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:
Sep. 10, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 31, 2000
Carrier including a multi-volume diaphragm for polishing a semiconductor wafer and a method therefor
Robert D. Gromko, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Stephen C. Schultz, Gilbert, AZ (US);
John D. Herb, Phoenix, AZ (US);
James F. Lee, Chandler, AZ (US);
Junedong Lee, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
SpeedFam-IPEC Corporation, Chandler, AZ (US);
Abstract
The present invention delineates a carrier for an apparatus ( ) which polishes a surface of a semiconductor wafer ( ). In a preferred embodiment, the carrier includes a rigid plate ( ) connected to one or more diaphragms ( ) of soft, flexible material that provide pressurizable cavities ( ) having respective surfaces for contacting the back surface of the wafer. A plurality of conduits ( ) are used to selectively pressurize the diaphragm cavities. The carrier head may also include an inter-diaphragm cavity ( ) formed between a portion of one diaphragm, a portion of another diaphragm, and the semiconductor wafer. The inter-diaphragm cavity is provided with its own conduit ( ) by which a source of pressurized fluid and a source of vacuum are selectively connected to the inter-diaphragm cavity. During operation, pressure and/or vacuum may be applied through one or more cavities to chuck ( ) a wafer, and to pressurize ( ) the cavities during polishing.