Patents by Inventor Norm Shendon
Norm Shendon 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).
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Publication number: 20070238399Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus including a table top, a transfer station mounted on the table top, a plurality of polishing stations mounted on the table top, a plurality of washing stations, and a plurality of carrier heads supported by a support member rotatable about an axis. Each washing station is located between a first polishing station and either a second polishing station or the transfer station, and the transfer station and the plurality of polishing stations are arranged at approximately equal angular intervals about the axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2007Publication date: October 11, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Lee
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Patent number: 7255632Abstract: A polishing method usable in an apparatus including a rotatable member rotatable about a first axis, at least one substrate head assembly supported on said rotatable member, and at least two polishing surfaces arranged below said rotatable member at respective angular positions about said first axis is described. In one implementation, a substrate can be mounted onto a first one of said at least one substrate head assembly. The rotatable member can be rotated to a position so that the substrate overlies a selected one of the polishing surfaces. The substrate can be engaged with said selected polishing surface and relative linear movement imparted between the selected polishing surface and the first substrate head assembly, while the substrate is engaged with the selected polishing surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2006Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert D. Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Q. Lee
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Patent number: 7238090Abstract: Methods and apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a table top and a transfer station and multiple polishing stations are mounted on the table top. The apparatus further includes multiple washing stations, where each washing station is located between either two polishing stations or between a polishing station and a transfer station. Multiple carrier heads are supported by a support member that is rotatable about an axis. The transfer station and the multiple polishing stations are arranged at approximately equal angular intervals about the axis.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2004Date of Patent: July 3, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert D. Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Q. Lee
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Publication number: 20060194525Abstract: A polishing method usable in an apparatus including a rotatable member rotatable about a first axis, at least one substrate head assembly supported on said rotatable member, and at least two polishing surfaces arranged below said rotatable member at respective angular positions about said first axis is described. In one implementation, a substrate can be mounted onto a first one of said at least one substrate head assembly. The rotatable member can be rotated to a position so that the substrate overlies a selected one of the polishing surfaces. The substrate can be engaged with said selected polishing surface and relative linear movement imparted between the selected polishing surface and the first substrate head assembly, while the substrate is engaged with the selected polishing surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2006Publication date: August 31, 2006Inventors: Robert Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Lee
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Patent number: 7097544Abstract: An apparatus and associated methods for polishing semiconductor wafers and other workpieces that includes polishing surfaces located at multiple polishing stations. Multiple wafer heads, preferably at least one greater in number than the number of polishing stations, can be loaded with individual wafers. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable support, which provides circumferential positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces, and the wafer heads move linearly with respect to the polishing surface, thus providing relative linear motion between the wafer and the polishing station. A load/unload station may be located at a position symmetric with the polishing surfaces. The rotatable support can simultaneously position one of the heads over the load/unload station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for wafer polishing so that loading and unloading of wafers can be performed concurrently with wafer polishing.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2000Date of Patent: August 29, 2006Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.Inventors: Robert D. Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Q. Lee
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Publication number: 20050048880Abstract: An apparatus and associated methods for polishing semiconductor wafers and other workpieces that includes polishing surfaces located at multiple polishing stations. Multiple wafer heads, preferably at least one greater in number than the number of polishing stations, can be loaded with individual wafers. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable support, which provides circumferential positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces, and the wafer heads move linearly with respect to the polishing surface, thus providing relative linear motion between the wafer and the polishing station. A load/unload station may be located at a position symmetric with the polishing surfaces. The rotatable support can simultaneously position one of the heads over the load/unload station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for wafer polishing so that loading and unloading of wafers can be performed concurrently with wafer polishing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2004Publication date: March 3, 2005Inventors: Robert Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Lee
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Patent number: 6503134Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom. The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing pad may be used, in conjunction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2001Date of Patent: January 7, 2003Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 6336851Abstract: This invention relates to a flexible membrane polishing belt against which a substrate, for example a semiconductor wafer, is polished using chemical mechanical polishing principles. A fluidized layer is provided on a surface of a polishing member backing assembly which urges the moving polishing membrane toward the substrate held in a polishing head to be polished. The linear motion of the belt provides uniform polishing across the full width of the belt and provides the opportunity for a chemical mechanical polishing to take place. Several configurations are disclosed. They include belts which are wider than the substrate being polished, belts which cross the substrate being polished, but which provide relative motion between the substrate and the polishing belt, and polishing belt carriers having localized polishing areas which are smaller than the total area of the substrate to be polished.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 1999Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Publication number: 20010044268Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom. The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing pad may be used, in conjunction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2001Publication date: November 22, 2001Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 6267656Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom. The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing pad may be used, in conjunction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1999Date of Patent: July 31, 2001Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 6245680Abstract: A polishing apparatus including a plurality of polishing pads on respective rotating platens. The polishing platens, and therefore the attached pads also, may be of substantially different diameters. Multiple wafer heads can simultaneously polish multiple wafers on the multiple polishing pads or at different positions on one of the pads. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable carousel, which provides positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces. Additionally, a loading/unloading station is provided. The carousel selectively positions the heads on the polishing surfaces, or positions one of the heads over the loading/unloading station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for substrate polishing, at which positions the wafers can be polished. The carousel can rotate to sweep all wafer heads attached thereto over respective polishing pads that they overlie.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2000Date of Patent: June 12, 2001Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Norm Shendon, William R. Bartlett
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Patent number: 6136715Abstract: A polishing apparatus including a plurality of polishing pads on respective rotating platens. The polishing platens, and therefore the attached pads also, may be of substantially different diameters. Multiple wafer heads can simultaneously polish multiple wafers on the multiple polishing pads or at different positions on one of the pads. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable carousel, which provides positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces. Additionally, a loading/unloading station is provided. The carousel selectively positions the heads on the polishing surfaces, or positions one of the heads over the loading/unloading station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for substrate polishing, at which positions the wafers can be polished. The carousel can rotate to sweep all wafer heads attached thereto over respective polishing pads that they overlie.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1999Date of Patent: October 24, 2000Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Norm Shendon, William R. Bartlett
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Patent number: 6126517Abstract: An apparatus and associated methods for polishing semiconductor wafers and other workpieces that includes a polishing surfaces, such as pads mounted on respective platens, located at multiple polishing stations. Multiple wafer heads, preferably at least one greater in number than the number of polishing stations, can be loaded with individual wafers. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable support, which provides circumferential positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces, and the wafer heads move linearly with respect to the polishing surface, for example oscillate radially within the rotatable support. A load/unload station may be located at a position symmetric with the polishing surfaces. The rotatable support can simultaneously position one of the heads over the load/unload station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for wafer polishing so that loading and unloading of wafers can be performed concurrently with wafer polishing.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 1998Date of Patent: October 3, 2000Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert D. Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Q. Lee
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Patent number: 6080046Abstract: A wafer storage and wafer transfer system adjunct to a multi-station chemical mechanical polishing system. Multiple wafers are brought to the system stored in a cassette. A claw member attached to an overhead arm picks up the cassette and deposits it in a water-filled tub next to the polishing system, thereby submerging the wafers in the water with a generally vertical orientation. A blade member attached to the same arm has a recess formed in its surface connected to a vacuum generator powered by positive fluid pressure to thereby selectively apply a vacuum to the recess to vacuum chuck a wafer. The blade member vacuum chucks a wafer under the water, picks it out of the water, and deposits it on a pedestal in polishing system. One of several wafer heads on a rotating carousel picks up the wafer from the pedestal and carries it to one or more of the polishing stations for polishing. After completion of polishing, the wafer head redeposits the wafer on the pedestal.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 1998Date of Patent: June 27, 2000Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Norm Shendon, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Q. Lee, Robert D. Tolles, Sasson Somekh
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Patent number: 6051499Abstract: Slurry is provided to the surface of the polishing pad by pumping the slurry up through a central port, or by dripping the slurry down onto the surface of the polishing pad from a slurry feed tube. A slurry wiper, which may have one or more flexible members, sweeps the slurry evenly and thinly across the polishing pad. A control system coordinates the distribution of slurry to the polishing pad with the motion of the carrier head.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1997Date of Patent: April 18, 2000Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert D. Tolles, William L. Guthrie, Jeffrey Marks, Tsungnan Cheng, Semyon Spektor, Ivan A. Ocanada, Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 6019671Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom. The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing may be used, in junction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1998Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 5961372Abstract: This invention relates to a flexible membrane polishing belt against which a substrate, for example a semiconductor wafer, is polished using chemical mechanical polishing principles. A fluidized layer is provided on a surface of a polishing member backing assembly which urges the moving polishing membrane toward the substrate held in a polishing head to be polished. The linear motion of the belt provides uniform polishing across the full width of the belt and provides the opportunity for a chemical mechanical polishing to take place. Several configurations are disclosed. They include belts which are wider than the substrate being polished, belts which cross the substrate being polished, but which provide relative motion between the substrate and the polishing belt, and polishing belt carriers having localized polishing areas which are smaller than the total area of the substrate to be polished.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1995Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 5951373Abstract: A polishing apparatus including a plurality of polishing pads on respective rotating platens. The polishing platens, and therefore the attached pads also, may be of substantially different diameters. Multiple wafer heads can simultaneously polish multiple wafers on the multiple polishing pads or at different positions on one of the pads. The wafer heads are suspended from a rotatable carousel, which provides positioning of the heads relative to the polishing surfaces. Additionally, a loading/unloading station is provided. The carousel selectively positions the heads on the polishing surfaces, or positions one of the heads over the loading/unloading station while the remaining heads are located over polishing stations for substrate polishing, at which positions the wafers can be polished. The carousel can rotate to sweep all wafer heads attached thereto over respective polishing pads that they overlie.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1995Date of Patent: September 14, 1999Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Norm Shendon, William R. Bartlett
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Patent number: 5913718Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom. The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing pad may be used, in conjunction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 1997Date of Patent: June 22, 1999Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon
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Patent number: 5899800Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus polishes the surface of a substrate to remove material therefrom, The apparatus includes a carrier, which positions the substrate against the rotating polishing pad. The carrier includes an integral loading member therein, which controls the load force of the substrate against the polishing pad. Multiple substrates may be simultaneously polished on a single rotating polishing pad, and the polishing pad may be rotationally oscillated to reduce the likelihood that any contaminants are transferred from one substrate to another along the polishing pad. A multi-lobed groove in the polishing pad may be used, in conjunction with a moving substrate, to polish the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 1997Date of Patent: May 4, 1999Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Norm Shendon