Glass Or Stone Abrading Patents (Class 451/41)
  • Patent number: 11407082
    Abstract: Method and system for monitoring a polishing pad is provided. The polishing pad includes a bottom layer, a polishing layer disposed on the bottom layer, and a plurality of mark structures disposed on the bottom layer and in the polishing layer to have a top surface coplanar with the polishing layer to indicate consumption level of the polishing layer. The monitoring system includes an acquisition module, a memory module, and a determining module connected to both the acquisition module and the memory module. The determining module, the acquisition module, and the memory module are configured to monitor the consumption level of the polishing layer and to recognize that the polishing pad needs to be replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
    Inventor: Chao Shi
  • Patent number: 11382412
    Abstract: A PVA brush cleaning method includes immersing a PVA brush in a cleaning solution containing an organic matter, thereby removing a siloxane compound in the PVA brush; and applying vibration to the PVA brush, thereby removing impurities in the PVA brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignees: EBARA CORPORATION, INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION HANYANG
    Inventors: Jin-Goo Park, Jung Hwan Lee, Satomi Hamada
  • Patent number: 11344991
    Abstract: A carrier head for chemical mechanical polishing includes a base, an actuator, a substrate mounting surface, and a retainer. The retainer includes an inner section and an outer section connected by a flexure. A bottom of the inner section of the retainer provides an inner portion of a lower surface configured to contact a polishing pad. An inner surface of the inner section extends upwardly from an inner edge of the lower surface to circumferentially surround the substrate mounting surface. The inner section of the retainer is positioned to receive a controllable load from the actuator and is vertically movable relative to the base. A bottom of the outer section of the retainer provides an outer portion of the lower surface. The outer section of the retainer is vertically fixed to the base. The inner section of the retainer is vertically movable relative to the outer section of the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Nagengast, Steven M. Zuniga
  • Patent number: 11342208
    Abstract: There is provided a processing method including the steps of measuring a thickness of the wafer, holding the wafer on a holder, supplying a liquid resin to a table that faces the holder, relatively moving the holder and the table closely to each other to coat the wafer with the liquid resin, and hardening the liquid resin that has coated the wafer. In the resin applying step, a distance by which the holder and the table are to be relatively moved closely to each other to coat the wafer with the liquid resin is determined depending on the measured thickness of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikuni Migiyama, Kazuki Sugiura, Yoshinori Kakinuma, Mitsuru Ikushima
  • Patent number: 11338409
    Abstract: A flexible membrane for a carrier head of a chemical mechanical polisher includes a main portion, an annular outer portion, and three annular flaps. The main portion has a substrate mounting surface with a radius R. The annular outer portion extends upwardly from an outer edge of the main portion and has a lower edge connected to the main portion and an upper edge. The three annular flaps include a first annular flap joined to an inner surface of the main portion at a radial position between 75% and 95% of R, a second inwardly-extending annular flap joined to the annular outer portion at a position between the lower edge and the upper edge, and a third inwardly-extending annular flap joined to the upper edge of the annular outer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeonghoon Oh, Jamie Leighton
  • Patent number: 11318577
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system that includes a platen, a conduit having a heating segment and a delivery outlet, and a heater coupled to the heating segment of the conduit. The delivery outlet is positioned adjacent to the platen, whereas the heating segment defines a dispensing distance with the delivery outlet. The dispensing distance is associated with a stability of a CMP slurry at an elevated temperature that is above an ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Bassam Fouad Elkhatib, Kevin Don Vogel, Daniel Joseph Finch
  • Patent number: 11298796
    Abstract: A method for double-side polishing a wafer uses a double-side polishing machine wherein a carrier which is yet to be arranged in the double-side polishing machine is previously subjected to two-stage double-side polishing which uses a double-side polishing machine different from the double-side polishing machine adopted for double-side polishing the wafer and includes primary polishing using slurry containing abrasive grains and secondary polishing using an inorganic alkali solution containing no abrasive grain, the carrier subjected to the two-stage double-side polishing is arranged in the double-side polishing machine adopted for double-side polishing the wafer, and the double-side polishing of the wafer is performed. Consequently, the method for double-side polishing a wafer enables suppressing damages to wafers to be polished immediately after arranging the carrier between the upper and lower turntables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Tanaka, Daichi Kitazume, Syuichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11298795
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a polishing pad for use in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process of semiconductors, a process for preparing the same, and a process for preparing a semiconductor device using the same. In the polishing pad according to the embodiment, the size (or diameter) and distribution of a plurality of pores are adjusted, whereby the polishing performance such as polishing rate and within-wafer non-uniformity can be further enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SKC solmics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Sunghoon Yun, Hye Young Heo, Jang Won Seo
  • Patent number: 11285577
    Abstract: The invention provides a polymer-polymer composite polishing method comprising a polishing layer having a polishing surface for polishing or planarizing a substrate. The method includes attaching a polymer-polymer composite having a polishing layer and a polymeric matrix. The polymer matrix has fluoropolymer particles embedded in the polymeric matrix. Then a cationic particle slurry is applied to the polymer-polymer composite polishing pad. Conditioning the polymer-polymer composite polishing pad with an abrasive cuts the polymer-polymer composite polishing pad; and rubbing the cut polymer-polymer composite polishing pad against the substrate forms the polishing surface. The polishing surface has a fluorine concentration measured in atomic percent at a penetration depth of 1 to 10 nm of at least ten percent higher than the bulk fluorine concentration measured with at a penetration depth of 1 to 10 ?m to polish or planarize the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad T. Islam, Nan-Rong Chiou, Matthew R. Gadinski, Youngrae Park, Gregory Scott Blackman, Lei Zhang, George C. Jacob
  • Patent number: 11279825
    Abstract: In the composition according to the embodiment, the composition of oligomers that constitute the chains in a urethane-based prepolymer may be adjusted to control the physical properties thereof such as gelation time. Thus, since the micropore characteristics, polishing rate, and pad cut rate of a polishing pad obtained by curing the composition according to the embodiment may be controlled, it is possible to efficiently manufacture high-quality semiconductor devices using the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SKC solmics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eun Sun Joeng, Hye Young Heo, Jang Won Seo, Jong Wook Yun
  • Patent number: 11267099
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of forming a CMP membrane. The method is performed by providing a malleable material within a cavity within a membrane mold. The cavity has a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region. The malleable material within the cavity is cured to form a membrane. Curing the malleable material is performed by heating the malleable material within the central region of the membrane mold to a first temperature and heating the malleable material within the peripheral region of the membrane mold to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Ping Chen, Ren-Dou Lee, Sheng-Tai Peng, Tsung-Lung Lai, Tzi-Yi Shieh, Chien-Wei Chang
  • Patent number: 11267095
    Abstract: A method and system for polishing a plurality of workpieces is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a polishing tool with multiple polishing heads; and providing a substrate tray that can hold the plurality of work pieces in a fixed position on a tray underneath the polishing heads. The system and method includes moving the tray within the polisher. Finally, the method and system includes configuring the multiple polishing heads with the appropriate pad/slurry combinations to polish the workpieces and to create a finished polished surface on the plurality of work pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: UTICA LEASECO, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen M. Fisher, Robindranath Banerjee, Christopher L. Beaudry, Brian J. Brown
  • Patent number: 11260499
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus 100 includes a first electric motor 14 that rotationally drives a polishing table 12, and a second electric motor 22 that rotationally drives a top ring 20 that holds a semiconductor wafer 18. The polishing apparatus 100 includes: a current detection portion 24; an accumulation portion 110 that accumulates, for a prescribed interval, current values of three phases that are detected by the current detection portion 24; a difference portion 112 that determines a difference between a detected current value in an interval that is different to the prescribed interval and the accumulated current value; and an endpoint detection portion 29 that detects a polishing endpoint that indicates the end of polishing of the surface of the semiconductor wafer 18, based on a change in the difference that the difference portion 112 outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taro Takahashi, Yuta Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11254836
    Abstract: A one-step headlight restoration formulation is also provided that includes a polyurethane dispersion of aliphatic polycarbonate urethane present from 20 to 85 total weight percent, along with a wetting agent present from 1 to 4 total weight percent. A biocide is present from 0.005 to 0.5 total weight percent of the formulation. A carrier constitutes the remainder of the formulation. A kit for a one-step headlight restoration is provided that includes a wipe for applying said formulation to a headlight surface in need of resurfacing as a one step process. The process of using the kit includes removing a formulation impregnated wipe from an envelope and contacting the wipe with the headlight surface to apply said formulation by wiping evenly on a headlight lens surface to form a restorative film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Tze Lee Phang, Jiafu Fang
  • Patent number: 11247309
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for uniformly holding a substrate without flexure or bending of the substrate, thereby enabling accurate shape measurements of the substrate such as wafer curvature, z-height values and other surface characteristics. Techniques include using a liquid as a supporting surface for a substrate thereby providing uniform support. Liquid used has a same specific gravity of a substrate being supported so that the substrate can float on the liquid without sinking. Uniform support of the substrate enables precision metrology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hoyoung Kang, Anton J. deVilliers
  • Patent number: 11207757
    Abstract: In the composition according to an embodiment, the weight ratio of toluene 2,4-diisocyanate in which one NCO group is reacted and unreacted toluene 2,6-diisocyanate in the urethane-based prepolymer is adjusted, whereby such physical properties as gelation time can be controlled. Thus, the polishing rate and pad cut rate of a polishing pad obtained by curing the composition according to the embodiment may be controlled while it has a hardness suitable for a soft pad, whereby it is possible to efficiently manufacture high-quality semiconductor devices using the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SKC solmics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eun Sun Joeng, Jong Wook Yun, Hye Young Heo, Jang Won Seo
  • Patent number: 11161217
    Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are polished on both sides between polishing pads of a Shore A hardness of at least 80 and a compressibility of less than 3%, attached to upper and lower polishing plates, the polishing pads attached to the upper and lower polishing plates by bonding the polishing pads to the plates, and positioning an intermediate pad having a compressibility of at least 3% between the two bonded polishing pads as an intermediate layer and then pressing together the two polishing pads with the intermediate pad situated therebetween for a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Vladimir Dutschke
  • Patent number: 11127584
    Abstract: Provided a method of producing a carrier which make it possible to prevent the reduction in the flatness of a semiconductor wafer even if the semiconductor wafer is subjected to repeated double-side polishing procedures. The method of producing a carrier including a metal portion and a ring-shaped resin portion includes: a preparation step of preparing the metal portion and the resin portion (Step S1); a placement step of placing the resin portion in the retainer opening in the metal portion (Step S2); and a resin portion polishing step of polishing both surface of the resin portion (Step S4). The method includes, prior to the resin portion polishing step (Step S4), a production stage swelling step of swelling the resin portion placed in the retainer opening in the metal portion by impregnating the resin portion with a first liquid (Step S3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Mikuriya, Tomonori Miura
  • Patent number: 11111353
    Abstract: A method for producing a porous material includes processing a urethane resin composition containing a urethane resin (A) and a solvent (B) by a wet film forming process, in which the solvent (B) satisfies the following conditions: a difference between a Hansen solubility parameter of the solvent (B) (B-HSP) and a Hansen solubility parameter of the urethane resin (A) (A-HSP) is in the range of 3 to 8 (J/cm3)1/2 and a difference between the Hansen solubility parameter of the solvent (B) (B-HSP) and a Hansen solubility parameter of water (W-HSP) is in the range of 31.5 to 38 (J/cm3)1/2. The Hansen solubility parameter of the solvent (B) preferably has a dispersion term (?D) in the range of 15.5 to 21.0 MPa0.5, a polar term (?P) in the range of 7.0 to 14.5 MPa0.5, and a hydrogen bond term (?H) in the range of 4.5 to 11.0 MPa0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: DIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yayi Tseng, Kunihiko Komatsuzaki
  • Patent number: 11056403
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a method of analyzing a shape of a wafer, including: measuring a cross-sectional shape of a plurality of wafers; obtaining a first angle formed by a first line connecting a first point to a second point having a maximum curvature in an edge region of the wafer and a front surface of the wafer; forming a thin film layer on a surface of each of the wafers; measuring a thickness profile of an edge region of the wafer on which each of the thin film layers is formed; and confirming a wafer having a smallest maximum thickness profile of the thin film layer among the plurality of wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SK SILTRON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Woo Sung Lee, Eung Ju Lee
  • Patent number: 11043151
    Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising (a) an abrasive selected from the group consisting of alumina, ceria, titania, zirconia, and combinations thereof, wherein the abrasive is surface-coated with a copolymer comprising a combination of sulfonic acid monomeric units and carboxylic acid monomeric units a combination of sulfonic acid monomeric units and phosphonic acid monomeric units, (b) an oxidizing agent, and (c) water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 2 to about 5. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate comprises tungsten or cobalt and silicon oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CMC Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ji Cui, Helin Huang, Kevin P. Dockery, Pankaj K. Singh, Hung-Tsung Huang, Chih-Hsien Chien
  • Patent number: 11034860
    Abstract: A polishing agent containing abrasive grains and water, in which the abrasive grains contain silica particles, an average particle diameter Rave of the abrasive grains is 50 nm or more, a ratio Rave/Rmin of the average particle diameter Rave to an average minor diameter Rmin of the abrasive grains is 1.0 to 2.0, and a zeta potential of the abrasive grains in the polishing agent is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO MATERIALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Hanano, Kouji Mishima, Naomi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11014215
    Abstract: Provided is a chemical mechanical polishing process. The process includes the following steps: a layer to be polished is provided, wherein the layer to be polished has a hole, a trench and/or an opening formed therein, and a protrusion is formed at the corner of the top of the hole, the trench and/or the opening; a polishing pad with a plurality of fibers on the surface thereof is provided; and in a moving direction perpendicular to the top surface of the layer to be polished, the plurality of fibers of the polishing pad are intermittently contacted with the protrusion in the presence of an abrasive-free slurry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Yi-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 10967481
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a technical field of CMP pad manufacture, and more particularly to a CMP layer based on porous cerium oxide and a preparation method thereof. The CMP layer of the present invention is formed by mixing and curing a polyurethane prepolymer, a crosslinking agent and the porous cerium oxide, including steps of preheating the polyurethane prepolymer under vacuum, then adding a porous cerium oxide filler to the polyurethane prepolymer, and thoroughly mixing to obtain a mixed prepolymer; moving the mixed prepolymer to a first tank, and performing heat preservation, stirring, and circulation treatments; adding the crosslinking agent to a second tank and performing a melting treatment; correcting an injection weight ratio of the first tank and the second tank, then rapidly mixing, so as to inject into the mold; and then curing and vulcanizing to obtain the polishing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Hubei Dinghui Microelectronics Materials Co., LTD
    Inventor: Wentao Dan
  • Patent number: 10947414
    Abstract: A polishing composition for a chemical mechanical polishing process includes abrasive particles, at least one chemical additive, and a non-aqueous solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fang-I Chih, Chih-Chieh Chang, Hui-Chi Huang, Kei-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 10920105
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry composition includes an oxidant including oxygen, and an abrasive particle having a core structure encapsulated by a shell structure. The core structure includes a first compound and the shell structure includes a second compound different from the first compound, where a diameter of the core structure is greater than a thickness of the shell structure, and where the first compound is configured to react with the oxidant to form a reactive oxygen species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An-Hsuan Lee, Shen-Nan Lee, Chen-Hao Wu, Chun-Hung Liao, Teng-Chun Tsai, Huang-Lin Chao
  • Patent number: 10896822
    Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a table that holds a workpiece, and a grinding unit including a grinding wheel mounted to a spindle. The grinding wheel has a grindstone formed by binding abrasive grains with a bonding agent. In addition, the grinding apparatus further includes: a grinding water supply unit that supplies grinding water to at least the grindstone; a light applying unit that is disposed adjacent to the table and that applies light to a grinding surface of the grindstone grinding the workpiece held by the table; and a light applying unit moving section by which the light applying unit can be positioned at a first position on a rotational trajectory of the grinding wheel in the case where the grinding wheel has a first diameter and a second position on a rotational trajectory of the grinding wheel in the case where the grinding wheel has a second diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Takenouchi, Takayuki Gawazawa
  • Patent number: 10851267
    Abstract: Polishing compositions are disclosed which contribute to improvement of level difference performance (in particular, erosion). The polishing composition used for polishing an object to be polished includes abrasive grains and a dispersing medium, wherein the abrasive grains have an average primary particle size of 40 nm or less, and the number of coarse particles having a particle size of 0.2 to 1,600 ?m in the abrasive grains is 20,000 or less per 1 cm3 of the polishing composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIMI INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yoshizaki, Youhei Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10850365
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus including: a turntable with an attached polishing pad; a polishing head that holds a wafer; a tank that stores a polishing agent; a polishing agent supply mechanism which supplies the stored polishing agent to the polishing pad; a waste liquid receiver which collects the polishing agent flowing from the turntable; and a circulation mechanism which is connected to the waste liquid receiver and supplies the collected polishing agent to the tank, the polishing agent is supplied to the polishing pad from the tank with the polishing agent supply mechanism, the used polishing agent which flows from the turntable is collected by the waste liquid receiver, a surface of the wafer held by the polishing head is rubbed against the pad to polish it while supplying the collected polishing agent to the tank to circulate the polishing agent, and the waste liquid receiver is fixed to the turntable and the waste liquid receiver having a bottom plate and a removable side plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignees: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD., FUJIKOSHI MACHINERY CORP.
    Inventors: Michito Sato, Junichi Ueno, Kaoru Ishii, Yosuke Kanai, Yuya Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 10811368
    Abstract: According a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention, a surface protection film having an elastic modulus of 2 GPa or more is formed on a first main surface of a semiconductor wafer where an element structure is formed, the semiconductor wafer is placed on a stage with the first main surface facing the stage, and a second main surface of the semiconductor wafer opposite to the first main surface is ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichi Watabe
  • Patent number: 10796921
    Abstract: The CMP polishing liquid for polishing palladium of this invention comprises an organic solvent, 1,2,4-triazole, a phosphorus acid compound, an oxidizing agent and an abrasive. The substrate polishing method is a method for polishing a substrate with a polishing cloth while supplying a CMP polishing liquid between the substrate and the polishing cloth, wherein the substrate is a substrate with a palladium layer on the side facing the polishing cloth, and the CMP polishing liquid is a CMP polishing liquid comprising an organic solvent, 1,2,4-triazole, a phosphorus acid compound, an oxidizing agent and an abrasive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI CHEMICAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisataka Minami, Ryouta Saisyo, Jin Amanokura, Yuuhei Okada, Hiroshi Ono
  • Patent number: 10777418
    Abstract: The polishing pad is suitable for polishing or planarizing a wafer of at least one of semiconductor, optical and magnetic substrates. The polishing pad includes radial feeder grooves in a polishing layer separating the polishing layer into polishing regions. The radial feeder grooves extend at least from a location adjacent the center to a location adjacent the outer edge of the polishing pad. Each polishing region including a series of biased grooves that connects a pair of adjacent radial feeder grooves. A majority of the biased grooves having either an inward bias toward the center of the polishing pad or an outward bias for directing polishing fluid toward the outer edge of the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, I
    Inventors: John Vu Nguyen, Tony Quan Tran, Jeffrey James Hendron, Jeffrey Robert Stack
  • Patent number: 10776729
    Abstract: A method for tracking containers. The method includes manufacturing containers, including forming the containers and serializing them with machine-readable codes. The method further includes using the machine-readable codes to store data associated with the containers, and supplying the containers to a customer. The method still further comprises receiving from the customer, data obtained from customer-readings of the machine-readable codes; and receiving from one or more the locations in a distribution chain in which the containers travel, data obtained from readings of the machine-readable codes at those locations. The method still further comprises comparing the data from the customer-readings and other readings or the machine-readable codes across product brands, product distribution channels, and/or container types, and providing the data to the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
    Inventors: Roger P Smith, Chris D Anderson, Olivier Dangmann, Anthony R Caracciolo, Casey L Ingle
  • Patent number: 10759969
    Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing composition which is suitable for polishing an object to be polished having a layer containing a Group III-V compound, suppresses etching of the Group III-V compound, and is capable of polishing at a high polishing speed. The polishing composition according to the present invention is a polishing composition used for polishing an object to be polished having a layer containing a Group III-V compound and contains abrasive grains, an oxidizer, and an anionic surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIMI INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Masaki Tada
  • Patent number: 10759981
    Abstract: Provided is a method for polishing a material having a Vickers hardness of 1500 Hv or higher. The polishing method comprises a step of carrying out preliminary polishing using a preliminary polishing composition that comprises an abrasive APRE and a step of carrying out final polishing using a final polishing composition that comprises an abrasive AFIN lower in hardness than the abrasive APRE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIMI INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Shuhei Takahashi, Masatoshi Tomatsu
  • Patent number: 10710210
    Abstract: A method for forming semiconductor devices includes: grinding a backside of a semiconductor wafer with a grinding wheel during a first time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is forward moved during the first time interval, wherein a plurality of semiconductor devices are formed on the semiconductor wafer; polishing the backside of the semiconductor wafer with the grinding wheel in a second time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is backward moved during the second time interval; and dicing the semiconductor wafer to separate the plurality of semiconductor devices from each other without additional polishing of the backside of the semiconductor wafer before dicing the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Rudolf Lehner
  • Patent number: 10703937
    Abstract: The disclosure provides chemical mechanical polishing compositions and methods for polishing polysilicon films with high removal rates. The compositions include 1) an abrasive; 2) at least one compound of structure (I): 3) at least one compound of structure (II): and 4) water; in which the composition does not include tetramethylammonium hydroxide or a salt thereof. The variables n, R1-R7, X, Y, and Z1-Z3 in structures (I) and (II) are defined in the Specification. The synergistic effect of the compounds of structures (I) and (II) in these chemical mechanical polishing compositions leads to high polysilicon films material removal rate during polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Fujifilm Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Alexei P. Leonov, Abhudaya Mishra
  • Patent number: 10651098
    Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes storing a base measurement, the base measurement being a measurement of a substrate after deposition of at least one layer overlying a semiconductor wafer and before deposition of an outer layer over the at least one layer, after deposition of the outer layer over the at least one layer and during polishing of the outer layer on substrate, receiving a sequence of raw measurements of the substrate from an in-situ monitoring system, normalizing each raw measurement in the sequence of raw measurement to generate a sequence of normalized measurements using the raw measurement and the base measurement, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on at least the sequence of normalized measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kitajima, Jeffrey Drue David, Jun Qian, Taketo Sekine, Garlen C. Leung, Sidney P. Huey
  • Patent number: 10639021
    Abstract: Shapeable articles, kits including one or more of the shapeable articles, and methods of making and/or using the shapeable articles. The shapeable articles include a shapeable member that can be shaped or manipulated into three-dimensional shapes without the use of tools and hold those shapes after removal of the force required to achieve the shape. The shapeable articles could have a variety of uses including use as surgical retractors to move and/or restrain non-target tissue and/or organs to improve access to the target tissue and/or organs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Ranjani V. Parthasarathy, Hannah C. Cohen, Haoming Rong, Amanda C. Engler, William Bedingham, Nicholas R. Powley, Korey W. Karls, Michael J. Vostal, Matthew T. Scholz, Michelle H. Stevens, Catherine D. Heapy
  • Patent number: 10640682
    Abstract: A process for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate containing tungsten is disclosed to reduce static corrosion rate and inhibit dishing of the tungsten and erosion of underlying dielectrics. The process includes providing a substrate; providing a polishing composition, containing, as initial components: water; an oxidizing agent; guar gum; a dicarboxylic acid, a source of iron ions; a colloidal silica abrasive; and, optionally a pH adjusting agent; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, having a polishing surface; creating dynamic contact at an interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; and dispensing the polishing composition onto the polishing surface at or near the interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; wherein some of the tungsten (W) is polished away from the substrate, static corrosion rate is reduced, dishing of the tungsten (W) is inhibited as well as erosion of dielectrics underlying the tungsten (W).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronics Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Wen Tsai, Lin-Chen Ho, Cheng-Ping Lee
  • Patent number: 10633557
    Abstract: A process for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate containing tungsten to reduce static corrosion rate and inhibit dishing of the tungsten and erosion of underlying dielectrics is disclosed. The process includes providing a substrate; providing a polishing composition, containing, as initial components: water; an oxidizing agent; xanthan gum; a dicarboxylic acid, a source of iron ions; a colloidal silica abrasive; and, optionally a pH adjusting agent; optionally a surfactant; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, having a polishing surface; creating dynamic contact at an interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; and dispensing the polishing composition onto the polishing surface at or near the interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; wherein some of the tungsten (W) is polished away from the substrate, static corrosion rate is reduced, dishing of the tungsten (W) is inhibited as well as erosion of dielectrics underlying the tungsten (W).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Lin-Chen Ho, Wei-Wen Tsai, Cheng-Ping Lee
  • Patent number: 10633558
    Abstract: A process for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate containing tungsten is disclosed to reduce static corrosion rate and inhibit dishing of the tungsten and erosion of underlying dielectrics. The process includes providing a substrate; providing a polishing composition, containing, as initial components: water; an oxidizing agent; alginate; a dicarboxylic acid, a source of iron ions; a colloidal silica abrasive; and, optionally a pH adjusting agent; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, having a polishing surface; creating dynamic contact at an interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; and dispensing the polishing composition onto the polishing surface at or near the interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; wherein some of the tungsten (W) is polished away from the substrate, static corrosion rate is reduced, dishing of the tungsten (W) is inhibited as well as erosion of dielectrics underlying the tungsten (W).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Wen Tsai, Lin-Chen Ho, Cheng-Ping Lee
  • Patent number: 10626298
    Abstract: Chemical mechanical polishing compositions contain polyethoxylated amines, phosphoric acid or salts thereof, and positively charged nitrogen containing colloidal silica abrasive particles. The chemical mechanical polishing compositions are used in polishing methods for suppressing the removal rate of amorphous silicon while maintaining tunable oxide to silicon nitride removal rate ratios. The chemical mechanical polishing compositions can be used in front-end-of line semiconductor processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Naresh Kumar Penta, Kwadwo E. Tettey, Matthew Van Hanehem
  • Patent number: 10622215
    Abstract: A cutting apparatus includes a line sensor unit that applies a laser beam in a band shape elongated in a radial direction of a wafer to a region inclusive of a peripheral portion of the wafer held on a chuck table, and detects reflected light, and an information calculation section that calculates the position of the wafer and the height of the front surface of the wafer from the reflected light of the laser beam detected by the line sensor unit in a state in which the chuck table is rotated before the wafer is cut to form a stepped portion, and that calculates the width and the height of the stepped portion from the reflected light of the laser beam detected by the line sensor unit after the wafer is cut to form the stepped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Komatsu, Kokichi Minato
  • Patent number: 10600634
    Abstract: Methods for polishing semiconductor substrates are disclosed. The finish polishing sequence is adjusted based on a measured edge roll-off of an analyzed substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Chu, Hsin-Yi Chi, Francis Hung, Jones Yang, H. J. Chiu, J. W. Lu
  • Patent number: 10589397
    Abstract: A difference between a first expected required polish time for a first substrate and a second expected required polish time for a second substrate is determined using a first pre-polish thickness and a second pre-polish thickness measured at an in-line metrology station. A duration of an initial period is determined based on the difference between the first expected required polish time and the second expected required polish time. For the initial period at a beginning of a polishing operation, no pressure is applied to whichever of the first substrate and the second substrate has a lesser expected required polish time while simultaneously pressure is applied to whichever of the first substrate and the second substrate has a greater expected required polish time. After the initial period, pressure is applied to both the first substrate and the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alain Duboust, Wen-Chiang Tu, Shih-Haur Shen, Jimin Zhang, Ingemar Carlsson, Boguslaw A. Swedek, Zhihong Wang, Stephen Jew, David H. Mai, Huyen Tran
  • Patent number: 10532442
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus which is an index system polishing apparatus which includes a polishing head for holding a wafer, a plurality of turn tables to which polishing pads for polishing the wafer are attached, and a loading/unloading stage for loading the wafer to the polishing head or unloading the wafer from the polishing head, and which polishes the wafer while switching the turn tables to be used for polishing the wafer held at the polishing head by causing the polishing head to perform rotation movement, the polishing apparatus including a turn table upward and downward movement mechanism which allows the turn table to move upward and downward. With this polishing apparatus, it is possible to reduce an amount of displacement caused when moment load is applied on the polishing head during polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignees: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD., FUJIKOSHI MACHINERY CORP.
    Inventors: Michito Sato, Junichi Ueno, Kaoru Ishii, Hiromi Kishida, Yuya Nakanishi, Ryosuke Yoda, Yosuke Kanai
  • Patent number: 10525566
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method includes preparing a polishing pad, determining a first load to be applied to a conditioning disk during conditioning of the polishing pad and a first indentation depth at which tips of the conditioning disk are inserted into the polishing pad when the first load is applied to the conditioning disk, preparing a conditioning disk, and positioning the conditioning disk on the polishing pad and conditioning a surface of the polishing pad by using the conditioning disk while applying the first load to the conditioning disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., EHWA Diamond Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myung-ki Hong, Yung-jun Kim, Sung-oh Park, Hyo-san Lee, Joo-han Lee, Kyu-min Oh, Sun-gyu Park, Seh-kwang Lee, Chan-ki Yang
  • Patent number: 10525568
    Abstract: The wafer polishing system is disclosed. The wafer polishing system may comprise a polishing unit; a slurry distribution unit mounted on the polishing unit and distributing a slurry flowing into the polishing unit for wafer polishing; a slurry tank connected to the slurry distribution unit and storing the slurry; a slurry pump connected to the polishing unit and the slurry tank for transferring the slurry from the slurry tank to the polishing unit; a first circulation line in which one side is connected to the slurry tank; a second circulation line in which one side is connected to the other side of the first circulation line and the other side is connected to the slurry distribution unit; and a cleaning liquid supply unit connected to the second circulation line for supplying a cleaning liquid flowing through the second circulation line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: SK SILTRON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Won Baek, Jae Pyo Lee
  • Patent number: 10522300
    Abstract: A metal foil with a karstified topography having a surface morphology in which a maximum peak height minus a maximum profile depth is greater than 0.5 ?m and extends into the surface at least 5% of the foil thickness, a root mean square roughness is at least about 0.2 ?m measured in a direction of greatest roughness, and an oxygen abundance is less than 5 atomic %. The foil may be composed of aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, or stainless steel, or an alloy of any thereof, and may have a coating composed of nickel, nickel alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, nickel oxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, indium tin oxide, or carbon, or a mixture or composite of any thereof. The foil may form part of a metal electrode, current collector, or electrochemical interface. Further described is a method for producing the foil by laser ablation in a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: National Research Council of Canada
    Inventor: Dongfang Yang