Abstract: A reinforced bladder for a chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing device includes an elastomer infused with a reinforcing material. The elastomer can be a rubber such as EPDM. The reinforcing material can be a chopped fiber such as aramid. Alternatively, the reinforcing material can be a sheet (such as a triaxial or hexaxial weave of aramid) embedded in and infused with the elastomer.

Abstract: A carrier and polishing apparatus enabling high precision polishing of a workpiece and enabling prevention of leak contamination and damage to the workpiece. A carrier 1 is provided with a carrier body 2, a pressure chamber 3, and a fluid passage portion 4 and a plurality of valve portions 5 are specially provided in the pressure chamber 3. Due to this, when the inside of the pressure chamber 3 becomes a negative pressure state, the valve portions 5 open and the wafer W is picked up by suction, while when it becomes a positive pressure state, the valve portions 5 close and the air in the pressure chamber 3 uniformly presses against the wafer W. Further, since the valve portions 5 close in the positive pressure state, the air in the pressure chamber 3 will not flow to the outside.

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: A polishing apparatus prevents uneven wear of the platen and improves the operating rate of the apparatus. The polishing apparatus provided with a platen 1 divided into an inner peripheral platen portion 11 and an outer peripheral platen portion 13 and with a carrier 5, wherein by making the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the outer peripheral platen portion 13 rotate in opposite directions and setting the rotational speeds of the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the outer peripheral platen portion 13 so that the mean relative speed of a wafer 200 and the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the mean relative speed of the wafer 200 and the outer peripheral platen portion 13 become substantially equal, it becomes possible to make the amount of wear of the polishing pad 11a of the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the amount of wear of the polishing pad 13a of the outer peripheral platen portion 13 substantially equal.

Abstract: A workpiece surface processing apparatus capable of processing the surface of a workpiece without being limited as to the shape of the workpiece and further capable of measuring the state of polish of the workpiece with a high precision. The workpiece surface processing apparatus includes three platens 1-1 to 1-3 arranged substantially point symmetrically and being rotated in the same direction by motors 17 to 19, a carrier head 2 holding a wafer W and rotating in an opposite direction to the platens 1-1 to 1-3, a rocking mechanism 3 for making the wafer W rock in a diametrical direction of the platen 1-1 so that the entire surface of the wafer W is polished. A measuring device 4 continuously measures the state of polish of the entire surface of the wafer W.

Abstract: A [work] workpiece processing apparatus and a [work] workpiece measuring method are provided in which a [work] workpiece can be processed or planarized without decreasing a processing rate and/or an operating rate of the apparatus. The apparatus can be reduced in size, and can measure the state of planarization of the [work] workpiece at a high degree of accuracy. The apparatus includes a rotatable surface plate, and a carrier 6 for swinging or oscillating a [work] workpiece 200 in a radial direction of the surface plate 1 while pressing the [work] workpiece 200 against the surface plate 1. The surface plate 1 is divided into an inner surface plate member 11, an intermediate surface plate member 12, and an outer surface plate member 13 which are all disposed in a concentric relation and rotatable independently of each other. The intermediate surface plate member 12 is disposed between the inner and outer surface plate members 11 and 13.

Abstract: A single sensor 19 simultaneously measures the thickness and contour of a polishing pad 3 before and after polishing to determine changes in the thickness and contour of the polishing pad 3 caused by polishing. Based on these changes, a reproduction signal for pad reproduction or a replacement signal for pad replacement is output from a controlling means 13 to enable the surface accuracy of the polishing pad to be efficiently controlled.

Abstract: A CMP apparatus has an extended life and improved polishing accuracy and is capable of not only preventing a wafer 100 from dashing out of a carrier 1 and being damaged or wound, but also adjusting the elasticity of a pressure pad to a desired value in a fine manner. The CMP apparatus includes the carrier 1, a suction mechanism 4 having an air passage 40 disposed to open on a lower surface of the carrier 1 for drawing air, and a surface plate 300 having a hard polishing pad 220 and a soft pad 210 adhered thereto. The pressure pad in the form of a porous thin Teflon layer 7 having a thickness of 5 mm is adhered to a lower surface of the carrier 1 which holds the wafer 100. Thus, the rear surface of the wafer 100 is maintained in a horizontal state by the Teflon layer 7, and the warpage and/or irregularities in the thickness of the wafer 100, which appear on the front surface of the wafer 100, can be absorbed by the soft pad 210 and the hard polishing pad 220.

Abstract: A carrier and CMP apparatus which improve the uniformity of polishing in a wafer or other workpiece and increase the margin of the amount of wear of the retainer ring to improve the operating rate of the CMP apparatus. A carrier 1 is constituted by a housing 10, a carrier base 11, a retainer ring 12, a sheet supporter 13, a hard sheet 18, and a soft backing sheet 19. The sheet supporter 13 is formed by a supporter body portion 14 having an air opening 14a communicating with an air outlet/inlet 11b of the carrier base 11, a flexible diaphragm 15, and an edge ring 16. Therefore, a wafer W is uniformly pressed by the air pressure in the pressure chamber R and fluctuation in the force pressing against the outer peripheral rim of the wafer W caused by the wear of the retainer ring 12 is countered by the diaphragm 15.

Abstract: A wafer pressurizing apparatus capable of improving the polishing accuracy of a wafer while excluding influences on a pressure sensor of a rotational force and a horizontal force created during a wafer polishing operation. The apparatus includes a carrier (1) adapted to rotate about its own axis of rotation while maintaining a surface of the wafer (200) in contact with a surface plate (210), a cylinder (300) for urging the carrier (1) against the surface plate (210), a pressure sensor in the form of a load cell (LS) for sensing an urging force applied to the wafer (200) and generating a corresponding output signal (V), and a controller (6) for controlling the urging force of the cylinder based on the output signal (V) from the load cell (LS).

Abstract: Polishing of wafers, such as wafers of semiconductive material is carried out by mounting the wafer to a carrier, and pressing the wafer against a polishing pad carrying a polishing media. An antenna is placed beneath the polishing pad and electrical energization is applied between the carrier assembly and the antenna. The electrical energization preferably includes a direct current bias, but may also include ratio frequency carrier injection signal. The noise associated with ionic disassociation is monitored to assess ongoing polishing activity, on a real time basis.

Abstract: A method for flattening an inter-layer insulating film of a semiconductor device of a multi-wiring is carried out with a chemical-mechanical polishing process by using an apparatus, which includes two-layer polishing cloth having an unwoven cloth and a hard foamed layer affixed on a support plate. In order to fluff on a surface of the hard foamed layer or recreate on the whole surface thereof, a tool is provided on the polishing cloth. A silicon wafer is held through a backing pad so that an insulating film of a semiconductor device formed on the wafer is polished by the polishing cloth by rotation of the support plate and the wafer, and at the same time the surface layer of the polishing cloth is fluffed by the tool provided with a polishing surface having the curvature as that of the backing pad. Therefore, a polishing rate can be kept stable, and uniformity of polishing quantity is improved.

Abstract: A flat lapping machine with an ultrasonic sizing mechanism for automatically lapping the work, such as a semiconductor wafer and a magnetic disk substrate, to the present desired thickness. The flat lapping machine permits high-precision thickness measurement or sizing and uniform work lapping by assuring stable propagation of ultrasonic waves by eliminating such noise-induced waveform disturbance as might occur when slurried abrasive is used as the propagation medium and such localized dilution of slurried abrasive as might occur when water is used as the propagation medium. The flat lapping machine may have a sizing mechanism for automatically lapping the work to the preset desired thickness based on the difference between the preset and measured thicknesses of the work. The machine comprises top and bottom rotatable lapping surface plates and a transducer attached to the top surface plate in a position opposite to the work to send out ultrasonic waves to the work to determine its thickness.

Abstract: Described herein is a flat lapping machine capable of precision-abrading simultaneously flat surfaces on the front and rear sides of a work in the fashion of lapping, polishing and grinding machines. The present invention contemplates to provide a flat lapping machine which is simplified in construction as compared with conventional flap lapping machines having a large number of carriers in planetary motions, and which can stop the respective carriers easily in specific positions and directions at the end of a lapping operation. To this end, the present invention employs a large number of support gear mechanisms each constituted by a plural number of small gears and located at uniform intervals around a center gear, rotatably supporting the respective carriers in predetermined positions while the respective carriers are driven by the center gear.

Abstract: An upper plate driving system is employed on a surface lapping machine. By this invention, poor performance and work-piece breakage can be avoided by providing a smooth connection between the upper plate and lower plate during operation. The driving system includes a cylindrical driver vertically mounted on typically the lower plate, the driver having a plurality of driver slots defined around its periphery at regular intervals and defining outer ends that flare outwardly to receive a corresponding plurality of lock arms mounted on the upper plate. Thus the upper plate can be raised and lowered into and out of connection wtih the driver slots of the driver member. By this invention, the lock arms are defined into two groups. Each lock arm is spaced from other lock arms in its group at a phase angle which is an even multiple of the spacing of adjacent driver slots.