The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 31, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 17, 1996
Charles Franklin Drill, Boulder Creek, CA (US);
Milind Ganesh Weling, San Jose, CA (US);
VSLI Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a conditioning ring for conditioning a polishing pad in a chemical-mechanical polishing machine. The conditioning ring is comprised of a ring having a diameter and a conditioning surface substantially parallel to a plane defined by the diameter. The conditioning ring has an inner radius surface to the plane defined by the diameter, wherein the inner radius surface is adapted to accept a wafer. The conditioning ring has an outer radius surface opposite the inner radius surface and an upper surface opposite the conditioning surface. The chemical mechanical polishing machine polishes the wafer by moving the polishing pad with respect to the wafer while the wafer is in contact with the polishing pad. The conditioning surface is adapted to frictionally contact the polishing pad. The conditioning surface conditions the polishing pad in response to a down force applied to the conditioning ring and as the chemical-mechanical polishing machine moves the polishing pad in relation to the conditioning surface.