Abstract: Methods and structures. A planarization method includes: providing a contact structure, where the contact structure includes an axle configured to rotate about an axis of rotation, a plurality of cantilever arms, each arm having a first end connected to the axle, where each arm extends radially outward from the axle; and a plurality of electrically conductive spheres, where at least one sphere is disposed on a second end of each arm; placing a substrate in contact with the spheres, applying an electric voltage to the axle, where the voltage transfers to the substrate, where responsive to the transfer an electrochemical reaction occurs on the substrate; rotating the axle, wherein the spheres revolve about the axis, wherein at least one sphere remains in electrical contact with the substrate; and electrochemical-mechanically planarizing the substrate. Also included is a contact structure, an electrical contact, and an electrical contact method.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is guided in a cutout in a carrier while a thickness of the semiconductor wafer is reduced to a target thickness by material removal from the front and back surfaces simultaneously. The semiconductor wafer is machined until it is thinner than a carrier body and thicker than an inlay used to line the cutout in the carrier to protect the semiconductor wafer. The carrier is distinguished by the fact that the carrier body and the inlay have different thicknesses throughout the entire duration of the machining of the semiconductor wafer, the carrier body being thicker than the inlay, by from 20 to 70 ?m. Themethod provides semiconductor wafers polished on both sides, having a front surface, a back surface and an edge, and a local flatness of the front surface, SFQRmax of less than 50 nm with an edge exclusion of R-2 mm and less than nm with an edge exclusion of R-1 mm, based on a site area of 26 by 8 mm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dressing method of dressing a polishing pad used in a polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate. This method includes repetitively moving the dresser on an upper surface of the polishing pad in a radial direction of the polishing pad so as to perform a dressing process on the polishing pad, during the dressing process, measuring a height of an upper surface of the polishing pad at a predetermined point in one of plural zones on the polishing surface, and repeating the repetitive moving of the dresser and the measuring of the height of the upper surface of the polishing pad so as to measure the height of the upper surface of the polishing pad in all of the plural zones.

Abstract: The present invention provides a apparatus for polishing an object material such as a film on a substrate. This apparatus includes a polishing table for holding a polishing pad having a polishing surface, a motor configured to drive the polishing table, a holding mechanism configured to hold a substrate having an object material to be polished and to press the substrate against the polishing surface, a dresser configured to dress the polishing surface, and a monitoring unit configured to monitor a removal amount of the object material. The monitoring unit is operable to calculate the removal amount of the object material using a model equation containing a variable representing an integrated value of a torque current of the motor when polishing the object material and a variable representing a cumulative operating time of the dresser.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a carrier to hold a wafer and being capable of lifting, lowering and rotating, a polishing pad compressed onto the wafer through the lowering of the carrier to polish the wafer, a contact pressure sensor to detect contact pressure between the polishing pad and the wafer when the polishing pad is compressed onto the wafer, a support physical property controller to generate control signals corresponding to the contact pressure detected by the contact pressure sensor, a variable physical property support being adapted to come into close contact with the polishing pad and having physical properties varied in response to the control signals generated by the support physical property controller, and a rotational table to hold the variable physical property table.

Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a polishing surface of a substrate has a film thickness monitoring device for monitoring a state of a film thickness of a thin film on the polishing surface of the substrate during polishing. The apparatus includes a table, a polishing member fixed on a surface of the table, a substrate support member for pressing the substrate onto the polishing member, an optical system composed of an optical fiber for irradiating the polishing surface of the substrate with a light of irradiation and an optical fiber for receiving a reflected light reflected on the polishing surface of the substrate, an analysis-processing system for processing an analysis of the reflected light received with the optical system, and the film-thickness monitoring device. The table is provided with a liquid-feeding opening for feeding a translucent liquid into a through-hole disposed in the polishing member.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus comprises a polishing plate (24), an abrasive cloth (25) attached to the surface of the polishing plate (24), a chuck (19) for holding and pressing one surface of a wafer (39) against the abrasive cloth (25), and a circular retaining ring (23) concentrically arranged on the periphery of the chuck (19). The retaining ring (23) is rotatable and vertically movable with respect to the chuck (19), and is pressed against the abrasive cloth (25) during the lapping step. The retaining ring (23) is lifted upward during the final polishing step, thereby preventing lapping grains from being brought into the final polishing stage. Accordingly, lapping and final polishing can be successively conducted using the same polishing head. With this structure, cost cutting of the apparatus can be realized, since lapping and final polishing are successively conducted using the same polishing head without bringing the lapping grains used for lapping into the final polishing stage.

Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus is used to polish a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The substrate polishing apparatus has a polishing table and a polishing pad mounted on the polishing table for polishing a semiconductor substrate. The polishing pad has a through hole formed therein. The substrate polishing apparatus also has a light emission and reception device for emitting measurement light through the through hole formed in the polishing pad to the semiconductor substrate and receiving reflected light from the semiconductor substrate so as to measure a film on the semiconductor substrate. The light emission and reception device is disposed in the polishing table. The substrate polishing apparatus includes a supply passage for supplying a fluid to a path of the measurement light. The supply passage has an outlet portion detachably mounted on the polishing table.

Abstract: A two part retaining ring is described that has a lower ring and an upper ring. The lower ring contacts a polishing surface during chemical mechanical polishing. The upper surface and the lower surface of the lower ring have thick and thin subportions to increase the flexibility of the lower ring.

Abstract: The polishing pad (104) is useful for polishing at least one of magnetic, optical and semiconductor substrates (112) in the presence of a polishing medium (120). The polishing pad (104) includes a three-dimensional network of interconnected unit cells (225). The interconnected unit cells (225) are reticulated for allowing fluid flow and removal of polishing debris. A plurality of polishing elements (208, 308 and 408) form the three-dimensional network of interconnected unit cells (225). The polishing elements (208, 308 and 408) have a first end connected to a first adjacent polishing element at a first junction (209, 309 and 409) and a second end connected to a second adjacent polishing element at a second junction (209, 309 and 409) and having a cross-sectional area (222, 322 and 422) that remains within 30% between the first and the second junctions (209, 309 and 409).

Abstract: A backside grinding apparatus removes semiconductor material from a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer is mounted to a backing plate. The backside surface undergoes a first grinding operation in a rotational motion to remove excess semiconductor material. The semiconductor wafer is then aligned such that edges of the die are oriented along a reference line. The backside surface undergoes a second grinding operation in a linear direction on a 45-diagonal with respect to the reference line to create linear grind marks which are diagonal to the edges of the die. The linear grind marks are formed by an abrasive surface having at least 4000 mesh count. The second grinding operation removes the radial grind marks produced by the first grinding operation. The linear grind marks oriented diagonal with respect to the reference line increases the strength of the die to resist cracking.

Abstract: In a thickness-measuring method during a grinding process, which suppresses wear of a probe coming into contact with a chuck table subjected to self-grind and accurately grinds a workpiece, measurement of wafer thickness is performed only at the commencement and termination of grinding, and a reference probe of a reference side height gauge is separated from the upper surface of the chuck table in the practical grinding time between the commencement and termination so as to interrupt the measurement of wafer thickness, thereby significantly reducing a time of the reference probe brought into contact with the upper surface of the chuck table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pre-conditioning a new soft polishing pad and processing a substrate on a soft polishing pad is described. The method includes coupling a soft polishing pad to a platen, contacting the processing surface of the soft polishing pad with a conditioning disk, applying a pressure conditioning disk, removing the conditioning disk from contact with the processing surface of the soft polishing pad, and contacting a first substrate with the processing surface of the soft polishing pad to perform a polishing process on the first substrate.

Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus capable of polishing a surface of a substrate made of SiC or diamond extremely smoothly and efficiently without causing subsurface damage are provided. A polishing platen 1 can rotate around a rotating shaft 4, and is made of quartz having high transparency to ultraviolet radiation. A large number of grooves 11 are arranged on a front surface of the polishing platen 1 in a lattice form, and each of the grooves 11 is filled with solid photocatalytic particles 20 (CeO2). The polishing platen 1 is relatively rubbed against a to-be-polished surface 30A of a substrate 30 made of silicon carbide (SiC) or diamond (C) while pressing the polishing platen 1 to the to-be-polished surface 30A of the substrate 30 with a very high pressure, thereby the to-be-polished surface 30A is oxidized by the solid photocatalytic particles 20 to perform chemical polishing.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a copper film above a surface of a substrate, forming on a polishing pad a material which contains copper, wherein said copper does not derive from said copper film, and after having formed the copper-containing material on said polishing pad, polishing said copper film by use of said polishing pad.

Abstract: Combinatorial processing including rotation and movement within a region is described, including defining multiple regions of at least one substrate, processing the multiple regions of the at least one substrate in a combinatorial manner, rotating a head in one of the multiple regions to perform the processing, and repositioning the head relative to the one of the multiple regions while rotating the head during the processing.

Abstract: A rough-polishing method for conducting a rough polishing before mirror-finish polishing on a semiconductor wafer using a polishing apparatus includes a first polishing step for polishing the semiconductor wafer using slurry containing colloidal silica supplied by a slurry supplying unit and a second polishing step for polishing the semiconductor wafer using alkali solution provided by mixing deionized water supplied from a deionized-water supplying unit and alkali concentrate solution supplied by an alkali-concentrate-solution supplying unit. The pH value of the alkali solution and polishing time in the second polishing step are determined based on the load current value of the polishing table in the first polishing step.

Abstract: A polishing device includes a polishing pad for polishing a wafer and a polishing head for holding the wafer. The polishing head has a retainer ring for retaining the wafer in the in-plane direction of the wafer, a membrane sheet for pressing the wafer against the polishing pad, and a head body for supporting the retainer ring and the membrane sheet. The retainer ring has a subordinate retainer member having a ring portion and a plurality of fins extending from the ring portion to retain the peripheral surface of the wafer. The subordinate retainer member has a thickness equal to the thickness of the wafer. The membrane sheet has a diameter larger than the wafer, and presses the wafer and the vicinity of the inner edge of the subordinate retainer member.

Abstract: A CMP pad dresser for dressing a polishing pad of a CMP apparatus is provided with a dressing pad having abrasive grains, a purified water supply unit provided to an external periphery of the dressing pad, and a drive mechanism for sliding the dressing pad in a radial direction of the polishing pad. The dressing pad is slidable to the outer side of the polishing pad. The purified water supply unit supply purified water at a prescribed pressure so that particles of abrasive grains that are dislodged from the dresser accumulate in the dressing pad.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and a chemical mechanical polishing method thereof are provided. The chemical mechanical polishing method at least includes the following steps. In step a, a positive pressure is formed between a polishing pad and a wafer. In step b, the wafer is driven to revolve around a first central axis. In step c, a polishing slurry is injected between the polishing pad and the wafer. In step d, the positive pressure formed on the wafer by the polishing pad is adjusted for change the contacting modes of the polishing pad and the wafer as well as the wafer removal rate.

Abstract: A CMP apparatus is provided with a polishing pad, a film thickness sensor for measuring a thickness of a film being polished on a wafer via the polishing pad, a polishing pad thickness measuring unit for measuring the thickness of the polishing pad, a dresser for dressing the polishing pad, and a polishing control unit for switching polishing conditions in response to a fact that an output value from the film thickness sensor has exceeded a threshold value. The polishing control unit has a memory unit for storing a threshold value corresponding to the thickness of the polishing pad after dressing when the polishing pad is dressed.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a chemical mechanical polishing retaining ring including a polymer matrix and a filler including polyimide. The chemical mechanical polishing retaining ring has a wear rate performance not greater than about 75 microns/hour.

Abstract: A substrate holding mechanism, a substrate polishing apparatus and a substrate polishing method have functions capable of minimizing an amount of heat generated during polishing of a substrate to be polished and of effectively cooling a substrate holding part of the substrate holding mechanism, and also capable of effectively preventing a polishing solution and polishing dust from adhering to an outer peripheral portion of the substrate holding part and drying thereon. The substrate holding mechanism has a mounting flange, a support member 6 and a retainer ring. A substrate to be polished is held on a lower side of the support member surrounded by the retainer ring, and the substrate is pressed against a polishing surface of a polishing table. The mounting flange is provided with a flow passage contiguous with at least the retainer ring. A temperature-controlled gas is supplied through the flow passage to cool the mounting flange, the support member and the retainer ring.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided, which includes depositing a conductive film above an insulating film formed above a semiconductor substrate and having a recess, thereby forming a treating film, polishing the treating film while feeding a first chemical solution containing abrasive particles and a second chemical solution containing an oxidizing agent over a polishing pad, the treating film being contacted with the polishing pad at a first load, and subsequent to the polishing, subjecting a surface of the treating film to a chemical-polishing by continuing the feeding of the first chemical solution over the polishing pad while suspending the feeding of the second chemical solution, the treating film being contacted with the polishing pad at a second load which is smaller than the first load.

Abstract: A wafer grinding method is disclosed, in which only a region, corresponding to a device formation region, of the back side of a wafer is ground in rough grinding conducted first, while the part surrounding the region thus ground is left unground as an annular projected part, to prevent the outer peripheral edge of the wafer from becoming knife edge-like in shape. In the subsequent finish grinding, the annular projected part is ground and, further, the whole area of the back side of the wafer is ground to be flat. Chippings of the outer peripheral edge may be generated only during the finish grinding, whereby the chippings are prevented from occurring or limited to minute ones.

Abstract: A CMP head includes a membrane support and a membrane. The membrane support is disk-shaped, having an origin and a radius R. The membrane support has at least a ventilator disposed in a central region within the range between origin and (2/3) R, and at least a diversion opening disposed in a peripheral region within the range between (2/3) R and R. The membrane includes a disk-shaped part disposed on the first surface of the membrane support, and an annular part surrounding the annular sidewall of the membrane support.

Abstract: It is possible to execute a one-step polishing or a plural-step polishing at a high throughput, and it is possible to achieve a reduction of an occupied area on the basis of a compact structure of a whole apparatus. Two platens are respectively provided with a first wafer retention head and a second wafer retention head, and a wafer transfer apparatus on which a wafer is mounted is arranged between two platens. The two wafer retention heads are moved between two platens and the wafer transfer apparatus respectively by a first moving means and a second moving means. Further, a two-step polishing is executed by whirl moving two wafer retention heads from one platen to the other platen at 180 degree respectively by a whirl moving means supporting two moving means.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing pad, intended for polishing a substrate, and designed for improved flow and distribution of a polishing composition to the area of interaction between the pad and substrate. In one aspect, a polishing pad is provided having first and second pluralities of unidirectional pores configured to communicate polishing composition between the top and bottom surfaces of the pad. A cyclic flow of composition is established to continuously renew composition to the area of interaction between the pad and the substrate. In another aspect, a polishing apparatus is provided having a polishing composition transfer region between a polishing pad and a platen. Pores disposed through the pad communicate composition from the transfer region to the top surface. To facilitate directing the composition into the pores, the apparatus includes a plurality of protrusions protruding into the transfer region that are aligned with the pores.

Abstract: A polishing method enables to initiate a second polishing step of a workpiece with an optimal thickness of an uppermost-layer film to be polished. The polishing method comprises: measuring a thickness of an uppermost-layer film, and then carrying out a first polishing step to polish the uppermost-layer film partway and a second polishing step to polish the remaining uppermost-layer film and a next-layer film; determining the polishing rates of the uppermost-layer film in the first and second polishing steps; and measuring a thickness of an uppermost-layer film of a predetermined nth workpiece and setting a processing time for the first polishing step of the nth workpiece or a next predetermined nth workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention provides an initial position setting method of grinding wheels, before starting a grinding operation, in a vertical double disc surface grinding machine for surface grinding the upper and lower grinding surfaces of a work-piece simultaneously by rotation-driving a pair of grinding wheels by a grinding wheel rotation drive motor and moving the grinding wheels up and down by a grinding wheel vertical drive motor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for extending a polishing article lifetime on a polishing tool with multiple platens is described. The apparatus includes an advanceable roll to roll platen with multiple embodiments of a polishing article to be used thereon. The polishing article is adapted to perform a polishing process by removing conductive and dielectric material from a substrate while minimizing downtime of the polishing tool. In some embodiments, the polishing article may be a dielectric material or a conductive material and is configured to include a longer usable lifetime to minimize replacement and downtime of the tool.

Abstract: A dresser adapted to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus is used to perform dressing on a polishing pad for polishing a semiconductor wafer such that a circular-shaped support surface thereof is positioned opposite to and in contact with the polishing surface of the polishing pad. In the dresser, at least three polish retainers having band-like shapes are formed and elongated in radial directions from substantially the center of the support surface so as to form a plurality of sectorial regions. A plurality of parallel portions are formed in parallel with the polish retainer in each sectorial region. A plurality of band-shaped non-polish retainers are formed between the polish retainer and its parallel portion in each sectorial region. The dresser ensures adequate fuzziness of the polishing pad by way of dressing; hence, it is possible to maintain desired polishing performance of the polishing pad for a long time.

Abstract: A dental crown polishing apparatus has a motor, a ball bearing assembly around a shaft of the motor and having balls rotating and circularly moving around the motor shaft by receiving torque from the motor shaft, a brush assembly on the periphery of the ball bearing assembly, equipped with brushes contacting the ball to rotate and having bristles in the same direction as an axial direction of rotation and a tray opposite and open to the brush assembly to dispose a crown toward the brushes. The motor shaft is offset from the center of the brush assembly. The brush assembly moves in an orbital fashion by the rotation of the motor. The tray rotates separately from the brush assembly. The rotation of the tray is not synchronous with the rotation of the brush assembly. Dental crown polishing is achieved by the orbital movement of the brushes.

Abstract: The present invention is a planarization apparatus for planarizing a coating film applied on a substrate before the coating film is hardened, including a contact body such as a brush or sponge brought into contact with a front surface of the coating film on the substrate; and a contact body drive mechanism for pressing the contact body against the front surface of the coating film and moving the contact body along the front surface of the coating film. The contact body is pressed against the coating film before it is hardened, and moved along the front surface of the coating film, whereby the coating film can be planarized to a predetermined film thickness. According to the present invention, the coating film can be planarized without using the CMP apparatus.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus (1) includes first and second polishing units (70A, 70B) for polishing a peripheral portion of a substrate (W), a primary cleaning unit (100) for cleaning the substrate (W), a secondary cleaning and drying unit (110) for drying the substrate (W) cleaned in the primary cleaning unit (100), and a measurement unit (30) for measuring the peripheral portion of the substrate (W). The measurement unit (30) includes a mechanism for measurement required for polishing in the first and second polishing units (70A and 70B), such as a diameter measurement mechanism, a cross-sectional shape measurement mechanism, or a surface condition measurement mechanism.

Abstract: The polishing method of a disk-shaped substrate for polishing an outer circumference 13 of a disk-shaped substrate using slurry is provided with in this sequence: a first polishing process for polishing the outer circumference 13 using an abrasive-grain inclusion brush 50 made of a resin in which polishing abrasive grains are included; and a second polishing process for polishing the outer circumference 13 using a resin brush 60 made of a resin in which the polishing abrasive grains are not included.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the number of active diamonds on a conditioning disk. In particular, the method comprises (a) contacting a diamond conditioner disk with a hard surface, wherein the diamond-containing side of the diamond conditioning disk is facing the hard surface, (b) moving the diamond conditioner disk under a load across the hard surface so as to cause any active diamonds present on the diamond-containing side of the diamond conditioner disk to leave a mark corresponding to each active diamond, and (c) counting the marks to determine the number of active diamonds on the diamond conditioner disk.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing pad having an annular polishing track and a concentric center O. The polishing pad includes a polishing layer having a plurality of pad grooves formed therein. The polishing pad is designed for use with a carrier, e.g., a wafer carrier, that includes a polishing ring having a plurality of carrier grooves. Each of the plurality of pad grooves has a carrier-compatible groove shape configured to enhance the transport of a polishing medium beneath the carrier ring on the leading edge of the carrier ring during polishing.

Abstract: A assembly for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a carrier head and a polishing liquid delivery ring. The carrier head has a substrate receiving surface and a retaining ring surrounding the substrate receiving surface. The polishing liquid delivery ring is coupled to the carrier head and surrounds the retaining ring. The polishing liquid delivery ring includes a reservoir to hold a liquid and an outlet in fluid communication with the reservoir and positioned to dispense the liquid to a location on a polishing surface outside the retaining ring.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes an arrangement of a plurality of units to deal with various operations and a robot having at least one arm. The plurality of units are disposed around the robot and include a loading unit for receiving thereon a, e.g. dry, workpiece to be polished, a polishing system including at least one polishing unit for polishing the workpiece, a washing system and a drying system at least including one washing unit for washing and drying the polished workpiece, and an unloading unit for receiving thereon a resultant clean and dry polished workpiece.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes a polishing process of a substrate, wherein the polishing process includes the steps of applying a chemical mechanical polishing process to the substrate on a polishing pad while using slurry, and conditions a surface of the polishing pad, the conditioning step including the step of grinding the surface of said polishing pad by at least first and second conditioning disks of respective, different surface states.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is provided for optimizing a polishing profile in consideration of even such parameters as the temperature on the surface of an object to be polished, and the thickness of a polishing pad, in addition to a polished amount. The polishing apparatus for polishing the object to be polished under control of a control unit CU has at least two pressing sections, and comprises a top ring which can apply an arbitrary pressure to the object to be polished from each of the pressing sections, a measuring device IM for measuring a polished amount of the object to be polished, and a monitoring device SM for monitoring the object to be polished for a polishing condition. The control unit CU forces the polishing apparatus to polish the object to be polished in accordance with a simulation program for setting processing pressures required to optimize a polishing profile of the object to be polished to the top ring based on the output of the measuring device IM and the output of the monitoring device SM.

Abstract: A polishing composition contains alumina, a complexing agent, and an oxidizing agent. It is preferable that the complexing agent is at least one compound selected from an ?-amino acid, ammonia, and an ammonium salt. The polishing composition is preferably used in applications for polishing an object having a resin section with a trench, and a conductor layer provided on the resin section so that at least the trench is filled with the conductor layer.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus that employs a polishing media retention arrangement to prevent slippage or wrinkles in the polishing media during polishing. The polishing media is drawn against a support surface by a vacuum applied between the polishing media and the support surface. Also, a porous layer may be placed between the polishing media and the support surface to form dimples in the polishing media upon the application of vacuum. An alternative arrangement draws the polishing media against a carrier and the substrate to be polished.

Abstract: A carrier head that has a base assembly, a retaining ring assembly, a carrier ring, and a flexible membrane is described. A carrier ring has an annular upper portion and an annular lower portion having a lower surface with a smaller inner diameter than the upper surface of the annular upper portion, wherein the carrier ring circumferentially surrounds a retaining ring and has a lower surface to contact a polishing pad.

Abstract: The invention includes a semiconductive processing method of electrochemical-mechanical removing at least some of a conductive material from over a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A cathode is provided at a first location of the wafer, and an anode is provided at a second location of the wafer. The conductive material is polished with the polishing pad polishing surface. The polishing occurs at a region of the conductive material and not at another region. The region where the polishing occurs is defined as a polishing operation location. The polishing operation location is displaced across the surface of the substrate from said second location of the substrate toward said first location of the substrate. The polishing operation location is not displaced from said first location toward said second location when the polishing operation location is between the first and second locations.

Abstract: A two-side working machine, comprising an upper and a lower working disc which hold on, and are fixed to, an upper and a lower carrier disc, and which are disposed coaxially with each other and are adapted to be rotationally driven relative to each other by a working motor via a driving shaft, wherein the working discs have formed therebetween a working gap in which flat workpieces are processed on both sides, and a distance measuring device which measures the distance between working discs in at least two radially spaced points of the working gap, whereby the upper carrier disc is suspended on a supporting ring which is connected to the upper working shaft so as to be fixed for rotation, an annular portion of the carrier disc and means which are externally controllable by the supporting ring and via which a radial force is applied to the circumference of the carrier disc about the circumference of the supporting ring by means of a force generator, and control means are provided which adjust the force on the

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for grinding or polishing an optic is provided. The apparatus includes a shell adapted to a bending profile, torque actuators attached at an outer edge of the shell and coupled to each other, a tensioning system attached at the outer edge of the shell, and a control system for computing the bending profile and controlling the torque actuators and tensioning system. The torque actuators and tensioning system apply bending moments to the edge of the shell to adapt the shell according to the bending profile provided by the control system. A calibration system further corrects errors in a measured bending profile.

Abstract: A polishing pad for use in chemically mechanically polishing a semiconductor substrate enhances the uniformity of the rate at which material is removed from the surface of the semiconductor substrate, thereby ensuring the reproducibility of the chemical mechanical polishing process. The polishing pad has main grooves that divide an upper portion of the pad into a plurality of cells. At least one of the cells includes a land portion and a grooved portion substantially enclosed by the land portion. A respective slurry hole extends through the pad to the grooved portion such that slurry supplied through the slurry hole feeds into the grooved portion but is impeded by the land portion from flowing outwardly of the cell.

Abstract: A polishing system can have a polishing pad with a polishing surface and a bottom surface that includes a recess with a thickness less than the thickness of the polishing pad. An in-situ monitoring module can be positioned in a cavity formed in part by the recess. A vent path is provided with an opening to the cavity.