Patents Assigned to Rodel Holdings, Inc.
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Patent number: 6464576Abstract: A stacked polishing pad includes an upper polishing layer and a lower sub-layer having major faces which are in contact with each other. The polishing layer is substantially impermeable to liquid while the sub-layer is liquid absorbent. The sub-layer has an outer peripheral edge which is sealed to prevent absorption of liquid into the sub-layer through the outer peripheral edge. When the stacked polishing pad is mounted on a platen of a polishing machine, the sub-layer has no exposed surface which can absorb liquid.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2000Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Peter W. Freeman, Marco A. Acevedo, Jon D. Jacobs, Jr.
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Patent number: 6454633Abstract: A polishing pad is provided which is comprised of vertically oriented hollow fibers. Such pads can be produced by electrostatically flocking fibers onto a substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2000Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Heinz F. Reinhardt, Elmer W. Jensen, Jr.
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Patent number: 6454634Abstract: An improved pad and process for polishing metal damascene structures on a semiconductor wafer. The process includes the steps of pressing the wafer against the surface of a polymer sheet in combination with an aqueous-based liquid that optionally contains sub-micron particles and providing a means for relative motion of wafer and polishing pad under pressure so that the moving pressurized contact results in planar removal of the surface of said wafer, wherein the polishing pad has a low elastic recovery when said load is removed, so that the mechanical response of the sheet is largely anelastic. The improved pad is characterized by a high energy dissipation coupled with a high pad stiffness. The pad exhibits a stable morphology that can be reproduced easily and consistently. The pad surface resists glazing, thereby requiring less frequent and less aggressive conditioning.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2000Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: David B. James, Arun Vishwanathan, Lee Melbourne Cook, Peter A. Burke, David Shidner
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Patent number: 6447375Abstract: A polishing method uses a dry particulate solids composition that is reconstituted into an aqueous composition for delivery to a polishing apparatus. In one aspect of the invention, the dry particulate solids composition is provided in a package size that is just substantially sufficient to make a reconstituted slurry for completing the polishing of a predetermined number of work pieces. The quantity of dry particulate solids delivered to a reconstitution apparatus can be an amount appropriate for polishing one work piece or a small number of work pieces, or the system can operate in larger batches or a continuous flow mode. The reconstituted aqueous polishing solution can be monitored for physical or chemical properties, filtered, blended with other chemical mixtures, or modified in other ways prior to being used in the polishing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2001Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Paul J. Yancey, Robert L. Rhoades
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Patent number: 6447373Abstract: A slurry for use in chemical-mechanical polishing of a metal layer comprising particles dispersed in an aqueous medium. The slurry particles will tend to agglomerate when the slurry is at rest and will de-agglomerate with simple stirring. Such metastable slurry systems have been found to be particularly advantageous for metal polishing, particularly the polishing of metal layers during the manufacture of semiconductor devices.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Craig D. Lack, Qiuliang Luo, Qianqiu (Christine) Ye, Vikas Sachan, Terence M. Thomas, Peter A. Burke
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Patent number: 6443812Abstract: A composition is provided which is useful for the polishing of a semiconductor wafer substrate comprising an organic polymer having a backbone comprised of at least 16 carbon atoms, the polymer having a plurality of moieties with affinity to surface groups on the semiconductor wafer surface. Another composition is provided which is useful for the polishing of a semiconductor wafer substrate comprising a surfactant having a carbon chain backbone comprised of at least 16 carbon atoms.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2000Date of Patent: September 3, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Wesley D. Costas, James Shen
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Patent number: 6439989Abstract: An article or polishing pad for altering a surface of a workpiece includes a polymeric matrix having a work surface and a subsurface proximate to the work surface. When the article is in contact with a working environment, the work surface is made relatively softer than the subsurface as a result of exposure to the working environment. As the work surface wears during use, the subsurface immediately adjacent to the work surface becomes exposed to the working environment and becomes the relatively softer work surface. As a result, the relatively softer work surface is continuously regenerated. In an alternative embodiment, an article for altering a surface of a workpiece includes a work surface having a texture, and the texture includes artifacts arranged in a fractal pattern.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1999Date of Patent: August 27, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Heinz F. Reinhardt, John V. H. Roberts, Harry George McClain, William D. Budinger, Elmer William Jensen
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Patent number: 6428586Abstract: Manufacture of a polishing pad for polishing a semiconductor substrate, involves, transporting a backing layer to successive manufacturing stations, supplying a fluid phase polymer composition onto the transported backing layer, shaping the fluid phase polymer composition into a surface layer having a measured thickness, and curing the polymer composition on the transported backing layer in a curing oven to convert the liquid phase polymer composition to a solid phase polishing layer attached to the transported backing layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2000Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventor: Paul J. Yancey
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Patent number: 6425816Abstract: Polishing pads are provided having a polishing surface formed from a material. The polishing surface has a topography produced by a thermoforming process. The topography consists of large and small features that facilitate the flow of polishing fluid and facilitate smoothing and planarizing.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2001Date of Patent: July 30, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: John V. H. Roberts, David B. James, Lee Melbourne Cook, Charles W. Jenkins
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Patent number: 6425803Abstract: A polishing pad is provided comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, substantially parallel to one another, wherein the pad has enhanced flexibility produced by scoring of either or both surfaces. The pad thickness is generally greater than 500 &mgr;. The scoring creates slits having a depth of less than 90% of the thickness.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2000Date of Patent: July 30, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventor: Arthur Richard Baker, III
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Patent number: 6419556Abstract: A polishing pad for polishing hard surfaces such as glass and silicon wafers and a method of polishing using such a polishing pad.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2000Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Walter J. Urbanavage, Heinz F. Reinhardt
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Patent number: 6419553Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for break-in and conditioning polishing pads containing a fixed abrasive matrix. The polishing pads are useful for chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). The present invention also relates to a method of determining the wear rate of a fixed abrasive polishing pad.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2001Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Vilas N. Koinkar, Reza Golzarian, Matthew VanHanehem, Qiuliang Luo, James Shen, Peter A. Burke
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Patent number: 6413288Abstract: A dry particulate solids composition is provided which may be reconstituted into a chemical-mechanical polishing slurry.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2001Date of Patent: July 2, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings, Inc.Inventor: Paul J. Yancey
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Patent number: 6402595Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is polished by a method which avoids constant instantaneous relative velocity between the wafer and an abrasive medium. The wafer is held by a tooling head and is contacted by an abrasive pad which is fixedly attached to a table. At least one of the tooling head and the table is movable relative to the other. A controller governs movement of the tooling head and/or the table according to a predetermined polishing pattern to initially effect a uniform instantaneous relative velocity between the wafer and the abrasive pad. The wafer is held by the tooling head in an initial orientation with respect to the abrasive pad. By changing the orientation of the wafer with respect to the abrasive pad, the instantaneous relative velocity changes for at least some point on the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2000Date of Patent: June 11, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventor: Frederick H. Fiesser
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Patent number: 6390909Abstract: A conditioning disk including a unitary thermoplastic polymer sheet material cut a unitary circular plate formed with gear teeth along its circular edge, and formed with block form protrusions that are impelled in a sweeping motion by rotation of the unitary plate as a planetary gear in meshed engagement with a sun gear and a ring gear of a polishing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2001Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Bernard Foster, Paul J. Freeman
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Patent number: 6387312Abstract: A polishing pad is formed by solidifying a flowable polymeric material at different rates of cooling to provide a polishing pad with a transparent region and an adjacent opaque region. Types of polymeric material suitable for making the polishing pad include a single thermoplastic material, a blend of thermoplastic materials, and a reactive thermosetting polymer.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2000Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: John V. H. Roberts, Barry Scott Pinheiro, David B. James
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Patent number: 6379406Abstract: This invention provides a polishing composition with a stable pH for use in CMP of semiconductor substrates comprising: high-purity submicron particles of a metal oxide and a soluble metal salt of the metal oxide. The metal salt is present in a proportionate amount to adjust the aqueous concentration of metal ions to the equilibrium solubility of the metal oxide at the desired pH of the polishing composition.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2000Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Terence M. Thomas, Craig D. Lack, Steven P. Goehringer
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Patent number: 6375559Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing system which is particularly well suited for use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices or the like. The invention is directed to a polishing pad composition comprising a high modulus phase component and a low modulus phase component. The multi-phase polishing pads are very efficient and effective in providing high performance polishing along an entire polishing surface interface.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 1999Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: David B. James, William D. Budinger, John V. H. Roberts, Michael R. Oliver, Nina G. Chechik, Richard M. Levering, Jr., Lee Melbourne Cook
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Patent number: 6375694Abstract: Water based polishing slurries, comprising oxide polishing particles. The polishing slurries comprise an innovative (multi-modal) particle distribution for improved polishing performance.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: John V. H. Roberts, Lee Melbourne Cook, William D. Budinger
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Patent number: 6365520Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical mechanical polishing slurry for the planarization of shallow trench isolation structures and other integrated circuit structures. The chemical mechanical polishing slurry of this invention comprises small abrasive particles having a mean diameter of between about 2 and 30 nm and large abrasive particles having a mean diameter of between 2 and 10 times larger than the mean diameter of the small abrasive particles. In use, the chemical mechanical polishing slurry of this invention can also include viscosity additives and etchants.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2000Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Rodel Holdings Inc.Inventors: Robert L. Rhoades, Robert C. Roberts, Paul J. Yancey