard and/or brittle workpiece rigidly coupled to the workpiece support, and a diamond tool blade rigidly coupled to a spin-turner mechanism. The diamond tool blade is formed to include a cutting edge arranged to confront the hard and/or brittle workpiece to remove material from the workpiece to form precision-turned components such as optical lenses, mirrors, and optical molds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Edge Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: George A. Kim, James Andrew Simonson
  • Publication number: 20080125021
    Abstract: A disk holder suitable for a disk rotating device of a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus is provided. The disk holder is provided with a base and a fence. The base has a bearing surface at the bottom for bearing a disk thereon. The fence is connected to the peripheral of the base and extends there-from towards a space above the base. By the additional fence, the disk holder prevents the chippings on the base from being flung away from the base under the influence of a centrifugal force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chih-Ming Tsai
  • Publication number: 20080119118
    Abstract: A carrier head that has a base assembly, a retaining ring assembly, a carrier ring, and a flexible membrane is described. A retaining ring assembly has a flexible membrane shaped to provide an annular chamber and an annular retaining ring, wherein annular concentric projections of the flexible membrane are sized to fit into annular concentric recesses of the annular retaining ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Steven M. Zuniga, Andrew J. Nagengast, Jeonghoon Oh
  • Patent number: 7374471
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for polishing objects, such as semiconductor wafers, utilizes one or more pivotable load-and-unload cups to transfer the objects to and/or from one or more object carriers to polish the objects. Each pivotable load-and-unload cup may be configured to transfer the objects to and/or from a single object carrier. Alternatively, each pivotable load-and-unload cup may be configured to transfer the objects to and/or from two object carriers. The pivotable load-and-unload cups may be configured to be pivoted about one or more pivoting points over at least one polishing surface, such as a polishing pad surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Inopla Inc.
    Inventor: In Kwon Jeong
  • Publication number: 20080113593
    Abstract: In a polishing holder for workpiece end surface, a main body and a framework are respectively provided with corresponding fixing portions, at least one of the two fixing portions has at least one set of upper and lower contact portions, the upper and the lower contact portions on each set are respectively disposed above and below a contact plane of the polished end surface of the workpiece and a polishing surface; the mutual contact restriction between the upper and lower contact portions and another fixing portion is used to allow the main body to be maintained parallel to the polishing surface and the pressure exerted on the polished end surface of each workpiece to be closer to an equivalent value. Whereby, the number of simultaneously polished optical fiber end surfaces can be increased so as to elevate the polishing speed and quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Kow-Je Ling
  • Patent number: 7371152
    Abstract: A method for subaperture polishing includes determining a first portion of a sample to be polished disproportionately compared to a second portion of the sample. Based on the determination of the first portion, a sweep frequency that is a first rate of lateral motion for a polishing pad is selected to be substantially equal to an integer multiple of a rotation frequency that is a rate of rotation for the sample. The method further includes rotating the polishing pad at the polishing frequency, rotating the sample at the rotation frequency, and polishing the sample using the polishing pad while rotating the polishing pad and the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventor: Clayton R. Newman
  • Patent number: 7367867
    Abstract: A two-side working machine, comprising an upper and a lower working disc which hold on, and are fixed to, an upper and a lower carrier disc, and which are disposed coaxially with each other and are adapted to be rotationally driven relative to each other by a working motor via a driving shaft, wherein the working discs have formed therebetween a working gap in which flat workpieces are processed on both sides, and a distance measuring device which measures the distance between working discs in at least two radially spaced points of the working gap, whereby the upper carrier disc is suspended on a supporting ring which is connected to the upper working shaft so as to be fixed for rotation, an annular portion of the carrier disc and means which are externally controllable by the supporting ring and via which a radial force is applied to the circumference of the carrier disc about the circumference of the supporting ring by means of a force generator, and control means are provided which adjust the force on the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Peter Wolters AG
    Inventor: Hans-Peter Boller
  • Publication number: 20080102732
    Abstract: An edge control system for deployment on a CMP carrier head comprising a bladder and a carrier head housing having a passage extending therethrough. The bladder includes a flexible diaphragm and is coupled to the carrier head housing. The edge control system comprises first and second annular ribs, each of which comprises a first end portion sealingly coupled to the carrier head housing, a second end portion coupled to the diaphragm, and a strain relief member substantially intermediate the first end portion and the second end portion. A plenum is substantially defined by the first and second annular ribs and the carrier head housing. The passage is fluidly coupled to the plenum to permit the pressurization of the plenum, and the strain relief member promotes the extension of the first and second annular ribs away from the carrier head housing when the plenum is pressurized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: NOVELLUS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Severson, John Stumpf, Stephen C. Schultz
  • Patent number: 7364497
    Abstract: A polishing pad for use in chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor substrate enhances the uniformity of the rate at which material is removed from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, thereby ensuring the reproducibility of the chemical mechanical polishing process. The polishing pad has main grooves that divide an upper portion of the pad into a plurality of cells. At least one of the cells includes a land portion and a grooved portion substantially enclosed by the land portion. A respective slurry hole extends through the pad to the grooved portion such that slurry supplied through the slurry hole feeds into the grooved portion but is impeded by the land portion from flowing outwardly of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Moo-yong Park, Tae-hoon Lee, Jae-eung Koo
  • Patent number: 7364493
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for grinding or polishing an optic is provided. The apparatus includes a shell adapted to a bending profile, torque actuators attached at an outer edge of the shell and coupled to each other, a tensioning system attached at the outer edge of the shell, and a control system for computing the bending profile and controlling the torque actuators and tensioning system. The torque actuators and tensioning system apply bending moments to the edge of the shell to adapt the shell according to the bending profile provided by the control system. A calibration system further corrects errors in a measured bending profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: David N. Strafford, Brian M. Charles, Timothy S. Lewis, William C. Lebbon, James M. Warner
  • Patent number: 7357698
    Abstract: A polishing pad for chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer comprises a first groove pattern circularly formed on the surface of the polishing pad, and a second groove pattern formed on the surface of the polishing pad while spirally extending from the circular center of the polishing pad to the outside so as to overlap the first groove pattern. The polishing pad further comprises a third groove pattern formed on the surface of the polishing pad while radially extending from the circular center of the polishing pad to the outside so as to overlap the first and second groove patterns. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus comprises the polishing pad. The polishing pad of the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus has enhanced groove patterns formed on the polishing pad to provide uniform distribution of the slurry, thereby enhancing polishing speed and polishing uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Soo Choi
  • Patent number: 7354335
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a load cup mechanism is provided for loading and unloading apparatus such as a CMP apparatus. The load cup mechanism, configured to load a work piece into and to unload a work piece from the apparatus, comprises a load cup arm configured to pivot about an axis between a load position aligned with the apparatus and an off-load position. A work piece platform is coupled to an end of the load cup arm and a plurality of lift fingers and a plurality of guide fingers, configured to support and center a work piece, are spaced about the work piece platform. A plurality of guide posts are spaced apart about the periphery of the work piece platform and are configured to align the work piece platform, in the load position, to the processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David T. Marquardt, Joe E. Koeth, James Jed Crawford, James Ekberg, Antoni F. Jakubiec, Michael D. Smigel, John F. Stumpf
  • Publication number: 20080076336
    Abstract: Damage of a surface plate used in a CMP apparatus due to troubles generated in repair or replacement of the surface plate, operation of the CMP apparatus, etc. is prevented. In order to solve the problem, the present invention provides a surface plate protecting device in the CMP apparatus, which is a surface plate 2 used in the CMP apparatus, wherein a polishing pad 16 is replaceably bonded with the upper surface of a sheet 8, and the lower surface of the sheet 8 is bonded with the upper surface of the surface plate 2 by an adhesive agent 9 having adhesive force larger than the adhesive force of the polishing pad 16, so that damage or the like of the surface of the surface plate 2 generated due to troubles, etc. in polishing of a wafer can be blocked by the sheet 8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Akihiko Saito, Shin-ichi Tsujimura
  • Patent number: 7344434
    Abstract: A retaining ring can be shaped by machining or lapping the bottom surface of the ring to form a shaped profile in the bottom surface. The bottom surface of the retaining ring can include flat, sloped and curved portions. The lapping can be performed using a machine that dedicated for use in lapping the bottom surface of retaining rings. During the lapping the ring can be permitted to rotate freely about an axis of the ring. The bottom surface of the retaining ring can have curved or flat portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Steven M. Zuniga, Charles C. Garretson, Douglas R. McAllister, Stacy Meyer, Trung T. Doan, Daniel Cam Toan Lu, Romain Beau De Lamenie, Venkata R. Balagani, Aden Martin Allen, Michael Jon Fong
  • Publication number: 20080064308
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus that polishes a substrate to be processed includes a rotary polishing table carrying a polishing pad on a surface thereof, and a polishing head that urges the substrate to be processed against the polishing pad while rotating the substrate to be processed, wherein the polishing head holds the substrate to be processed by a retainer ring, the retainer ring includes: a resin ring formed of a resin and contacted with the polishing pad; and an upper part ring that holds the resin ring, at least first and second patterns of convex shape or concave shape are formed on a junction surface of the upper part ring where the upper part ring is contacted with the resin ring, at least third and fourth patterns of concave shape or convex shape are formed on a junction surface of the resin ring where the resin ring makes contact with the upper electrode, in a manner complementary to the patterns of the convex shape or concave shape formed on the junction surface of the upper electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Naoki Idani