Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical mechanical polishing system. The system includes a mechanical arm and a carrier body that is configured to be coupled to the mechanical arm. The carrier body has a recessed portion for retaining a semiconductor wafer. The recessed portion has a carrier film that is in direct contact with a back side of the semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a plurality of pressure rings that are defined in the carrier body, such that the plurality of pressure rings are in direct contact with the carrier film. Each of the plurality of pressure rings are used to apply a selected pressure to the carrier film, such that the carrier film produces a back pressure against the back side of the semiconductor wafer. The back pressure is configured to be consistent with the selected pressure that is applied to each of the plurality of pressure rings.

Abstract: In the polishing system of the present invention, a adhering unit adheres a wafer on a carrying plate using liquid. A polishing unit polishes the wafer using a polishing plate. A feeding unit conveys the carrying plate from the adhering unit to the polishing unit. A dismounting unit removes the wafer from the carrying plate. A first discharging unit conveys the carrying plate from the polishing unit to the dismounting unit. A cleaning unit cleans the vacant carrying plate. A second discharging unit conveys the carrying plate from the dismounting unit to the cleaning unit. A third discharging unit conveys the carrying plate from the cleaning unit to the adhering unit. The units are formed into a loop lines so that the carrying plate is circulated in the loop line and the wafers are polished therein.

Abstract: The method for polishing a semiconductor substrate includes the steps of (a) forming a flowing liquid layer between a semiconductor substrate and a substrate holder to thereby support the semiconductor substrate therebetween by surface tension of the flowing liquid layer, and (b) compressing the semiconductor substrate onto a polishing cloth including process liquid therein. The method ensures that a semiconductor substrate is not damaged at a reverse surface thereof and also that a semiconductor substrate is not contaminated by particles contained in process liquid, because the flowing liquid layer prevents particles of process liquid from entering between the semiconductor substrate and the substrate holder.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A vertically-oriented wafer polishing apparatus and method is disclosed including a vertically-oriented polishing device, a semiconductor wafer carrier and a cleaning module to clean the polishing device by removing contaminants that may scratch the wafer and also reduce the polishing rate of the apparatus. The device reduces the "down time" of a polishing apparatus and, therefore, increases the yield of well-polished wafers in a given time period.

Abstract: A cutting chuck for use with a cutting blade and for holding a semiconductor wafer in place during a dicing process and a die pick for picking the segmented semiconductor wafer from the chuck. The chuck includes a surface for supporting the wafer and several ports in the surface connected to a vacuum source. Preferably, the cutting chuck includes a housing having a base and a wall. A vacuum chamber is provided within the housing and on top of the base. A porous layer is located in housing and above the vacuum chamber. A surface layer is above the porous layer and contains ports connecting the surface supporting the wafer to the vacuum chamber via the porous layer. In a most preferred embodiment, the chuck is removeably attached to the vacuum source via a check valve. The cutting chuck may also include recesses in the surface to prevent impingement on the cutting chuck by a cutting blade during wafer dicing.

Abstract: The present invention is a planarizing machine for use in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers that has a moveable platen, a polishing pad, a wafer carrier, and a wafer separator. The polishing pad is positioned on the platen, and it has a planarizing surface with an operational zone upon which the wafer may be planarized. The wafer carrier holds a wafer and is positionable opposite the polishing pad to engage the wafer with the operational zone of the polishing pad. The wafer separator engages either the polishing pad, the wafer, or the wafer carrier to urge a portion of the wafer away from the pad.

Abstract: A wafer mount plate is inserted loosely into a housing, and the wafer mount plate is supported in such a manner as to be swingable and movable vertically and horizontally with respect to a polishing pad. An air chamber is formed between the wafer mount plate and the housing. By controlling the internal pressure of the air chamber, it is possible to control polishing pressure applied on the wafer mount plate. Since the entire top side of the wafer mount plate can be uniformly pressured, the uniform polishing pressure can be applied on the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer. Further, the wafer mount plate inclines in accordance with variations in the inclination of the polishing pad so that the semiconductor wafer and the polishing pad can be maintained in a parallel position.

Abstract: The present invention describes an apparatus and method for aligning a pad/belt on a roller for use in chemical mechanical polishing using linear planarization. The present invention comprises an alignment sensor that senses the alignment of the pad/belt. The present invention additionally comprises a tensioner that tensions the pad/belt on the roller. And, a controller that controls the alignment of the pad/belt on the roller by controlling the tensioner.

Abstract: When a mounting member employed for fine polishing of semiconductor substrates or glass substrates etc. is constituted of a combination of a sheet of continuous porous structure and a template, operating efficiency is lowered by the need to change the template; this is a factor raising production costs, and edge portions of the polishing workpiece get damaged by contact with the template, causing production of defective articles. By making the mounting member for polishing a member in which water repellence was conferred on at least a surface skin layer of a continuous sheet of porous structure, fine polishing without a template was made possible.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for uniformly planarizing a surface of a semiconductor wafer and accurately stopping CMP processing at a desired endpoint. In one embodiment, a planarizing machine has a platen mounted to a support structure, an underpad attached to the platen, a polishing pad attached to the underpad, and a wafer carrier assembly. The wafer carrier assembly has a chuck with a mounting cavity in which the wafer may be mounted, and the wafer carrier assembly moves the chuck to engage a front face of the wafer with the planarizing surface of the polishing pad. The chuck and/or the platen moves with respect to the other to impart relative motion between the wafer and the polishing pad. The planarizing machine also includes a pressure sensor positioned to measure the pressure at an area of the wafer as the platen and the chuck move with respect to each other and while the wafer engages the planarizing surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: An elastic polishing pad is adhered to a surface of a flat substrate holder of a platen. A substrate holding head which holds and rotates a semiconductor substrate is provided above a first region extending from the central portion to peripheral portion of the polishing pad. The semiconductor substrate rotated by the substrate holding head is pressed against the first region of the polishing pad. A slurry is dropped in a prescribed amount from an abrasive supply pipe onto the polishing pad. Pad pressing means for pressing the polishing pad is provided above a second region extending from the central portion to peripheral portion of the platen. The pad pressing means has a disk-shaped pad pressing plate and a rotary shaft for holding the pad pressing plate.

Abstract: An improved slurry composition and methods of using it are provided for final polishing of silicon wafers. The composition comprises water, submicron silica particles at about 0.02 to about 0.5 percent by weight of this composition, a salt at a concentration of about 100 to about 1000 ppm, an amine compound at a concentration sufficient to effect a composition pH of about 8 to about 11, and a polyelectrolyte dispersion agent at a concentration of about 20 to about 500 ppm, wherein the composition has a total sodium and potassium content below about 1 ppm and an iron, nickel and copper content each below about 0.1 ppm, all ppm being parts per million by weight of the composition.

Abstract: A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly to polish the wafer face; and a controller selectively adjusting one of a plurality of adjustable polishing parameters during polishing of the wafer.

Abstract: A carrier head for a semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus includes a rigid plate which has a major surface with a plurality of open fluid channels. A flexible wafer carrier membrane has a perforated wafer contact section for contacting the semiconductor wafer, and a bellows extending around the wafer contact section. A retaining ring is secured to the rigid plate with a flange on the bellows sandwiched between the plate's major surface and the retaining ring, thereby defining a cavity between the wafer carrier membrane and the rigid plate. A fluid conduit is coupled to the rigid plate allowing a source of a vacuum and a source of pressurized fluid alternately to be connected to the cavity.

Abstract: A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a platen subassembly defining a polishing area; a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly to polish the wafer face; and means for heating the wafer while the wafer face is being polished.

Abstract: A number of blocks are reciprocably supported in a polishing apparatus in accordance with this invention, entirely independent of each other so that lifting motion of one block is not transferred to an adjacent block, thus providing flexibility to follow the global curvature of the wafer. The polishing apparatus uses a block of a very hard design to ensure minimal deflection of the block into the microstructure of the wafer. Each block removes a portion of the wafer using relative motion between the block and the wafer. Each block is supported by at least three regions of the wafer during the relative motion, wherein each of the regions has the slowest rate of material removal in a die enclosing that region. In one embodiment, the smallest dimension of a block is approximately three times the size of the side of a die.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing pad for use in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers, and a method for making the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a body, molecular bonding links, and abrasive particles dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the body. The body is made from a polymeric matrix material and the molecular bonding links are covalently bonded to the matrix material. Substantially all of the abrasive particles are covalently bonded to at least one molecular bonding link. The molecular bonding links securely affix the abrasive particles to the matrix material to enhance the uniformity of the distribution of the abrasive particles throughout the pad and to substantially prevent the abrasive particles from breaking away from the pad.

Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus. The carrier head includes a housing with a recess. A flexible membrane defines an enclosed volume in the recess. A conformable material is disposed in the enclosed volume. The conformable material ensures that any load applied to the substrate is evenly distributed.

Abstract: A lapping apparatus and a method for effectively utilizing a regenerated abrasive fluid in the lapping process of works such as semiconductor wafers or quartz wafers without causing any damage such as scratches to the works.A work lapping method using a regenerated abrasive fluid prepared from a used abrasive fluid and a new abrasive fluid, which comprises the steps of preliminarily lapping a work using the regenerated abrasive fluid to a predetermined stock removal of the work, and finally lapping the preliminarily lapped work using the new abrasive fluid.

Abstract: A technique for controlling a polishing rate across a substrate surface when performing CMP, in order to obtain uniform polishing of the substrate surface. A support housing which underlies a polishing pad includes a plurality of openings for dispensing a pressurized fluid. The openings are arranged into a pre-configured pattern for dispensing the fluid to the underside of the pad opposite the substrate surface being polished. The openings are configured into a number of groupings, in which a separate channel is used for each grouping so that fluid pressure for each group of openings can be separately and independently controlled.

Abstract: A polishing system for polishing a wafer or the like, comprises: a vacuum system comprising a vacuum pump and a vacuum passage connected thereto; a fluid supply system comprising a fluid source and a fluid passage connected thereto; a polishing head comprising a holding member for holding the wafer or the like on the lower surface thereof which has at least one through hole in communication with the vacuum passage and the fluid passage; and a polishing member. Polishing of the wafer or the like is performed by pressing the wafer or the like held on the lower surface of the holding member, against the polishing member while providing relative motion between the holding member and the polishing member and supplying an abrasive slurry to the polishing member. Separation of the wafer or the like from the polishing head is performed by injecting a fluid from the fluid supply system to the object through the through hole of the holding member.

Abstract: A process using a retaining ring assembly of a carrier head to precompress a polishing pad to reduce or minimize the edge effect in a chemical mechanical polishing process.

Abstract: A method of automatically polishing a semiconductor wafer having a substrate and a surface film. A wafer mounting device, which may include a vacuum chuck, holds the semiconductor wafer without requiring that the wafer have a central aperture. The mounting device and wafer are moved with an orbit-within-an-orbit motion while a tape transport mechanism applies an abrasive polishing tape to the surface film of the moving wafer to polish one surface of the wafer to a flatness of less than two microns. The polishing tape passes arcuately around a roller and passes between the roller and the surface film and contacts the surface film in a line running across the width of the tape. The system determines the thickness of the wafer surface film during the polishing process with a real time measurement device such as an effipsometer, or by determining a work-performed factor and calculating an estimated film thickness from the work-performed factor.

Abstract: An elastic polishing pad is adhered to the top face of a rotatable table. Above the table is provided a substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate. The substrate holding apparatus comprises a rotary shaft, a substrate holding head in the form of a disc which is provided integrally with the lower edge of the rotary shaft, a sealing member in the form of a ring which is made of an elastic material and fastened to the peripheral portion of the lower face of the substrate holding head, and a guiding member in the form of a ring which is fastened to the back face of the substrate holding head to be located outside the sealing member. A fluid under pressure is introduced into a fluid flow path formed in the rotary shaft from one end thereof and supplied to a space from the other end of the fluid flow path so as to press the substrate against the polishing pad.

Abstract: An apparatus for engaging a workpiece against a polishing surface in a first embodiment includes a lower plate member, the lower plate member includes a hub on a top surface. An upper plate member includes a seat disposed on a bottom surface. The hub fits within the seat to form an air bearing between the lower and upper plate members. A structure supplies air to the air bearing and a flexure spring is disposed between the upper and lower plate members. The lower plate member includes vacuum holes in its bottom surface which are connected to a vacuum source which creates a vacuum pressure for holding the workpiece against the lower plate. A retainer ring including a flange is positioned about the outer edge surface of the lower plate member for holding the workpiece in place on the bottom surface of the lower plate member.

Abstract: A backing pad for supporting semiconductor wafer allowing an advanced flatness of its mirror-polished surface even for large sized wafers. A backing pad 1 is smoothly finished on its wafer holding surface 1a, thereon a number of grooves 2, 2 . . . aligned in a lattice form and elongated toward the outer periphery of the backing pad 1. The backing pad is typically made of polyurethane poromerics internally including a number of isolated pores. All of the grooves 2 are equal in the width and depth, which are kept constant along their lengthy direction. Intergroove pitch is also kept constant over the entire wafer holding surface 1a. The backing pad 1 is enlarged in its diameter to allow simultaneous loading of a plurality of wafers W, W . . . .

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of conditioning a polishing pad suitable for in-situ use, is described. The apparatus consists of a wedge-shaped conditioning plate whose width varies as a function of its length and whose exact geometry is a function of the radial effects of the polishing process effecting conditioning of the polishing pad. The conditioning plate rests on the polishing pad and is surrounded by a loose-fitting frame that holds the conditioning plate stationary with respect to the rotating polishing table, preventing lateral movement of the conditioning plate, but allowing the plate to move in the vertical direction so that it can rest flat on the polishing pad.

Abstract: The method and apparatus of polishing and post-processing a substrate by which the particle level after planarization of a semiconductor device by polishing may be reduced. According to the present invention, the substrate of the semiconductor device to be processed is maintained in a wet state since directly after polishing until the end of post-processing.

Abstract: This invention provides a polishing method including the steps of forming a film to be polished on a substrate having a recessed portion in its surface so as to fill at least the recessed portion, and selectively leaving the film to be polished behind in the recessed portion by polishing the film by using a polishing agent containing polishing particles and a solvent, and having a pH of 7.5 or more. The invention also provides a polishing apparatus including a polishing agent storage vessel for storing a polishing agent, a turntable for polishing an object to be polished, a polishing agent supply pipe for supplying the polishing agent from the polishing agent storage vessel onto the turntable, a polishing object holding jig for holding the object to be polished such that the surface to be polished of the object opposes the turntable, and a polishing agent supply pipe temperature adjusting unit, connected to the polishing agent supply pipe, for adjusting the temperature of the polishing agent.

Abstract: A substrate holder assembly for immobilizing an integrated circuit (IC) wafer during polishing is described. The substrate holder includes a base plate sized to support the integrated circuit (IC) wafer, a circumferential restraint member arranged with respect to the base plate to engage the IC wafer's edges and a carrier assembly disposed above the base plate and below the IC wafer. The carrier assembly includes a film having a surface that is characterized by a substantially oblate spheroid or hyperboloid surface of rotation, wherein the surface of the film is capable of supporting the IC wafer in a manner causing the IC wafer to bow according to the surface of rotation.

Abstract: The present invention includes a polishing pad to improve polishing uniformity across a semiconductor substrate and a method using the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a first region that is closer to the edge of the polishing pad and a second region adjacent to the first region and further from the edge of the polishing pad. The polishing pad is configured, so that the second region is thicker or less compressible compared to the first region. The polishing pad should not require significantly changing any of the equipment. Oscillating range and possibly polishing pressure may need to be changed when one of the polishing pads of the present invention is used. Other operational parameters are not expected to be substantially different from a conventional polishing pad, although slight optimization of the other operating parameters may be needed.

Abstract: Planarization of a patterned semiconductor wafer is effected by chemical-mechanical polishing using a carrier assembly comprising a carrier film adhesively bonded to a base plate, preferably by a pressure sensitive adhesive. Chemical-mechanical polishing is preferably conducted employing three phases of different pressures to prevent wafer slippage.

Abstract: Uniform planarization of a patterned semiconductor wafer is effected with a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus containing a base plate comprising a convex surface portion.

Abstract: A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a platen subassembly defining a polishing area; a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly to polish the wafer face; and means for heating the wafer while the wafer face is being polished.

Abstract: A carrier head uses a pressure chamber and a gimbal. The gimbal allows the carrier base to pivot with respect to the drive shaft about a point at the interface between the substrate and the polishing pad. The gimbal may "float" so that no downward force is applied to the substrate through the gimbal. A rolling diaphragm seals the carrier base to the carrier housing to form a chamber. By pressurizing the chamber, an even load can be applied across the substrate. A retaining ring is independently loaded by an inflatable bladder. Torque is transferred from the carrier housing to the carrier base by horizontal pins positioned near the substrate. The pins can slide vertically in the housing, but not laterally. However, there is sufficiently elasticity to allow the torque pins to comply with manufacturing tolerances so that both torque pins bear the rotational load.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer has a turntable with a polishing surface, and a top ring for holding a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface under a first pressing. The polishing apparatus has a pressurized fluid source for supplying pressurized fluid, and a plurality of openings provided in the holding surface of the top ring for ejecting the pressurized fluid supplied from the pressurized fluid source. A plurality of areas each having the openings are defined on the holding surface so that the pressurized fluid is selectively ejectable from the openings in the respective areas.

Abstract: A novel polishing pad having voids and optional abrasives incorporated therein is disclosed. The contents of each void facilitates the detection of the end point at which the polishing pad becomes worn out during a polishing operation. Chemicals stored within voids are released by the breaching of the voids caused by the polishing operation. The chemical released is selected to halt the chemical polishing, change the color of the pad, or to detectably change the torque load on the rotating fixed abrasive pad. Empty voids cause an noise from fluids such as air being forced into the voids. The visual or audible diagnostic resulting from the breaching of voids help to control the polishing operation and thus increase yield.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus comprises a pressure container having a first opening at its bottom and being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a plane of the first opening; a wafer support coupled elastically to the first opening, sealing the first opening hermetically and having a wafer supporting surface; and a lower surface plate disposed underneath the wafer supporting surface and having a polishing surface approximately parallel to the wafer supporting surface. The wafer support may be provided with flatness adjusting means for selectively applying a larger pressure on a region of the wafer held on the wafer supporting surface than a pressure on other region. The flatness adjusting means may comprise a plurality of pressing pins, or may comprise a hollow within the wafer support, a surface plate having elasticity and sealing the hollow, and means for applying pressure to the hollow. Wafer can be polished under uniform pressure applied on the back surface. Flatness of the wafer can be improved.

Abstract: A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a slurry supply system delivering a slurry to the polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly; and an optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face while the wafer is under a liquid, wherein drying of the wafer is avoided while the measurements are taken.

Abstract: Shallow grooves are formed on the surface of a hard layer of a polishing pad for polishing the wafer so as to join a plurality of. Since the grooves are formed for causing no negative pressure between the polishing pad and the wafer, the distance between the grooves is made more than several times as large as the pitch between the holes.

Abstract: Disclosed are polished and planarized diamond films and a method and apparatus for polishing and planarizing diamond films. The method generally includes mechanical polishing of the diamond film against a ceramic surface in the presence of a treating agent of potassium nitrate and a polishing agent of potassium hydroxide. The produced films have an average surface roughness on the order of 0.05 microns, a planarization uniformity within eight percent, and are relatively free of process-induced contaminants.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is employed to polish an object to be polished by urging the surface of the object to be polished against the surface of a polishing cloth and causing a relative movement therebetween, while supplying a polishing liquid into an area between the object to be polished and the polishing cloth. A plurality of nozzles spray respective fluid jets to strike against the surface of the cloth. The plurality of nozzles include more than one type of nozzle which vary flow velocity, flow rate, angle of spray, and cross-sectional configuration of a jet. The plurality of nozzles have axes positioned at a location at different distances from the rotation axis of the polishing cloth.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus for a semiconductor wafer which is capable of polishing uniformly the surface of the semiconductor wafer and of controlling the polishing amount by providing plurality of rotary drums each wrapped in a polishing cloth on the upper surface of a polishing pad and connecting supporters capable of vertical movement to both ends each rotary drum, and includes a rotatable polishing pad in the planar upper surface of which a plurality of recesses are formed for receiving a semiconductor wafer, a plurality of rotatable polishing units located on the polishing pad for planarizing the surface of the semiconductor wafers, a supporter connected at the endpoints of the rotational polishing units which can make a vertical movement, and a slurry applicator located above the rotational polishing units for putting a slurry thereon.

Abstract: In a polishing method of polishing a surface of a wafer by pressing the wafer, which is rotating in the same direction as a rotating table, against the polishing table while continuously flowing a polishing agent onto the polishing table, run-off of the polishing agent is suppressed by continuously blowing air from the outside of the polishing table toward the polishing table. A wafer polishing apparatus for practicing the above method includes a polishing table having rotating means, polishing agent supplying means for supplying a polishing agent onto the polishing table, wafer holding means, having rotating means and vertical drive mechanism, for holding a wafer to oppose the polishing table, and air blowing means for blowing air from the outside of the table polishing toward the polishing table.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polishing including a polishing plate having an upper surface on which a polishing pad is attached, a polishing head having a lower surface opposed to an upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate, for holding a substrate to be polished on the lower surface, and a pressure source for applying a polishing pressure to the polishing head, whereby the substrate held by the polishing head is pressed against the upper surface of the polishing pad under the polishing pressure applied from the pressure source to perform polishing of the substrate. The polishing head is provided with a contact pressure adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting an in-plane contact pressure of the substrate against the upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate at every area of the substrate. Accordingly, the uniformity and the planarity in the plane of the substrate surface to be polished can be improved with a high throughput.

Abstract: A carrier uses multiple bellows to form two pressure chambers between the housing and carrier base and retaining ring assembly. By pressurizing the first chamber, an even load can be applied across the substrate. By pressurizing the second chamber, the retaining ring can pressed against the polishing pad. The bellows allow the carrier base to pivot with respect to the housing, but the downward force is evenly applied to the substrate through the first pressure chamber. Torque is transferred from the carrier housing to the carrier base through the bellows.

Abstract: An automated wafer lapping system including a robot which loads wafers from a cassette into a wafer carrier on a lapping machine one at a time and one after another. The robot is capable of delivering lapped wafers to a thickness gauging device for measuring the wafer thickness and recalibrating the lapping machine between each run. Openings in the wafer carriers for receiving wafers are sized closely to the wafer for minimal relative motion between the wafer and carrier. A centering jig and search program for the robot facilitate fast location of the wafers in the openings. The lapping system also inspects wafers for defects and sorts them accordingly after lapping.

Abstract: The present invention is a carrier ring for a semiconductor wafer carrier in which an exposed surface of the carrier ring facing a polishing pad either slopes, is stepped, or is curved away from the polishing pad from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of the carrier ring. As a result, the exposed surface of the carrier ring is spaced farther from the polishing pad adjacent its outer periphery than it is adjacent its inner periphery, thereby increasing the volume and uniformity of slurry transported beneath the wafer.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a table on which an abrasive cloth is removably applied and an abrasive cloth replacing unit for automatically replacing the abrasive cloth locating on the table with a new abrasive cloth. The replacing unit includes a cloth storage device for storing a plurality of unused abrasive cloths, an abrasive cloth carrier and an abrasive cloth applier. The cloth carrier picks up an abrasive cloth located on the table and carries it to a disposal site and then picks up a new abrasive cloth from the cloth storage device and carries it to the table. The cloth applier presses an abrasive cloth against the table.