Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yu-Sheng Shen

Chen-Chia Chiu

Chih-I Peng

Yu-Chia Chang

Chung-Yang Lin

Chung-I Cheng

Fang-Lin Lu

Young-Wang Lo

Kuo-Pao Yeh

An apparatus and a method for retaining moisture on a polishing pad in chemical mechanical polishing during machine idling, i.e. during machine maintenance or repair are described. The apparatus is constructed of a circular disc in a clam-shell configuration having two halves for easy mounting or dismounting from a polishing pad. The circular disc may further include a protruded top portion to accommodate a polishing head when the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus is in a stand-by mode. The circular disc should have a diameter sufficiently large to cover an entire surface area of a polishing pad, while a peripheral edge of the circular disc overlaps a periphery of the polishing pad. The apparatus further includes a moisture retention means mounted on an inner surface of the circular disc for providing a moisturizing environment to the surface of the polishing pad. The moisture retention means can be suitably provided in brushes formed of moisture retaining bristles or in a cellulosic material layer. The apparatus may further include a fastening means for fastening the two clam-shell halves together which includes a hook-and-loop means, an adhesive means or a mechanical quick connect/disconnect means. The circular disc is preferably fabricated of a substantially transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, so that the condition of the polishing pad can be readily observed.

Apparatus and method for retaining moisture on a polishing pad

An apparatus and a method for removing an adhesive bonded pad from a backing plate are disclosed. The apparatus and the method are particularly suitable for removing a polishing pad in a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, however, they can be used for removal of any other adhesively bonded pad on a rigid surface. The removal apparatus can be advantageously used without causing any danger to a machine operator even when a slippage of the tool has occurred. The T-shaped removal tool can be operated in a rotational motion such that an adhesive bond existed between a pad and a backing surface may be broken by shear force. A minimal amount of force is required due to the large T-shaped handle used for the removal operation.

Apparatus and method for removing an adhesive bonded pad

An apparatus for calibrating the centering of polishing heads in a polishing machine that is equipped with a plurality of spindles onto which polishing heads are mounted and a method for using such apparatus are disclosed. In the apparatus, a calibration disc is provided which has a hollow shaft mounted at a center of the bottom surface of the disc. A centering pin slidingly engaging an elongated cavity in the hollow shaft such that its protruded tip portion may be adjusted by using a locking device such as a set screw for different calibration procedures. The present invention novel apparatus can be used to calibrate the positioning of a polishing head mounted in a spindle with a pedestal in a load cup that is equipped with a center alignment aperture. The calibration can be conducted not only in the X, Y direction (or in the circumferential direction) of the spindle movement, but also in the Z direction (or a sweep direction) of the traversing spindle that occurs during a polishing operation.

Apparatus and method for calibrating a polishing head

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Yu-Sheng Shen