Lucent Technologies Inc.

Agere Systems Inc.

Laurence D Schultz

Yaw S Obeng

Arun Kumar Nanda

Charles A Storey

Jose Omar Rodriguez

Jose Omar Rodriquez

Randolph H Burton

A method () for conditioning a polishing pad () used for polishing semiconductor wafers (). The degradation in conditioning performance of a conditioning device () is accounted for by controlling at least one of the conditioning velocity (), conditioning down force () and conditioning time (). The amount of the degradation of conditioning performance during consecutive uses of a conditioning device () may be determined by measuring the friction force () between the conditioning device () and the polishing pad (), or it may be predicted on the basis of an algorithm () developed from data obtained from a plurality of representative conditioning devices ().

Method and apparatus for conditioning a polishing pad

The present invention provides an improved conditioning wheel for conditioning polishing pads used to polish semiconductor wafers. In one embodiment, the conditioning wheel includes a planar body having a metal surface located thereon. The metal surface has abrasive particles embedded therein and a retainer coating deposited over the metal surface and the abrasive particles. The retainer coating inhibits the abrasive particles from dislodging during a conditioning process.

Conditioning wheel for conditioning a semiconductor wafer polishing pad and method of manufacture thereof

The present invention provides a method of planarizing a surface on a semiconductor wafer containing metal. In one embodiment, the method comprises selecting a slurry that contains conventional components of an abrasive and an oxidant. The oxidant is known to have a known rate of oxidation and is capable of oxidizing the metal. This embodiment further comprises reducing a rate of exposure of the metal to the oxidant by altering a property of the slurry, oxidizing the metal at the reduced rate to form an oxide of the metal, and removing the oxide with the abrasive to produce a planarized surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Method of planarizing a surface on a semiconductor wafer

The present invention provides a unique polishing apparatus, such as a chemical/mechanical polishing apparatus, that includes a pivoting apparatus having a first end coupled to a carrier head and a second end coupled to a rotatable shaft wherein the pivoting apparatus is configured to exert a pivoting force with respect to the carrier head to pivot the carrier head with respect to the rotatable shaft to more easily break the surface tension formed by the slurry during the polishing process. This system provides a polishing apparatus that can reduce the amount of semiconductor wafer breakage associated with present processes and apparatus.

Polishing apparatus with carrier head pivoting device

The present invention provides a continuous slurry delivery system for use with a polishing apparatus employing a slurry. The continuous slurry delivery system comprises a mixing chamber, slurry component tanks, a chemical parameter sensor system, and a control system. Each of the slurry component tanks contains a different slurry component and is in fluid connection with the mixing chamber to deliver a required rate of the different slurry component to the mixing chamber. The chemical parameter sensor system is coupled to the mixing chamber and configured to sense a chemical property of the slurry. The control system is coupled to the chemical parameter sensor system and is configured to introduce at least one of the slurry components at a given rate to the mixing chamber.

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Kissimmee, FL, United States of America

Laurence D Schultz