HIGH-PRESSURE POLISHING APPARATUS AND METHOD
A high-pressure polishing apparatus and method comprising a condenser having high-pressure nozzles for ejecting a solution on the polishing pad to perform a conditioning, thereby preventing damage to the wafer and destruction of the diamond condenser due to a larger force applied on the diamond condenser in order to obtain a better status of polishing pad. The present invention can be applied to a conventional machine.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method, in which the dopants deposited in the polishing pad are easily removed, thereby preventing damage to the diamond and wafer from the conventional process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor manufacturing has become increasingly complex, requiring numerous, complex process steps. During processing, the surface of the wafer does not remain planar. A conventional semiconductor polishing apparatus typically uses chemical-mechanical processing or chemical-mechanical planarization (“CMP”). The CMP apparatus is used to polish silicon wafers to a mirror surface.
Generally, chemical mechanical polishing is widely used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices to obtain smooth and even surfaced wafers. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is one accepted method of planarization. This planarization method typically requires that the substrate be mounted on a carrier or polishing head. The CMP process is fairly complex, requiring the interaction of the polishing pad, abrasive particles and reactive agent with the substrate to obtain the desired polishing results. After performing CMP for a long time, the ability of channeling the excess slurry to the wafer surface and the ability of catching the particles are reduced. In order to solve these problems, a conditioning process is performed on the surface of the polishing pad. A generally known conditioning method of a polishing pad includes abrading the surface of the polishing pad by a diamond disk, thereby removing the SiO2 on the polishing pad. However, the diamond is a brittle material. A large down force is needed if a better removing ability is to be obtained, resulting in damage to the diamond and the wafer, thereby increasing the cost.
In the view of this, the present invention provides a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method, in which the material deposited in the polishing pad is removed.
The present invention also provides a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method, which prevents damage to the diamond on the diamond disk from the conventional process in order to obtain a better removing ability.
The present invention also provides a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method, which reduces the wafer scrap due to the diamond cracking on the diamond disk.
The present invention also provides a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method, which extends the lifetime of the diamond-polishing disk.
The present invention also provides a high-pressure polishing apparatus and method, which can be applied on a conventional machine.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a high-pressure polishing apparatus is provided, comprising a polishing table having a polishing pad; a polishing slurry inlet positioned on the polishing table for supplying a slurry to the polishing pad; a rotating wafer carrier positioned on the polishing table for mounting and rotating a wafer, thereby contacting a surface of the wafer with the slurry and the polishing pad to perform a Chemical Mechanical Polishing; and a condenser positioned on the polishing table having a plurality of high-pressure nozzles for ejecting a solution on the polishing pad after finishing the wafer polishing, thereby performing a conditioning on the surface of the wafer.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus is provided, comprising; fixing a polishing pad on a polishing table; placing a wafer on the polishing pad, thereby contacting the wafer surface with the polishing pad; adding a slurry on the polishing pad by a polishing slurry inlet, performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing until the required polishing level is reached; and placing a condenser on the polishing pad, wherein a plurality of high-pressure nozzles are formed on the condenser corresponding to the polishing pad, wherein the high-pressure nozzles eject a solution on the polishing pad to perform a conditioning on the wafer surface.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,
The present invention can be widely applied in the Chemical mechanical polishing process in semiconductor processing. The preferred embodiment above is only intended to illustrate the present invention; it does not, however, limit the present invention to the specific embodiment. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, for example, the moving way of the condenser, the angle of nozzles, the type of nozzles, or the chemical agent.
Refer to
When performing the Chemical Mechanical Polishing on the wafer according to the present invention, as shown in
The present invention can be applied to a conventional diamond condenser 24. A condenser 22 is configured on the conventional apparatus, as shown in
The present invention can be used with the condenser 16 and the diamond condenser 24, as shown in
According to the present invention, a high-pressure polishing apparatus is provided. A condenser is used to perform a conditioning on the surface of the polishing pad. The dopants deposited in the polishing pad are easily removed, thereby preventing damage to the diamond and wafer from the processing.
The embodiment above is only intended to illustrate the present invention; it does not, however, to limit the present invention to the specific embodiment. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the following claims.
Claims
1. A high-pressure polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a polishing table having a polishing pad thereon;
- a polishing slurry inlet positioned on the polishing table for supplying a slurry to the polishing pad;
- a rotating wafer carrier positioned on the polishing table for mounting and rotating a wafer, thereby contacting a surface of the wafer with the slurry and the polishing pad to perform a Chemical Mechanical Polishing; and
- a condenser positioned on the polishing table having a plurality of high-pressure nozzles for ejecting a solution on the polishing pad after finishing the wafer polishing, thereby performing a conditioning on the surface of the wafer.
2. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solution is DI water.
3. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angle between the high-pressure nozzles and the polishing pad is between 5 and 90 degrees.
4. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the high-pressure nozzles is presented by a symmetrical arrangement.
5. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condenser is able to move up and down, and right and left.
6. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condenser is able to rotate.
7. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condenser is used with a diamond condenser.
8. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condenser is disposed on the polishing slurry inlet.
9. The high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the condenser is disposed on the diamond condenser.
10. A method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus, comprising;
- fixing a polishing pad on a polishing table;
- placing a wafer on the polishing pad, thereby contacting the wafer surface with the polishing pad;
- adding a slurry on the polishing pad by a polishing slurry inlet, performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing until the required polishing level is reached; and
- placing a condenser on the polishing pad, wherein a plurality of high-pressure nozzles are formed on the condenser corresponding to the polishing pad, wherein the high-pressure nozzles eject a solution on the polishing pad to perform a conditioning of the wafer surface.
11. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the angle between the high-pressure nozzles and the polishing pad is between 5 and 90 degrees.
12. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the solution is DI water.
13. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the arrangement of the high-pressure nozzles is presented by a symmetrical arrangement.
14. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the condenser is able to move up and down, and right and left.
15. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the condenser is able to rotate.
16. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the condenser is used with a diamond condenser to condition the wafer surface.
17. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the condenser is disposed on the polishing slurry inlet.
18. The method of performing a high-pressure polishing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the condenser is disposed on the diamond condenser.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 13, 2005
Publication Date: Jul 13, 2006
Inventor: Wen-Chung Huang (Shanghai)
Application Number: 11/033,678
International Classification: B24B 7/30 (20060101); B24B 29/00 (20060101);