Nutool, Inc.

Asm Nutool, Inc.

Ontrak Systems, Inc.

Lam Research Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Konstantin Volodarsky

Homayoun Talieh

Douglas W Young

Jalal Ashjaee

Cyprian Emeka Uzoh

Bulent Mehmet Basol

Rimma Volodarsky

Boguslaw Nagorski

Rahul Jairath

Anil K Pant

David E Weldon

Andrew J Nagengast

Leon Volfovski

Glenn W Travis

Boris T Govzman

Anthony S Meyer

Boguslaw A Nigorski

A carrier head for holding a workpiece during processing of a workpiece surface is provided. The carrier head includes a carrier housing, a base and a pressure member. The base is configured to hold the workpiece and is movable with respect to the carrier housing. The pressure member is between the base and the carrier housing and is configured to induce the base to apply a predetermined force onto the process surface.

Constant low force wafer carrier for electrochemical mechanical processing and chemical mechanical polishing

The present invention provides a wafer carrier that includes an opening, which in one embodiment is a plurality of holes, disposed along the periphery of the wafer carrier. A gas emitted through the holes onto a peripheral back edge of the wafer assists in preventing the processing liquids and contaminants resulting therefrom from reaching the inner region of the base and the backside inner region of the wafer. In another embodiment, a plurality of concentric sealing members are used to prove a better seal, and the outer seal is preferably independently movable to allow cleaning of a peripheral backside of the wafer to occur while the wafer is still attached to the wafer carrier.

Apparatus of sealing wafer backside for full-face processing

The present invention relates to a containment chamber that is used for carrying out multiple processing steps such as depositing on, polishing, etching, modifying, rinsing, cleaning, and drying a surface on the workpiece. In one example of the present invention, the chamber is used to electro chemically mechanically deposit a conductive material on a semiconductor wafer. The same containment chamber can then be used to rinse and clean the same wafer. As a result, the present invention eliminates the need for separate processing stations for depositing the conductive material and cleaning the wafer. Thus, with the present invention, costs and physical space are reduced while providing an efficient apparatus and method for carrying out multiple processes on the wafer surface using a containment chamber.

Method of using vertically configured chamber used for multiple processes

The present invention provides a wafer carrier that includes a plurality of concentric sealing members that provide a seal, with the outer seal independently movable to allow cleaning of a peripheral backside of the wafer to occur while the wafer is still attached to the wafer carrier, and a plurality of vacuum openings that a re disposed only adjacent to an inner side of the inner seal at a location corresponding to the backside periphery of the wafer.

Method and apparatus of sealing wafer backside for full-face electrochemical plating

The present invention includes a polishing pad or belt secured to a mechanism that allows the pad or belt to move in a reciprocating manner, i.e. in both forward and reverse directions, at high speeds. The constant bidirectional movement of the polishing pad or belt as it polishes the wafer provides superior planarity and uniformity across the wafer surface. When a fresh portion of the pad is required, the pad is moved through a drive system containing rollers, such that the rollers only touch a back side of the pad, thereby minimizing sources of friction other than the wafer that is being polished from the polishing side of the pad, and maximizing the lifetime of the polishing pad.

Apparatus and method for loading a wafer in polishing system

Vertically configured chamber used for multiple processes

Method of sealing wafer backside for full-face electrochemical plating

A particular anode assembly can be used to supply a solution for any of a plating operation, a planarization operation, and a plating and planarization operation to be performed on a semiconductor wafer. The anode assembly includes a rotatable shaft disposed within a chamber in which the operation is performed, an anode housing connected to the shaft, and a porous pad support plate attached to the anode housing. The support plate has a top surface adapted to support a pad which is to face the wafer, and, together with the anode housing, defines an anode cavity. A consumable anode may be provided in the anode cavity to provide plating material to the solution. A solution delivery structure by which the solution can be delivered to said anode cavity is also provided. The solution delivery structure may be contained within the chamber in which the operation is performed. A shield can also be mounted between the shaft and an associated spindle to prevent leakage of the solution from the chamber.

Anode assembly for plating and planarizing a conductive layer

The present invention uses some type of inflatable membrane during processing to establish a vacuum and/or provide a resilient cushion on which the backside of the wafer can rest. In one aspect, the present invention provides an outer vacuum that allow for attachment of the wafer to the carrier head during processing, and also provides an inner inflatable membrane that provides a resilient cushion on which the backside of the wafer can rest during processing. In other aspects, the present invention provides a membrane that is displaceable with a vacuum within certain cavity regions to provide for attachment of the wafer to the wafer carrier.

Carrier head for holding a wafer and allowing processing on a front face thereof to occur

A work piece carrier head can carry a semiconductor wafer during both plating and polishing operations. The carrier head includes a first component secured to a shaft by which the carrier head can be rotated, translated, and moved up and down, a second component connected to the first component and movable by fluid pressure relative to the first component between retracted and extended positions, and a third component connected to the first and second components for up and down movement between wafer loading or unloading and wafer plating or polishing positions. The third carrier head component includes a contact element by which electrical contact with the wafer is provided to permit wafer plating.

Work piece carrier head for plating and polishing

Polishing apparatus and method with belt drive system adapted to extend the lifetime of a refreshing polishing belt provided therein

A polishing head for performing chemical-mechanical polishing on a linear polisher has a dual stage wafer carrier assembly that incorporates a removable subcarrier. When in use, a main pressure chamber exerts a downforce on the subcarrier housing, while a separate secondary pressure chamber residing between the subcarrier housing and the subcarrier exerts a slightly different downforce on the subcarrier. Since the second pressure chamber exerts the downforce pressure directly on the subcarrier, the direct pressure application, as well as a more uniform distribution of pressure ensures for an improvement to the uniformity of pressure distribution. Additionally, the easily removal subcarrier allows for faster and easier removal of the subcarrier for cleaning and maintenance, as well as for changing inserts and improving process repeatability.

Polishing head with removable subcarrier

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for polishing a surface of a semiconductor wafer using a pad or belt moveable in both forward and reverse directions. In both VLSI and ULSI applications, polishing the wafer surface to complete flatness is highly desirable. The forward and reverse movement of the polishing pad or belt provides superior planarity and uniformity to the surface of the wafer. The wafer surface is pressed against the polishing pad or belt as the pad or belt moves in both forward and reverse directions while polishing the wafer surface. During polishing, the wafer is supported by a wafer housing having novel wafer loading and unloading methods.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Konstantin Volodarsky