Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chung-Yang Lin

Wen-Ten Chen

Yu-Sheng Shen

Chung-I Cheng

Fang-Lin Lu

Young-Wang Lo

Kau-Po Yeh

An apparatus and a method for retaining moisture on a polishing pad in chemical mechanical polishing during machine idling, i.e. during machine maintenance or repair are described. The apparatus is constructed of a circular disc in a clam-shell configuration having two halves for easy mounting or dismounting from a polishing pad. The circular disc may further include a protruded top portion to accommodate a polishing head when the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus is in a stand-by mode. The circular disc should have a diameter sufficiently large to cover an entire surface area of a polishing pad, while a peripheral edge of the circular disc overlaps a periphery of the polishing pad. The apparatus further includes a moisture retention means mounted on an inner surface of the circular disc for providing a moisturizing environment to the surface of the polishing pad. The moisture retention means can be suitably provided in brushes formed of moisture retaining bristles or in a cellulosic material layer. The apparatus may further include a fastening means for fastening the two clam-shell halves together which includes a hook-and-loop means, an adhesive means or a mechanical quick connect/disconnect means. The circular disc is preferably fabricated of a substantially transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, so that the condition of the polishing pad can be readily observed.

Apparatus and method for retaining moisture on a polishing pad

A method for off-line testing a polishing head used in a CMP polishing apparatus is disclosed. The method utilizes at least two sets of pressurizing/vacuuming/venting devices for the independent testing of at least two fluid chambers which may include a membrane chamber, a retaining ring chamber and an innertube chamber normally found in a CMP polishing head. The present invention further discloses an off-line testing apparatus for a chemical mechanical polishing head which includes at least two independent sets of pressurizing/vacuuming/venting devices for testing a CMP head that is equipped with at least two fluid chambers such as a membrane chamber, a retaining ring chamber and an innertube chamber. The method and apparatus can be used advantageously for testing a variety of defects in a CMP polishing head prior to the installation of the head into a CMP apparatus. The defects include leakage between the fluid chambers, loss of vacuum seal in the fluid chambers, and binding between the fluid chambers. A pressurizing source utilized may be a general nitrogen gas in a fabrication plant. The vacuum source may be factory vacuum.

Method and apparatus for off-line testing a polishing head

A cover assembly that is equipped with a pivotable handle for sealing a vacuum conduit opening is provided. The cover assembly is constructed generally by a cover body and a pivotable handle resting in a recess in a top surface of the cover body. The cover body is constructed by an upper annular portion and a lower annular portion integrally formed or joined together. The upper annular portion has an outside diameter that is larger than an outside diameter of the conduit opening, while the lower annular portion has an outside diameter that is smaller than an inside diameter of the conduit opening for sealing the conduit opening when the lower annular portion of the cover body is inserted into the conduit opening, a bottom surface of the upper annular portion sealingly engages the end surface of the conduit opening. The upper annular portion may further include a recess in a top surface for concealing the pivotable handle therein. The pivotable handle of generally elongated rectangular shape has an elongated slot opening formed therethrough in a longitudinal direction. A finger grip is provided at one end of the handle such that when the elongated slot opening slidingly engages a pin mounted in a horizontal position in the recess, the handle rests horizontally in the recess when not in use, and stands vertically in the recess when pulled up by a sliding engagement between the elongated slot opening and the horizontally mounted pin.

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Chung-Yang Lin