Memc Electronic Materials, Inc.

Marco Morganti

Peter D Albrecht

Ezio Bovio

Giovanni Negri

Fabrizio Leoni

Paride Corbellini

Luigi Vesco

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

Wafer polishing apparatus includes a turntable having a polishing surface thereon, and a frame mounting the turntable for rotation relative to the frame about an axis. A pressure plate mounted by a spindle rotates about an axis spaced from the axis of rotation of the turntable, but is held from rotation about the axis of rotation of the turntable. The pressure plate is constructed for simultaneously holding multiple wafers with a polish face of the wafers facing the polishing surface of the turntable. The wafers are pressed against the polishing surface of the turntable by a cylinder which applies a force to the pressure plate. A floating head assembly operatively connecting the wafers to the pressure plate reorients the wafer relative to the pressure plate in response to pressure differentials over the polish face of the wafer engaging the polishing surface to substantially equalize the pressure distribution over the polish face of the wafer.

Wafer polishing apparatus and method

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Novara, Italy

Marco Morganti