Globalwafers Co., Ltd.

Memc Electronic Materials, Inc.

Ezio Bovio

Emanuele Corsi

Dennis Buese

Mark G Stinson

Larry Flannery

Giovanni Negri

Madhavan S Esayanur

Antonio Maria Rinaldi

Paride Corbellini

Peter D Albrecht

Luca Moiraghi

Paolo Molino

Marco Morganti

Diego Gava

A polishing assembly for polishing of silicon wafers includes a polishing pad, a polishing head assembly, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The polishing head assembly holds a silicon wafer to position the silicon wafer in contact with the polishing pad. The polishing head assembly selectively varies a removal profile of the silicon wafer. The temperature sensor collects thermal data from a portion of the polishing pad. The controller is communicatively coupled to the polishing head assembly and the temperature sensor. The controller receives the thermal data from the temperature sensor and operates the polishing head assembly to selectively vary the removal profile of the silicon wafer based at least in part on the thermal data.

Semiconductor wafer thermal removal control

A polishing assembly for polishing of silicon wafers is provided. The polishing assembly includes a polishing pad, a polishing head assembly, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The polishing head assembly holds a silicon wafer to position the silicon wafer in contact with the polishing pad. The polishing head assembly selectively varies a removal profile of the silicon wafer. The temperature sensor collects thermal data from a portion of the polishing pad. The controller is communicatively coupled to the polishing head assembly and the temperature sensor. The controller receives the thermal data from the temperature sensor and operates the polishing head assembly to selectively vary the removal profile of the silicon wafer based at least in part on the thermal data.

Methods and systems for polishing pad control

A non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for operating a polishing assembly for polishing of silicon wafers is provided. When executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to receive thermal data of a portion of a polishing pad from a temperature sensor and determine a removal profile of a silicon wafer based at least in part on the thermal data. The computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate a polishing head assembly to position the silicon wafer in contact with the polishing pad and to selectively vary the removal profile of the silicon wafer based at least in part on the thermal data.

A method for varying a removal profile of a silicon wafer during polishing using a polishing apparatus is provided. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing pad, a polishing head assembly configured to hold the silicon wafer, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The method includes receiving, at the controller, thermal data of a portion of the polishing pad from the temperature sensor and determining, by the controller, the removal profile of the silicon wafer based at least in part on the thermal data. The method further includes operating, by the controller, the polishing head assembly to position the silicon wafer in contact with the polishing pad and to selectively vary the removal profile of the silicon wafer based at least in part on the thermal data.

A dressing apparatus for dressing a polishing pad includes a dressing member engageable with the polishing pad. The dressing apparatus is adapted to change the amount of force exerted by the dressing member on the polishing pad as the dressing member moves radially along the polishing pad. A controller for controlling the dressing apparatus has pre-programmed recipes that are selectable based on the radial profile of a measured polished wafer.

Dressing a wafer polishing pad

A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer. The system includes a polishing apparatus having a rotatable polishing pad for polishing the wafer. A dressing apparatus is mounted adjacent the polishing pad for dressing the polishing pad. The dressing apparatus includes a dressing member engageable with the polishing pad. A cleaning apparatus is mounted adjacent the polishing pad for removing particulate and chemicals from the polishing pad. The system includes a controller for controlling the dressing apparatus and the cleaning apparatus.

System and method for dressing a wafer polishing pad

A wafer polishing apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer. The polisher comprises a base (), a turntable (), a polishing pad () and a drive mechanism () for driven rotation of a polishing head (). The polishing head is adapted to hold at least one wafer () for engaging a front surface of the wafer with a work surface of the polishing pad. A spherical bearing assembly () mounts the polishing head () on the drive mechanism for pivoting of the polishing head about a gimbal point (p) lying no higher than the work surface when the polishing head holds the wafer in engagement with the polishing pad. This pivoting allowing the plane of the front surface of the wafer to continuously align itself to equalize polishing pressure over the front surface of the wafer, while rotation of the polishing head is driven by the driving mechanism. This maintains the front surface and work surface in a continuously parallel relationship for more uniform polishing of a semiconductor wafer, particularly near the lateral edge of the wafer. A cassette of wafers and method of polishing are also disclosed.

Semiconductor wafer, polishing apparatus and method

The method comprises the steps of mounting a first wafer () on the mounting member () and securing the mounting member to the hub () by drawing a vacuum at a first vacuum pressure through the hub; rotating the hub about the hub axis (AH), rotating a polishing pad () mounted on the turntable () about the turntable axis (at), and bringing a surface of the wafer () and the polishing pad into contact with each other. The wafer () is demounted, and the shape of the polished wafer is determined. A second vacuum pressure is selected using the information obtained. A successive wafer is polished according to the same method as the first wafer except that the second vacuum pressure is substituted for the first vacuum pressure. The second vacuum pressure is sufficient to deform the mounting member () thereby deform the wafer to improve the flatness and parallelism of the surfaces of the successive wafer.

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Bellinzago Novarese, Italy

Ezio Bovio