CN110900436A

CN110900436A - Polishing head and polishing carrier device with polishing head

Info

Publication number: CN110900436A
Application number: CN201910653772.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李义宽; 金贤重; 严泰民; 姜景元; 徐钟辉
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-09-17
Filing date: 2019-07-19
Publication date: 2020-03-24
Also published as: KR20200031955A; US20200086454A1

Abstract

A polishing head includes: a carrier body detachably fixed to the drive shaft and having a plurality of first fluid passages penetrating the carrier body to extend from an upper surface of the carrier body to a lower surface of the carrier body, upper end portions of the first fluid passages being arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the carrier body; a flexible membrane clamped to a lower portion of the carrier body to form a plurality of pressurizing chambers, wherein at least one pressurizing chamber is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers arranged in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the flexible membrane, the sub-chambers being respectively in fluid communication with lower end portions of the first fluid channels; and a fluid sealing portion on the carrier body for supporting the carrier body to enable the carrier body to rotate and to flow a fluid into each of the first fluid passages in a sealed state.

Description

Polishing head and polishing carrier device with polishing head

Cross Reference to Related Applications

Korean patent application No. 10-2018-0111119 entitled "polishing head and polishing carrier device with polishing head" filed by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) at 9, 17, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

Example embodiments relate to a polishing head and a polishing carrier device having the polishing head.

Background

The chemical mechanical polishing process may include polishing the wafer by a rotational motion and a reciprocating motion.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments relate to a polishing head, including: a carrier body detachably fixed to the drive shaft and having a plurality of first fluid passages penetrating the carrier body to extend from an upper surface of the carrier body to a lower surface of the carrier body, upper end portions of the first fluid passages being arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the carrier body; a flexible membrane clamped to a lower portion of the carrier body to form a plurality of pressurizing chambers, wherein at least one pressurizing chamber is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers arranged in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the flexible membrane, the sub-chambers being respectively in fluid communication with lower end portions of the first fluid channels; and a fluid sealing portion on the carrier body for supporting the carrier body to enable the carrier body to rotate and to flow a fluid into each of the first fluid passages in a sealed state.

Embodiments are also directed to a polishing head, comprising: a housing detachably fixed to the driving shaft; a susceptor assembly mounted below the housing and rotatable with the housing, the susceptor assembly having a plurality of first fluid passages extending therethrough from an upper surface of the susceptor assembly to a lower surface of the susceptor assembly; a flexible membrane clamped to a lower portion of the base assembly to form a plurality of pressurized chambers, wherein at least one pressurized chamber is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers, the sub-chambers being respectively in fluid communication with the first fluid channel; and a fluid sealing portion surrounding the housing on the base assembly for supporting the base assembly to enable the base assembly to rotate and to flow a fluid into each of the first fluid passages in a sealed state.

Embodiments are also directed to a polishing carrier apparatus, comprising: an upper module having a swivel; a polishing head configured to adsorb and pressurize a substrate to be polished, the polishing head including a carrier body detachably fixed to a drive shaft of a rotary joint, a flexible film clamped to a lower portion of the carrier body to form a plurality of pressurization chambers, and a fluid sealing portion on the carrier body for supporting the carrier body so that the carrier body can rotate, wherein at least one of the plurality of pressurization chambers is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers; a seal housing disposed between the upper block and the polishing head; and a gas supply unit configured to supply gas into each sub-chamber through the sealing housing and the fluid sealing portion.

Drawings

Features will become apparent to those skilled in the art by describing in detail example embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to an example embodiment.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the polishing carrier assembly of fig. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a polishing head according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the polishing head of FIG. 3 with the stationary ring removed from the polishing head.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' in fig. 3.

Fig. 6 shows a partially exploded perspective view taken along line I-I' in fig. 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of the polishing head of FIG. 6 with the stationary ring removed from the polishing head.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the flexible membrane of the polishing head of fig. 3.

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the rotating ring and the outermost subchamber of the flexible membrane of FIG. 3.

Fig. 10A to 10F are plan views showing relative rotational movements of the stationary ring and the rotating ring of the fluid seal portion in fig. 3.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, example embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to an example embodiment. Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the polishing carrier device of fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) apparatus 10 may include a platen 20, a polishing pad 30, a polishing carrier apparatus 200 having a polishing head 100, a slurry dispenser 40, and a pad conditioner 50.

The platen 20 may rotate the polishing pad 30 at a desired speed to polish a substrate, such as a wafer. The polishing pad 30 may be positioned on the platen 20. The platen 20 may have a disk shape. The platen drive unit 22 may include a platen drive motor connected to the platen 20 through a platen rotation shaft. The platen 20 may be rotated by a platen rotation shaft.

The polishing pad 30 can include abrasive particles thereon to polish a substrate. The polishing pad 30 may comprise an elastomeric material having a roughened surface, such as polyurethane. The polishing pad 30 may also be rotated by the platen 20.

The slurry dispenser 40 may dispense a slurry solution 42 through a slurry dispensing nozzle onto the polishing pad 30. The slurry solution 42 may be used to perform a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process. Slurry solution 42 may be used to chemically planarize the wafer.

The polishing head 100 can hold the substrate and press the surface of the substrate to be polished against the polishing pad 30. The polishing head 100 may be connected to and coupled with the drive shaft 212 of the polishing carrier device 200 to move on the polishing pad 30 while rotating.

A pad conditioner 50 may be provided to accommodate wear of the polishing pad 30. After a period of use, the protrusions on the polishing pad 30 may be worn by friction between the polishing pad 30 and the wafer. The pad conditioner 50 can regenerate the rough surface of the polishing pad 30 to maintain an acceptable and consistent removal rate. Therefore, the polishing pad 30 can be used for a long time without replacement.

Hereinafter, the polishing carrier device 200 will be described in detail. The other components of the CMP apparatus 10 may be substantially the same as or similar to a conventional CMP apparatus.

The polishing carrier apparatus 200 may be adapted to pressurize the wafer above the pressure plate 20 with the polishing head 100 and to rotate (revolve) the polishing head 100 relative to a center axis of the pressure plate 20 and to rotate the polishing head 100 relative to a center axis of the polishing head 100. The polishing head 100 may hold a wafer and may rotate and translate on the platen 20.

As shown in fig. 2, the polishing carrier device 200 may include a polishing head 100, an upper module having a rotary joint 210, and a seal housing 220. The polishing carrier device 200 may include a driving unit 230 and a gas supply unit 240.

The rotary joint 210 may include a driving shaft 212, and a plurality of first gas passages 213 are formed in the driving shaft 212 in a longitudinal direction of the driving shaft 212. The rotary joint 210 may support the driving shaft 212 to be rotatable with respect to its own axis and flow the fluid into the first gas passage 213 in a sealed state.

The drive unit 230 may include a drive motor configured to rotate the drive shaft 212. The drive shaft 212 may be connected to a drive motor for rotation about its own axis. A driven gear (drive gear) may be installed in an upper end portion of the driving shaft 212. The drive motor may rotate a drive gear (driving gear) engaged with the driven gear to rotate the drive shaft 212. The driving motor may be installed at an upper portion of an upper end portion of the driving shaft 212. In another implementation, the drive motor may have a configuration in which the drive motor is connected to an end of the drive shaft 212 to rotate the drive shaft 212.

The rotary joint 210 may be connected to the gas supply unit 240 through a first gas pipe 242. The first gas pipe 242 may be connected to the first gas passage 213 of the driving shaft 212 of the rotary joint 210.

The polishing head 100 may be coupled to the drive shaft 212 to rotate with the drive shaft 212. The polishing head 100 may be secured to the flange 214 of the drive shaft 212, for example, by a clamp.

A sealed housing 220 may be mounted to the lower portion of the upper module 202. The seal housing 220 may have an annular shape extending around the outer circumference of the flange 214 of the drive shaft 212. The seal housing 220 may be disposed between the upper module 202 and the polishing head 100. The stationary ring 160 of the fluid seal portion 150 (see fig. 3) of the polishing head 100 may be fixedly coupled with the lower surface of the seal housing 220. The flange 214 of the drive shaft 212 may be a rotating body and the seal housing 220 may be a non-rotating body.

The sealing housing 220 may have a plurality of second gas passages 222 formed along a longitudinal direction thereof. The second gas passage 222 may penetrate the hermetic housing 220 to extend from the upper surface of the hermetic housing 220 to the lower surface of the hermetic housing 220. The second gas passages 222 may be connected to the corresponding first through holes 162 (see fig. 3) of the stationary ring 160. A sealing member, such as an O-ring, may be disposed between a lower surface of the seal housing 220 and an upper surface of the stationary ring 160 to form a fluid seal between the second gas passage 222 and the first through hole 162.

The hermetic case 220 may be connected to the gas supply unit 240 through a second gas pipe 244. The second gas pipe 244 may be connected to the second gas passage 222 of the hermetic case 220.

The gas supply unit 240 may supply gas into the polishing head 100 through the first gas passage 213 of the drive shaft 212 and the second gas passage 222 of the seal housing 220 to provide adsorption and pressurization to the object subjected to polishing. The gas supply unit 240 may supply the first gas into the polishing head 100 through the first gas passage 213. The gas supply unit 240 may supply the second gas into the polishing head 100 through the second gas passage 222.

The gas supply unit may independently supply gases having different pressures through the first gas pipe 242 and the second gas pipe 244. For example, gases having different pressures may be independently supplied through the first gas channel 213 and the second gas channel. As described below, the CMP apparatus 10 may be controlled to provide different pressures to the gases supplied through the first through holes 162 (see fig. 3) of the stationary ring 160 respectively connected to the second gas passages 222 so as to transmit the local pressure on the flexible membrane 140 of the polishing head 100.

The polishing head 100 may be coupled to the drive shaft 212 to rotate with the drive shaft 212. The housing 110 (see fig. 3) of the polishing head 100 may be secured to the flange 214 of the drive shaft 212. The stationary ring 160 of the polishing head 100 may be fixedly connected to the seal housing 220.

Hereinafter, example embodiments of the polishing head will be described in detail.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a polishing head according to an example embodiment. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the polishing head in fig. 3, in which the stationary ring is detached from the polishing head. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line I-I' in fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view taken along line I-I' in fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the polishing head of fig. 6 with the stationary ring removed therefrom. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a flexible film of the polishing head in fig. 3. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the rotating ring and the outermost subchamber of the flexible membrane in FIG. 3.

The polishing head 100 may include a substrate carrier 102 fixed to a drive shaft 212 to rotate together with the drive shaft 212 and configured to adsorb (stack) and pressurize a substrate (e.g., a wafer W as shown in fig. 5) as an object to be polished. The polishing head 100 may include a retaining ring 130, the retaining ring 130 being secured below the substrate carrier 102 and around the periphery of the substrate.

The substrate carrier 102 may include a carrier body 104 rotatable with a drive shaft 212 and a flexible membrane 140 clamped to a lower portion of the carrier body 104 to form at least one pressurized chamber Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6. The carrier body 104 may include a housing 110 detachably secured to the drive shaft 212 and a base assembly 120 mounted below the housing 110 and rotatable with the housing 110.

The housing 110 may have a cylindrical shape. The upper portion of the housing 110 may be secured to the flange 214 of the drive shaft 212 by a clamp. A sealing member, such as an O-ring, may be disposed between the upper surface of the housing 110 and the lower surface of the drive shaft 212 to form a fluid seal between the first passage and the first gas passage. The

first passages

112, 114 for pneumatically controlling the polishing head 100 may be respectively connected to first gas passages 213 formed in the drive shaft 212.

The base assembly 120 is vertically movable under the housing 110. The base assembly 120 may include a plurality of base blocks disposed under the housing 110 to rotate together with the housing 110. For example, the base blocks may be stacked in a vertical direction and a radial direction below the housing 110 to have a cylindrical shape. A rolling diaphragm (diaphragm)122 may be clamped to the housing 110 between the relatively inner and outer base blocks such that the carrier body 104 has a gimbal structure.

The retaining ring 130 may be secured to a lower portion of the substrate carrier 102. The retaining ring 130 may be a generally annular ring secured at the outer edge of the base member 120. When the base assembly 120 moves downward under the pneumatic pressure of the working fluid, the retainer ring 130 may also move downward to apply a load to the polishing pad 30.

The flexible membrane 140 may be clamped to the lower portion of the base assembly 120 within the retention ring 130. The flexible film 140 may include a disk-shaped main portion 142 and a plurality of extension portions 144 protruding from a second surface of the main portion 142 to form the first to sixth pressurizing chambers Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6, the disk-shaped main portion 142 having a first surface contacting the back side of the wafer W and a second surface opposite to the first surface.

The first surface of the main portion 142 may provide a suction surface for the wafer W. End portions of the extension portions 144 may be clamped to the base assembly 120, for example, by clamp rings, respectively, such that pressurized chambers Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6 having an annular or circular shape, respectively, may be formed between the extension portions 144. The number of the pressurizing chambers Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6 may be determined according to the number of the extending portions. In this embodiment, the flexible membrane may be a 6-zone type membrane for forming six pressurized chambers Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6. In other implementations, the flexible membrane may be, for example, a 4 or 7-zone type membrane for forming four or seven pressurized chambers.

The flexible membrane 140 may include a partition portion 146 protruding from the second surface of the main portion 142 to divide the pressurization chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers. For example, the dividing portion 146 may divide the outermost pressurized chamber Z6 into a plurality of sub-chambers Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4. The sub-chambers Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4 may be arranged in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the flexible film 140 to be spaced apart from each other.

Each sub-chamber Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4 may extend within a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the flexible membrane 140. For example, each sub-chamber Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4 may extend about the central axis of flexible membrane 140 in the range of about 25 degrees to about 43 degrees. The number and location of the sub-chambers, the angular extent of the sub-chambers, etc. may vary.

In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of second passages 124 may be formed through the base assembly 120. In an exemplary embodiment, the first passages 114 and the corresponding second passages 124 may be connected to each other to form a first fluid channel through which the gas G1 is supplied into each pressurizing chamber Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5. Each pressurized chamber Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5 may be in fluid communication with the first gas passage 213 of the drive shaft 212 through a first fluid passage (i.e., the

first passages

112, 114 of the housing 110 and through the second passage 124 of the base assembly 120). Thus, the pressurizing chambers Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5 of the six pressurizing chambers Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6, respectively, may be in fluid communication with the first gas tube of the gas supply unit 240, so that the pressure of each chamber may be independently controlled.

In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the pressurization chambers may be evacuated to vacuum-chuck the wafer W. In an exemplary embodiment, at least one pressurization chamber may be pressurized to force the flexible membrane 140 against the wafer W.

A plurality of third passages 126 may be formed to extend through the base assembly 120. The third channel 126 may extend through the base assembly 120 to extend from the upper surface of the base assembly 120 to the lower surface of the base assembly 120. Third passage 126 may form a second fluid passage through which gas G2 is supplied into each sub-chamber Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4.

The upper ends of the third passages 162 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around the central axis of the base assembly 120. The upper end portions of the third passages 162 may be arranged at equal angular intervals with respect to the central axis. When the number of the third passages 162 is four, the upper end portions of the third passages 162 may be arranged at equal angular intervals of 45 degrees.

Each sub-chamber Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4 may be in fluid communication with the second gas passage 222 of the gas supply unit 240, respectively, such that the pressure chamber of each sub-chamber may be independently controlled. As described below, the sub-chambers may have different local pressures to effectively maintain the horizontal position of the wafer W, thereby obtaining a uniform polishing rate.

In an example embodiment, the fluid sealing portion 150 may be disposed on the carrier body 104 and support the carrier body 104 to make the carrier body 104 rotatable, and may cause the fluid to flow into each third passage 126 in a sealed state. The fluid sealing portion 150 may be a mechanical seal for causing fluid to flow in a sealed state in a perpendicular direction with respect to the rotational axis of the base assembly 120 when the base assembly 120 of the carrier body 104 is rotated.

The fluid sealing portion 150 may include: a rotating ring 170 on an upper surface of the carrier body 104 to be rotatable together with the carrier body 104; and stationary ring 160 fixedly supported on swivel ring 170 and adapted to allow for sliding movement of swivel ring 170 over stationary ring 160. The first through holes 162 may be formed to penetrate the stationary ring 160 and may be connected to the second gas passages 222 of the seal housing 220, respectively. The second through holes 172 may be formed to penetrate the rotating ring 170 and may be respectively connected to the third passages 126 of the base assembly 120. For example, the number of the first through holes 162 may be the same as the number of the second through holes 172.

Stationary ring 160 and rotating ring 170 may seal and adhere to each other for sliding movement and to maintain a fluid seal. The stationary ring 160 and the rotating ring 170, which have surfaces facing each other, may include a low friction material, such as silicon carbide (SiC).

The rotating ring 170 may be fixedly coupled with the upper surface of the base assembly 120 outside the housing 110. The swivel ring 170 may form at least a portion of the upper base block of the base assembly 120. The swivel ring 170 may cover an upper end portion of the third passage 162 and may be assembled with the upper surface of the base assembly 120 such that the second through holes 172 may be connected to the third passages 126 of the base assembly 120, respectively.

As shown in fig. 9, second throughbore 172-1 may be in fluid communication with first sub-chamber Z6-1 through third passage 126. Second through-hole 172-2 may be in fluid communication with second sub-chamber Z6 through third passage 126. Second throughbore 172-3 may be in fluid communication with third sub-chamber Z6-3 through third passage 126. Second throughbore 172-4 may be in fluid communication with fourth sub-chamber Z6-4.

The first through-hole 162 of the stationary ring 160 may be selectively connected to the second through-holes 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 by the relative rotational movement of the rotating ring 170. The first through-hole may have a cylindrical shape, and the second through-holes 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 may have a slit shape around the central axis of the rotating ring 170, which slit may be newly obtained by the cylindrical shape being translated within a predetermined angle around the central axis of the rotating ring 170. The second through holes 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 may extend within a predetermined angle around the central axis of the rotating ring 170 to correspond to a range of extension angles of the sub-chambers (Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4). For example, each of the second through-holes 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 can extend about the central axis of the rotating ring 170 in a range of about 25 degrees to about 43 degrees. In another implementation, the first through hole 162 may have a slit shape, and the second through holes 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 may have a cylindrical shape.

When the rotating ring 170 is rotated, the first through holes 162 may be connected to the corresponding second through holes 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 within the predetermined angle range. When the corresponding first and second through holes 162 and 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 are connected to each other within the angle range, the gas G2 may be supplied into the corresponding sub-chambers (Z6-1, Z6-2, Z6-3, Z6-4) through the first and second through holes 162 and 172-1, 172-2, 172-3, 172-4 connected to each other.

Hereinafter, a method of applying a local pressure on the flexible membrane 140 of the polishing head 100 will be explained.

Fig. 10A to 10F are plan views showing relative rotational movements of a stationary ring and a rotating ring of the fluid seal portion in fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 10A to 10C, when the stationary ring 160 is fixed and the rotating ring 170 starts to rotate, the first through holes 162-1 may be connected to the corresponding second through holes 172-1 within a range of a predetermined angle θ. When the first through-holes 162-1 are connected to the corresponding second through-holes 172-1 within the range of the predetermined angle θ, the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the first pressure to the first sub-chamber Z6-1 through the first through-holes 162-1 of the stationary ring 160 and the second through-holes 172-1 of the rotating ring 170. At this time, similarly, the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the second pressure into the second sub-chamber Z6-2 through the first and second through-holes 162-2 and 172-2, the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the third pressure into the third sub-chamber Z6-3 through the first and second through-holes 162-3 and 172-3, and the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the fourth pressure into the fourth sub-chamber Z6-4 through the first and second through-holes 162-4 and 172-4.

Referring to fig. 10D to 10F, when the rotating ring 170 continues to rotate, the first through-holes 162-1 may be connected to the corresponding second through-holes 172-2 within a range of a predetermined angle θ. When the first through-holes 162-1 are connected to the corresponding second through-holes 172-2 within the range of the predetermined angle θ, the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the first pressure into the second sub-chamber Z6-2 through the first through-holes 162-1 of the stationary ring 160 and the second through-holes 172-2 of the rotating ring 170. At this time, similarly, the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the second pressure into the third sub-chamber Z6-3 through the first and second through-holes 162-2 and 172-3, the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the third pressure into the fourth sub-chamber Z6-4 through the first and second through-holes 162-3 and 172-4, and the gas supply unit 240 may supply the gas of the fourth pressure into the first sub-chamber Z6-1 through the first and second through-holes 162-4 and 172-1.

Therefore, in general, when the stationary ring 160 is fixed, the rotating ring 170 rotates, and when the first through holes 162 are connected to the corresponding second through holes 172 within the range of the predetermined angle θ, the gas supplied through the first through holes 162 of the stationary ring 160 may independently supply the partial region of the flexible film 140 within the range of the predetermined angle θ.

As described above, the polishing head 100 of the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus may include the flexible membrane 140, the flexible membrane 140 rotates together with the wafer W and applies pressure to the wafer W, and the polishing head 100 may independently apply local pressure on regions (e.g., different regions along the outermost concentric circle) of the flexible membrane 140. Accordingly, the flexible membrane 140 may have different local pressures to effectively maintain the horizontal position of the wafer W, thereby obtaining a uniform polishing rate on the wafer W.

In an example embodiment, a polishing head of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus may predict the direction and magnitude of a moment generated by a rotational motion and a reciprocating motion during chemical mechanical polishing, and may directly transmit a local pressure on a wafer through a flexible membrane so as to apply a pressure matching the moment on an opposite area. Therefore, the horizontal position of the wafer can be effectively maintained, so that a uniform polishing rate on the wafer can be obtained.

The polishing head may be applied to a CMP process. Semiconductor devices such as DRAMs, VNANDs, and the like manufactured using the CMP process may be used in various systems such as computing systems. The system can be applied to computers, portable computers, notebook computers, PDAs, tablet computers, mobile phones, digital music players and the like.

By way of summary and review, the chemical mechanical polishing process may depend on the polishing head being held in a horizontal position. If the polishing head has a gimbal structure for matching the rotational motion and the reciprocating motion, the polishing head may tilt due to a moment generated by the rotational motion and the reciprocating motion during the chemical mechanical polishing process, so that the wafer held under the polishing head may tilt, which may cause uneven polishing on the wafer.

As described above, embodiments relate to a polishing head for pressing a wafer against a polishing pad and moving relative to the polishing pad and a polishing carrier apparatus having the polishing head. Example embodiments may provide a polishing head capable of improving polishing uniformity. Example embodiments provide a polishing carrier device having a polishing head.

Embodiments may provide a polishing head of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus including a flexible membrane to rotate with and apply pressure to a wafer, and the polishing head may independently apply local pressure on a local area of the flexible membrane (e.g., each different area along an outermost concentric circle). Thus, the flexible membrane may have different local pressures to effectively maintain the horizontal position of the wafer, thereby achieving a uniform polishing rate across the wafer.

Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. In some instances, features, characteristics and/or elements described in connection with a particular embodiment may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics and/or elements described in connection with other embodiments unless specifically stated otherwise, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the present application. Accordingly, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A polishing head, comprising:

a carrier body detachably fixed to a drive shaft and having a plurality of first fluid passages penetrating the carrier body to extend from an upper surface of the carrier body to a lower surface of the carrier body, upper ends of the first fluid passages being arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the carrier body;

a flexible membrane clamped to a lower portion of the carrier body to form a plurality of pressurization chambers, wherein at least one of the plurality of pressurization chambers is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers arranged in a circumferential direction around a central axis of the flexible membrane, the sub-chambers being respectively in fluid communication with lower end portions of the first fluid channels; and

a fluid sealing portion on the carrier body for supporting the carrier body to enable the carrier body to rotate and to allow a fluid to flow into each of the first fluid passages in a sealed state.

2. The polishing head of claim 1, wherein the carrier body comprises:

a housing fixed to the drive shaft; and

a base assembly mounted below the housing and rotatable with the housing.

3. The polishing head of claim 2, wherein the first fluid channel extends from an upper surface of the base assembly to a lower surface of the base assembly.

4. The polishing head according to claim 1, wherein the fluid seal portion comprises:

a rotating ring on an upper surface of the carrier body to be rotatable together with the carrier body, wherein first through holes penetrate the rotating ring to be connected to the first fluid passages, respectively; and

a stationary ring fixedly supported on the rotating ring so that the rotating ring performs a sliding motion with respect to the stationary ring, the stationary ring having a second through hole penetrating the stationary ring, wherein the first through hole is selectively connected to the second through hole by a relative rotating motion of the rotating ring.

5. The polishing head according to claim 4, wherein the first through hole has a slit shape around a central axis.

6. The polishing head as set forth in claim 4 wherein the number of the first through holes is the same as the number of the second through holes.

7. The polishing head as set forth in claim 4 wherein the number of the first through holes is the same as the number of the first fluid channels.

8. The polishing head as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second through holes are disposed at equal angular intervals relative to the central axis.

9. The polishing head of claim 1, wherein the flexible membrane comprises:

a disk-shaped main portion having a first surface in contact with a back surface of a substrate to be polished and a second surface opposite to the first surface; and

at least one extension portion protruding from the second surface of the main portion to be clamped to the lower portion of the carrier body to form at least one of the pressurization chambers.

10. The polishing head of claim 9, wherein the flexible membrane comprises: a partition dividing the at least one pressurizing chamber to form the plurality of sub-chambers.

11. A polishing head, comprising:

a housing detachably fixed to the driving shaft;

a base assembly mounted below the housing and rotatable with the housing, the base assembly having a plurality of first fluid passages extending therethrough from an upper surface of the base assembly to a lower surface of the base assembly;

a flexible membrane clamped to a lower portion of the base assembly to form a plurality of pressurized chambers, wherein at least one of the plurality of pressurized chambers is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers that are respectively in fluid communication with the first fluid channels; and

a fluid sealing portion surrounding the housing on the base assembly for supporting the base assembly to enable the base assembly to rotate and to allow fluid to flow into each of the first fluid passages in a sealed state.

12. The polishing head of claim 11, wherein the upper ends of the first fluid channel are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction about the central axis of the base assembly.

13. The polishing head of claim 11, wherein the fluid seal portion comprises:

a rotating ring on an upper surface of the base assembly, wherein first through holes penetrate the rotating ring to be connected to the first fluid passages, respectively; and

14. The polishing head as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first through-hole has a slit shape around a central axis.

15. The polishing head of claim 13, wherein the number of the first through holes is the same as the number of the second through holes.

16. The polishing head of claim 13, wherein the number of first through holes is the same as the number of first fluid channels.

17. The polishing head as set forth in claim 13 wherein the second through holes are disposed at equal angular intervals relative to the central axis.

18. The polishing head of claim 11, wherein the flexible membrane comprises:

at least one extension portion protruding from the second surface of the main portion to be clamped to the lower portion of the base assembly to form at least one of the pressurization chambers.

19. The polishing head of claim 18, wherein the flexible membrane comprises: a partition portion dividing the at least one pressurizing chamber into the plurality of sub-chambers.

20. The polishing head of claim 11, further comprising: a retaining ring secured below the base assembly and surrounding an outer periphery of the flexible membrane.

21. A polishing carrier device, comprising:

an upper module having a swivel;

a polishing head configured to adsorb and pressurize a substrate to be polished, the polishing head including a carrier body detachably fixed to a drive shaft of the rotary joint, a flexible film clamped to a lower portion of the carrier body to form a plurality of pressurization chambers, and a fluid sealing portion on the carrier body for supporting the carrier body so that the carrier body is rotatable, wherein at least one of the plurality of pressurization chambers is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers;

a seal housing disposed between the upper module and the polishing head; and

a gas supply unit configured to supply gas into each of the sub-chambers through the sealed housing and the fluid sealing portion.

22. The polishing carrier device of claim 21, wherein the fluid seal portion comprises:

a rotating ring on an upper surface of the carrier body to be rotatable together with the carrier body and having a first through hole penetrating the rotating ring; and

23. The polishing carrier device of claim 22, wherein the seal housing has a plurality of first gas passages respectively connected to the second through holes.

24. The polishing carrier apparatus of claim 23, wherein the gas supply unit controls supply of the gas to each of the sub-chambers through the first gas channel, the second through-hole, and the first through-hole.

25. The polishing carrier device of claim 21, wherein a plurality of second gas passages are formed in the drive shaft, wherein the supply of the gas to the pressurization chamber is performed via the second gas passages.