Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a polishing pad including a pad structure having at least first and second polishing regions defined along a polishing surface of the pad structure. The first polishing region of the pad structure is less compressible than the second polishing region of the pad structure. The present disclosure also relates to a polish platen including a platen structure having at least first and second regions adapted for supporting a polishing pad. The first region of the platen structure is less compressible than the second region of the platen structure.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to polishing pads useful in determining an end to the useful wear life thereof. In a simple embodiment of the present invention, a polishing pad that is used with slurries is dyed on one side in a manner that causes the dye to permeate the pad to a limited depth that does not cause total coloring. Another embodiment of the present invention involves a fixed abrasive pad that has fixed abrasives embedded into the pad to a selected depth where at least one color level is within the portion of the pad that contains the fixed abrasives. After dyeing the pad, the pad is attached to the polishing platen. During the polishing operation, a color change signals a time to stop the polishing operation and change the pad. With multiple colors in the pad, limited only by the ability to dye the pad with uniform depth levels, characteristic wear patterns can be observed and adjustments made accordingly to prolong and optimize pad life.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing pad having a double-layer structure that allows a polishing liquid to permeate evenly throughout the pad while enabling a wafer to be evenly polished up to the neighborhood of its outer circumference.

Abstract: An attachment system for a lens surfacing and polishing pad adapted for use with a lapping tool is described. The lapping tool includes a curved surface having a metallic surface disposed on at least a portion thereof. The pad has a configuration conforming to the curved surface of the lapping tool and includes a first abrasive surface and a second metallic surface. The metallic surface of the lapping tool may be magnetized, either selectively or permanently, permitting the metallic substrate surface to adhere thereto, thus removably fastening the pad to the lapping tool. Alternatively, the metallic surface of the pad may be magnetized, permitting the metallic surface of the lapping tool to adhere thereto, thus removably fastening the pad to the lapping tool.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polish apparatus (FIG. 3B) for planarizing a semiconductor wafer (31) is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing pad (21) and a polishing head (32). The polishing pad includes a surface for polishing the semiconductor wafer. The surface has a hole (20). The polishing head is cooperatively engaged with the polishing pad. The polishing head holds the semiconductor wafer and applies it against the polishing pad. Both the polishing head and the polishing pad are rotatable.

Abstract: The present invention is an under-pad placed between a polishing pad and a platen of a planarizing machine used in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers. The under-pad has a body and a plurality of thermal conductors positioned in the body to conduct heat through the body. The body has a top face upon which the polishing pad is positionable and a bottom face engageable with the platen. In operation, heat from the platen and polishing pad flows through the thermal conductors to reduce temperature gradients across the planarizing surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a rotatable platen for receiving a polishing pad. The polishing pad is attached to a polishing pad support plate. The polishing pad support plate is removably secured to the platen by a fastening assembly.

Abstract: The present invention is a planarizing machine for use in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers that has a moveable platen, a polishing pad, a wafer carrier, and a wafer separator. The polishing pad is positioned on the platen, and it has a planarizing surface with an operational zone upon which the wafer may be planarized. The wafer carrier holds a wafer and is positionable opposite the polishing pad to engage the wafer with the operational zone of the polishing pad. The wafer separator engages either the polishing pad, the wafer, or the wafer carrier to urge a portion of the wafer away from the pad.

Abstract: The inventive polishing pad is used for planarizing semiconductor wafers or other substrates with a mechanical or CMP process; the polishing pad preferably has a body made from a matrix material, bonding molecules bonded to the matrix material, and abrasive particles bonded to the bonding molecules in a manner that affixes the abrasive particles to the matrix material and substantially maintains the affixation between the matrix material and the abrasive particles in the presence of an electrostatic CMP slurry or other planarizing solution. The bonding molecules are preferably covalently attached to the matrix material and substantially all of the abrasive particles are preferably covalently bonded to at least one bonding molecule.

Abstract: When a mounting member employed for fine polishing of semiconductor substrates or glass substrates etc. is constituted of a combination of a sheet of continuous porous structure and a template, operating efficiency is lowered by the need to change the template; this is a factor raising production costs, and edge portions of the polishing workpiece get damaged by contact with the template, causing production of defective articles. By making the mounting member for polishing a member in which water repellence was conferred on at least a surface skin layer of a continuous sheet of porous structure, fine polishing without a template was made possible.

Abstract: A polishing pad made of a flexible material includes a first major surface, a second major surface, and a large number of holes. The first major surface is urged by a rotatable polishing target member to polish a polishing target surface of the urged polishing target member by using a slurry. The second major surface is adhered to a rotatable platen. The large number of holes extend between the first and second major surfaces and serve as slurry reservoirs. The holes have a larger opening area on the second major surface than that on the first major surface. A polishing apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) device, a semiconductor wafer is held by a carrier with its surface to be polished facing upward. A polishing belt is fed from one reel and taken up by the other reel by way of pulleys, running in contact with the surface of the wafer to be polished. A conditioning pad conditions the front or polishing surface of the belt facing the wafer. A nozzle feeds polishing slurry to the rear of the belt not facing the wafer. A plurality of press rollers cause the slurry to exude from the front of the belt while pressing the slurry and belt against the surface of the wafer. The belt filters out impurities introduced into the slurry.

Abstract: A unitary lap blank has a front polishing portion and a rear disk portion contoured for coupling the disk to a chuck of the lathe and also to a chuck of the polishing machine. Preferably, the disk has a circular channel in its face opposed to its base and a pair of seats in the opposed face symmetrically diametrically aligned in a land defined by the channel. The channel is of diameter, width and depth and the seats are spaced for mating with complementary components on the lathe chuck. The disk also has a circular seat centered in the land and a pair of parallel side walls disposed along symmetrically opposed cords of the disk transverse to a line connecting the pair of seats, the side walls being spaced apart by a distance and the seat being of diameter and depth for mating with complementary components on the polishing machine chuck.

Abstract: A polishing pad for use in chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of semiconductor wafers includes a multiplicity of elongated microcolumns embedded in a matrix material body. The elongated microcolumns are oriented parallel to each other and extend from a planarizing surface used to planarize the semiconductor wafers. The elongated microcolumns are uniformly distributed throughout the polishing pad in order to impart uniform properties throughout the polishing pad. The polishing pad can also include elongated pores either coaxial width or interspersed between the elongated microcolumns to provide uniform porosity throughout the polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention includes a polishing pad to improve polishing uniformity across a semiconductor substrate and a method using the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a first region that is closer to the edge of the polishing pad and a second region adjacent to the first region and further from the edge of the polishing pad. The polishing pad is configured, so that the second region is thicker or less compressible compared to the first region. The polishing pad should not require significantly changing any of the equipment. Oscillating range and possibly polishing pressure may need to be changed when one of the polishing pads of the present invention is used. Other operational parameters are not expected to be substantially different from a conventional polishing pad, although slight optimization of the other operating parameters may be needed.

Abstract: A novel polishing pad having voids and optional abrasives incorporated therein is disclosed. The contents of each void facilitates the detection of the end point at which the polishing pad becomes worn out during a polishing operation. Chemicals stored within voids are released by the breaching of the voids caused by the polishing operation. The chemical released is selected to halt the chemical polishing, change the color of the pad, or to detectably change the torque load on the rotating fixed abrasive pad. Empty voids cause an noise from fluids such as air being forced into the voids. The visual or audible diagnostic resulting from the breaching of voids help to control the polishing operation and thus increase yield.

Abstract: The present invention is a planarizing machine for use in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers that has a moveable platen, a polishing pad, a wafer carrier, and a wafer separator. The polishing pad is positioned on the platen, and it has a planarizing surface with an operational zone upon which the wafer may be planarized. The wafer carrier holds a wafer and is positionable opposite the polishing pad to engage the wafer with the operational zone of the polishing pad. The wafer separator engages either the polishing pad, the wafer, or the wafer carrier to urge a portion of the wafer away from the pad.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing pad for use in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers, and a method for making the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a body, molecular bonding links, and abrasive particles dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the body. The body is made from a polymeric matrix material and the molecular bonding links are covalently bonded to the matrix material. Substantially all of the abrasive particles are covalently bonded to at least one molecular bonding link. The molecular bonding links securely affix the abrasive particles to the matrix material to enhance the uniformity, of the distribution of the abrasive particles throughout the pad and to substantially prevent the abrasive particles from breaking away from the pad.

Abstract: A technique for mounting polishing pads to a platen in chemi-mechanical semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus is disclosed. A lower pad is mounted to the platen, and is trimmed to the size of the platen. An upper pad is mounted to the lower pad, and is sized so that an extreme outer edge portion of the upper pad extends beyond the trimmed outer edge of the lower pad. The outer edge portion of the upper pad is deformed downwardly, towards the lower pad. In this manner, polishing slurry is diverted from the pad-to-pad interface. Additionally, an integral annular lip can be formed on the front face of the upper pad, creating a reservoir for slurry to be retained on the face of the upper pad for enhancing residence time of the polishing slurry prior to the slurry washing over the face of the upper pad.

Abstract: A surfacing pad adapted for use with a lapping tool has a substrate sheet having a plurality of mushroom-shaped projections which interlock with a number of loops on a lapping tool for retention of the pad on the tool. A segmented projection means is also provided.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a semi-conductor wafer processing machine including an arm having a wafer carrier disposed at one end. The wafer carrier is rotatable with the rotating motion imparted to a semi-conductor wafer held thereon. In first embodiment, the machine further includes a rotatable polishing pad having an upper surface divided into a plurality of wedge-shaped sections, including an abrasion section and a polishing section. The abrasion section has a relatively rough texture and the polishing section has a relatively fine texture as compared to each other. In an alternative embodiment, the pad includes an underlayer and surface layer. The surface layer includes two sections of differing hardness, both of which are harder than the underlayer. Alternatively, the surface layer may include one relatively hard section, and the underlayer may include two sections, one of which has the same hardness as the surface layer and the other of which is softer than the surface layer.

Abstract: A technique for mounting polishing pads to a platen in chemi-mechanical polishing apparatus is disclosed. With two polishing pads, prior to assembly, a seal of material impervious to the chemical action of a polishing slurry is disposed about the perimeter of the interface between the pads. Preferably, the seal is a bead of silicon-based "gasket" material, such as General Electric silicon caulk (RTV) or Dow Corning silicon adhesive, and is disposed in a ring at a radius r' about one inch inward from the perimeter (circumference) of the pads. When the pads are assembled together, the bead squashes and (1) forms a seal, and (2) causes the periphery of the upper pad to curve upward--thereby creating a bowl-like reservoir for increasing the residence time of slurry on the face of the pad prior to overflowing the pad.