Patents by Inventor Chia-Ying TIEN

Chia-Ying TIEN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11679468
    Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing method includes placing a wafer onto a top side of a polish pad disposed on a platen; introducing a slurry through at least one first hole of the platen to the top side of the polish pad; polishing the wafer with the top side of the polish pad; introducing a gas through a second hole of the platen to the top side of the polish pad after polishing the wafer, wherein an opening diameter of the at least one first hole is greater than an opening diameter of the second hole; and moving the wafer away from the polish pad while introducing the gas is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chia-Ying Tien
  • Patent number: 11446712
    Abstract: A system for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The system includes a CMP module configured to polish a semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a cleaning brush assembly configured to clean the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning brush includes a rotation shaft and a brush member surrounding a segment of the rotation shaft. The system also includes an agitation transducer arranged to be distant from the brush member and configured to produce an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Ying Tien, Chia-Lin Hsueh
  • Publication number: 20210331286
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator assembly configured to control a rotational kinetic energy of a wafer-platen based on an electrical energy input. The device further includes a controller configured to control the rotational kinetic energy of the wafer-platen, wherein a rotational velocity of the wafer-platen is either increased or decreased. The device further includes a converter configured to generate an electrical energy output of the rotator assembly based on decreased rotational kinetic energy of the wafer-platen. The device further includes an energy storage device configured to store the electrical energy outputted by the rotator assembly based on the decreased rotational kinetic energy of the wafer-platen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Bruce CHO, Chia-Ying TIEN, Huang-Chu KO
  • Patent number: 11072051
    Abstract: A method of controlling platen rotation includes receiving an electrical energy input at a rotator assembly, using the rotator assembly to increase a rotational kinetic energy of a platen based on the electrical energy input, using the rotator assembly to decrease the rotational kinetic energy of the platen, and generating an electrical energy output of the rotator assembly based on the decreased rotational kinetic energy of the platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Bruce Cho, Chia-Ying Tien, Huang-Chu Ko
  • Publication number: 20210060624
    Abstract: A system for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The system includes a CMP module configured to polish a semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a cleaning brush assembly configured to clean the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning brush includes a rotation shaft and a brush member surrounding a segment of the rotation shaft. The system also includes an agitation transducer arranged to be distant from the brush member and configured to produce an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Chia-Ying TIEN, Chia-Lin HSUEH
  • Patent number: 10864557
    Abstract: A system for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The system includes a CMP module configured to polish a semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a cleaning brush assembly configured to clean the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning brush includes a rotation shaft and a brush member surrounding a segment of the rotation shaft. The system also includes an agitation transducer arranged to be distant from the brush member and configured to produce an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Ying Tien, Chia-Lin Hsueh
  • Publication number: 20200361053
    Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing method includes placing a wafer onto a top side of a polish pad disposed on a platen; introducing a slurry through at least one first hole of the platen to the top side of the polish pad; polishing the wafer with the top side of the polish pad; introducing a gas through a second hole of the platen to the top side of the polish pad after polishing the wafer, wherein an opening diameter of the at least one first hole is greater than an opening diameter of the second hole; and moving the wafer away from the polish pad while introducing the gas is being performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chia-Ying TIEN
  • Publication number: 20200147752
    Abstract: A method of controlling platen rotation includes receiving an electrical energy input at a rotator assembly, using the rotator assembly to increase a rotational kinetic energy of a platen based on the electrical energy input, using the rotator assembly to decrease the rotational kinetic energy of the platen, and generating an electrical energy output of the rotator assembly based on the decreased rotational kinetic energy of the platen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Bruce CHO, Chia-Ying TIEN, Huang-Chu KO
  • Patent number: 10576606
    Abstract: A platen rotation apparatus includes a rotator assembly coupled with a platen. The rotator assembly operates in a first mode to increase a rotational kinetic energy of the platen based on an electrical energy input, and, in a second mode, to decrease the rotational kinetic energy of the platen and generate an electrical energy output based on the decreased rotational kinetic energy of the platen. An energy storage device electrically coupled with the rotator assembly provides the electrical energy input when the rotator assembly is in the first mode and receives the electrical energy output when the rotator assembly is in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Bruce Cho, Chia-Ying Tien, Huang-Chu Ko
  • Publication number: 20180361535
    Abstract: A platen rotation apparatus includes a rotator assembly coupled with a platen. The rotator assembly operates in a first mode to increase a rotational kinetic energy of the platen based on an electrical energy input, and, in a second mode, to decrease the rotational kinetic energy of the platen and generate an electrical energy output based on the decreased rotational kinetic energy of the platen. An energy storage device electrically coupled with the rotator assembly provides the electrical energy input when the rotator assembly is in the first mode and receives the electrical energy output when the rotator assembly is in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Bruce CHO, Chia-Ying TIEN, Huang-Chu KO
  • Publication number: 20170189944
    Abstract: A system for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The system includes a CMP module configured to polish a semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a cleaning brush assembly configured to clean the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning brush includes a rotation shaft and a brush member surrounding a segment of the rotation shaft. The system also includes an agitation transducer arranged to be distant from the brush member and configured to produce an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Chia-Ying TIEN, Chia-Lin HSUEH
  • Patent number: 9610615
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer after a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The method includes providing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning module. The method further includes cleaning the semiconductor wafer by rotating a cleaning brush assembly. The method also includes applying an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chia-Ying Tien, Chia-Lin Hsueh
  • Publication number: 20160293402
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer after a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The method includes providing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning module. The method further includes cleaning the semiconductor wafer by rotating a cleaning brush assembly. The method also includes applying an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Chia-Ying TIEN, Chia-Lin HSUEH