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:
Jan. 08, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 31, 2000
Stephen C. Schultz, Gilbert, AZ (US);
John D. Herb, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Nikolay N. Korovin, Phoenix, AZ (US);
SpeedFam-IPEC Corporation, Chandler, AZ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method are disclosed for a carrier that is able to create independently controllable pressure zones on the back surface of a wafer while the front surface of the wafer is being planarizing against an abrasive surface. The carrier has a central disk shaped recess surrounded by a plurality of concentric ring shaped recesses. The recesses are covered by a diaphragm thereby creating a central disk shaped plenum and a plurality of surrounding ring shaped plenums. A central disk shaped piston and a plurality of surrounding ring shaped pistons are suspended on the diaphragm so that a portion of each piston may move in and out of their corresponding plenum in the carrier. An independently controllable fluid communication path is placed in fluid communication with each plenum thereby allowing the pressure exerted on each piston to be independently controllable.