Applied Materials, Inc.

Nathan Arron Davis

Allen L D'Ambra

Sumit Subhash Patankar

Shantanu Rajiv Gadgil

Michael J Coughlin

Roy C Nangoy

A polishing liquid delivery arm cleaning tool includes a body configured to be removably secured to a polishing liquid delivery arm of a chemical mechanical polishing system, and an insert removably secured to the body. The insert has an arm-facing surface shaped to direct a cleaning fluid from the polishing liquid delivery arm back to an inner surface of an enclosure of the polishing liquid delivery arm.

Cleaning system for polishing liquid delivery arm

A polishing assembly includes a rotatable platen to support a polishing pad, a polishing liquid delivery arm having an enclosure open at a bottom thereof and one or more ports to deliver a polishing liquid and a cleaning fluid downwardly through an interior space of the enclosure onto the polishing pad, and a delivery arm cleaning tool removably attached to the polishing liquid delivery arm, the cleaning tool extending below the delivery arm and having a delivery arm-facing surface shaped such that the cleaning tool directs the cleaning fluid from the polishing liquid delivery arm on to a surface of the enclosure of the polishing liquid delivery arm.

A method of cleaning a conditioner head includes bringing two clamps of a cleaning tool inward toward a disk-shaped pad conditioner head to press a sponge against an outer surface of the disk-shaped pad conditioner head, and creating relative motion between the cleaning tool and the pad conditioner head to wipe the sponge against the pad conditioner head.

Pad conditioner cleaning system

Chemically impregnated applicators used to provide hydrophobic surfaces on chemical mechanical polishing system components and related application methods are shown. A method of forming a hydrophobic coating on a surface of a polishing system component includes cleaning the surface of the polishing system component to remove a polishing fluid residue therefrom and applying a hydrophobicity causing chemical solution to the surface of the polishing system component.

Maintenance methods for polishing systems and articles related thereto

In a chemical mechanical polishing system, a platen shield cleaning assembly is installed on a rotatable platen in a gap between the rotatable platen and a platen shield. The assembly includes a sponge holder attached to the platen and a sponge. The sponge is held by the sponge holder such that an outer surface of the sponge is pressed against an inner surface of the platen shield.

Platen shield cleaning system

Chemically impregnated applicators used to provide hydrophobic surfaces on chemical mechanical polishing system components and related application methods. A method of forming a hydrophobic coating on a surface of a polishing system component includes cleaning the surface of the polishing system component to remove a polishing fluid residue therefrom and applying a hydrophobicity causing chemical solution to the surface of the polishing system component.

A pad conditioner head cleaning tool has a first clamp configured to removably engage a first portion of a sponge against an outer surface of a disk-shaped pad conditioner head at a first location, a second clamp configured to removable engage a second portion of the sponge against the outer surface of the disk-shaped pad conditioner head at a second location, and an arm coupling the first clamp to the second clamp. The arm is sufficiently flexible to permit the first clamp and the second clamp to be separated to fit around the disk-shaped pad conditioner head and sufficiently tensile to bias the first clamp and the second clamp inwardly to press the sponge against an outer surface of a pad conditioner head.

Growing community of inventors

Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

Nathan Arron Davis