US20010019937A1 - Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates Download PDFInfo
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- US20010019937A1 US20010019937A1 US09/850,902 US85090201A US2001019937A1 US 20010019937 A1 US20010019937 A1 US 20010019937A1 US 85090201 A US85090201 A US 85090201A US 2001019937 A1 US2001019937 A1 US 2001019937A1
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- polishing pad
- rear surface
- platen
- pad
- post
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- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 107
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Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B53/00—Devices or means for dressing or conditioning abrasive surfaces
- B24B53/017—Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
- B08B1/20—Cleaning of moving articles, e.g. of moving webs or of objects on a conveyor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
- B08B1/50—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools involving cleaning of the cleaning members
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
- B08B3/02—Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
- B08B3/022—Cleaning travelling work
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
- B08B3/04—Cleaning involving contact with liquid
- B08B3/041—Cleaning travelling work
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B3/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam
- B08B3/04—Cleaning involving contact with liquid
- B08B3/10—Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
- B08B3/12—Cleaning involving contact with liquid with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
- B08B3/123—Cleaning travelling work, e.g. webs, articles on a conveyor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B21/00—Machines or devices using grinding or polishing belts; Accessories therefor
- B24B21/04—Machines or devices using grinding or polishing belts; Accessories therefor for grinding plane surfaces
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
- B08B1/50—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools involving cleaning of the cleaning members
- B08B1/52—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools involving cleaning of the cleaning members using fluids
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B1/00—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools
- B08B1/50—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools involving cleaning of the cleaning members
- B08B1/54—Cleaning by methods involving the use of tools involving cleaning of the cleaning members using mechanical tools
Definitions
- the present invention is directed toward methods and apparatuses for supporting, cleaning and/or drying a polishing pad used for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization.
- FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, isometric view of a conventional web-format planarizing machine 10 that has a platen 20 .
- a sub-pad 11 is attached to the platen 20 to provide a flat, solid workstation for supporting a portion of a web-format polishing pad 16 in a planarizing zone “A” during planarization.
- the polishing pad 16 has a rear surface 19 that engages the sub-pad 11 and a planarizing surface 18 facing opposite the rear surface 19 to planarize a substrate 12 .
- the planarizing machine 10 also has a pad-advancing mechanism, including a plurality of rollers, to guide, position and hold the polishing pad 16 over the sub-pad 11 .
- the pad-advancing mechanism generally includes a supply roller 24 , first and second idler rollers 21 a and 21 b , first and second guide rollers 22 a and 22 b , and a take-up roller 23 .
- a motor (not shown) drives the take-up roller 23 and the supply roller 24 to advance and retract the polishing pad 16 over the sub-pad 11 along a travel path T-T.
- the first idler roller 21 a and the first guide roller 22 a press an operative portion of the polishing pad 16 against the sub-pad 11 to hold the polishing pad 16 stationary during operation.
- the planarizing machine 10 further includes a carrier assembly 30 to translate the substrate 12 over the polishing pad 16 .
- the carrier assembly 30 has a head 31 to pick up, hold and release the substrate 12 at appropriate stages of the planarizing process.
- the carrier assembly 30 also has a support gantry 32 and a drive assembly 33 that can move along the gantry 32 .
- the drive assembly 33 has an actuator 34 , a drive shaft 35 coupled to the actuator 34 , and an arm 36 projecting from the drive shaft 35 .
- the arm 36 carries the head 31 via a terminal shaft 37 .
- the actuator 34 orbits the head 31 about an axis B-B (as indicated by arrow R 1 ) and can rotate the head 31 about an axis C-C (as indicated by arrow R 2 ) to move the substrate 12 over the polishing pad 16 while a planarizing fluid 17 flows from a plurality of nozzles 38 in the head 31 .
- the planarizing fluid 17 may be a conventional CMP slurry with abrasive particles and chemicals that etch and/or oxidize the surface of the substrate 12 , or the planarizing fluid 17 may be a non-abrasive planarizing solution without abrasive particles. In most CMP applications, conventional CMP slurries are used on conventional polishing pads, and planarizing solutions without abrasive particles are used on fixed-abrasive polishing pads.
- the carrier assembly 30 presses the substrate 12 against the planarizing surface 18 of the polishing pad 16 as the carrier head 31 moves the substrate 12 over the planarizing surface 18 .
- the polishing pad 16 moves across the sub-pad 11 along the pad travel path T-T either during or between planarizing cycles to change the particular portion of the polishing pad 16 in the planarizing zone A.
- the supply and take-up rollers 24 , 23 can drive the polishing pad 16 between planarizing cycles such that a point P moves incrementally across the sub-pad 11 to a number of intermediate locations I 1 , I 2 , etc.
- the rollers 24 , 23 may drive the polishing pad 16 between planarizing cycles such that the point P moves all the way across the sub-pad 11 toward the take-up roller 23 to completely remove a used or post-operative portion of the polishing pad 16 from the planarizing zone A.
- the rollers 24 , 23 may also continuously drive the polishing pad 16 at a slow rate during a planarizing cycle such that the point P moves continuously across the sub-pad 11 during planarization.
- the planarizing machine 10 can also include a planarizing surface cleaner 40 (shown schematically in FIG. 1) positioned between the platen 20 and the take-up roller 23 to clean the post-operative portion of the polishing pad 16 .
- the planarizing surface cleaner 40 can include a brush 41 having bristles that contact the planarizing surface 18 of the polishing pad 16 and a liquid dispenser 42 positioned proximate to the brush 41 to dispense a cleaning liquid on the planarizing surface 18 . Accordingly, the planarizing surface cleaner 40 can clean the post-operative portion of the polishing pad 16 as it moves off the platen 20 along the travel path T-T. Once the post-operative portion of the polishing pad 16 has been cleaned, it can be translated back onto the platen 20 along the travel path T-T and into the planarizing zone A for another planarizing cycle.
- One drawback with the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is that the rear surface 19 of the polishing pad 16 can become contaminated with debris (such as liquid and/or particulate matter) during the planarizing process and/or the cleaning process.
- the debris can become trapped between the polishing pad 16 and the sub-pad 11 , causing a local bump or other non-uniformity to form in the planarizing surface 18 .
- the non-uniformity in the planarizing surface 18 can create a non-uniformity in the substrate 12 and/or can cause the polishing pad 16 to wear in a non-uniform manner.
- a further drawback is that liquid on the rear surface 19 of the polishing pad 16 can form an adhesive bond between the polishing pad 16 and the sub-pad 11 .
- the adhesive bond can inhibit relative movement between the polishing pad 16 and the sub-pad 11 when the polishing pad 16 moves along the travel path T-T.
- the idler rollers 21 a , 21 b and/or the guide roller 22 a move the polishing pad 16 normal to the upper surface of the sub-pad 11 to break the adhesive bond.
- the action of the rollers against the polishing pad 16 may not be effective to separate the polishing pad 16 from the sub-pad 11 .
- polishing pad 16 is dragged over the sub-pad 11 , the frictional contact between the two can abrade particulate matter from the polishing pad 16 and/or the sub-pad 11 , which can cause a bump or other non-uniformity to form in the planarizing surface 18 , as discussed above.
- the present invention is directed toward methods and apparatuses for supporting, cleaning and/or drying a polishing pad used for mechanical and/or chemical planarization of microelectronic substrates and substrate assemblies.
- a cleaning head is positioned proximate to a post-operative portion of the polishing pad to remove material from a rear surface of the polishing pad that faces opposite a planarizing surface of the polishing pad.
- the cleaning head can have a cleaning device operable to remove liquid and/or particulate material from the rear surface.
- the cleaning device can include a contact element such as an absorbent brush or an impermeable blade positionable to contact the rear surface of the post-operative portion of the polishing pad, an orifice facing toward the rear surface of the polishing pad to provide gas or liquid to the rear surface, and/or a heat source to dry the rear surface of the polishing pad.
- the cleaning head can include a vessel proximate to the post-operative portion of the polishing pad.
- the vessel can have an opening configured to receive the post-operative portion and an interior volume in fluid communication with the opening and configured to contain a quantity of cleaning liquid sufficient to contact the rear surface of the polishing pad.
- the vessel can further include an ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic energy to the cleaning liquid.
- the polishing pad can be supported on a support surface, such as a surface of a support pad.
- Gas or liquid is directed toward or away from an interface region between the support surface and the rear surface of the polishing pad to separate the polishing pad from the support surface, or draw the polishing pad toward the support surface.
- FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, front isometric view of a web-format planarizing machine in accordance with the prior art.
- FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, partially broken, front isometric view of a planarizing machine having a cleaning head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, partially broken, front isometric view of a planarizing machine having a cleaning head and a liquid vessel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing machine having a platen coupled to a gas source and a vacuum source in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing machine having a platen with orifices coupled to a gas source and a vacuum source in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 6 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing machine having a platen and a support pad with orifices coupled to a gas source and a vacuum source in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
- the present invention is directed toward methods and apparatuses for supporting, cleaning and/or drying planarizing media used to planarize microelectronic substrates and/or substrate assemblies.
- Many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 2 - 6 to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments.
- One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description.
- FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, side isometric view of planarizing machine 110 having a polishing pad 116 that passes through a cleaning head 150 and adjacent a planarizing surface cleaner 140 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- the polishing pad 116 extends from a supply roller 124 across a platen 120 and a support pad 111 to a take-up roller 123 , while being controlled and guided by an idler roller 121 and two guide rollers 122 a , 122 b generally as was discussed above.
- the polishing pad 116 has a planarizing surface 118 facing toward a microelectronic substrate or substrate assembly 112 and a rear surface 119 facing opposite the planarizing surface 118 .
- a carrier assembly 130 positioned adjacent the polishing pad 116 can include a head 131 having an engaging surface 139 that presses the substrate 112 against the polishing pad 116 during operation.
- a drive assembly 133 supported by a gantry 132 and including an actuator 134 , a drive shaft 135 , an arm 136 and a terminal shaft 137 moves the head 131 relative to the polishing pad 116 to remove material from the substrate 112 .
- the polishing pad 116 advances from the supply roller 124 to the take-up roller 123 either between or during planarizing cycles, in a manner generally similar to that discussed above.
- the polishing pad 116 includes a pre-operative portion 113 between the supply roller 124 and the platen 120 and a post-operative portion 114 between the platen 120 and the take-up roller 123 .
- the pre-operative portion 113 moves onto the platen 120 to planarize the substrate 112 and the post-operative portion 114 moves off the platen 120 for cleaning.
- the planarizing surface cleaner 140 and the cleaning head 150 are positioned proximate to the post-operative portion 114 between the platen 120 and the take-up roller 123 .
- the planarizing surface cleaner 140 includes a brush 141 having bristles that engage the planarizing surface 118 of the polishing pad 116 to remove particulates and other contaminants from the planarizing surface 118 , or the planarizing surface cleaner 140 can include other cleaning elements.
- the planarizing surface cleaner 140 also includes a liquid dispenser 142 coupled with a conduit 143 to a source of cleaning liquid (not shown).
- the liquid dispenser 142 can have orifices facing toward the planarizing surface 118 to dispense the cleaning liquid onto the planarizing surface 118 .
- the mechanical action provided by the brush 141 in combination with the chemical and/or mechanical action provided by the cleaning liquid clean the planarizing surface 118 of the post-operative portion 114 before the post-operative portion 114 returns to the platen 120 along the travel path T-T for the next planarizing cycle.
- the cleaning head 150 is positioned between the planarizing surface cleaner 140 and the platen 120 to clean and/or dry the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 before the post-operative portion 114 of the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- the cleaning head 150 can include a body 151 with an upper surface 153 , a lower surface 154 and a slot 152 extending through the body 151 from the upper surface 153 to the lower surface 154 , or the cleaning head 150 can have other configurations to receive the polishing pad 116 .
- the cleaning head 150 includes a liquid manifold 170 positioned within the slot 152 and coupled to a liquid source 174 with a liquid conduit or passage 171 .
- the liquid manifold 170 has one or more liquid orifices 172 pointing toward the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 to direct the cleaning liquid toward the rear surface 119 .
- the cleaning liquid has a high vapor pressure so that it evaporates quickly, leaving the rear surface 119 dry before the post-operative portion 114 of the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- the cleaning liquid can include acetone, alcohol, or other liquids having a relatively high vapor pressure.
- the vapor pressure of the cleaning liquid may not be particularly high and the rate at which the polishing pad 116 moves back onto the platen 120 can be reduced (or the polishing pad 116 can remain in a fixed position) while the cleaning liquid evaporates from the rear surface 119 .
- the cleaning head 150 includes one or more gas manifolds 160 to hasten the drying of the rear surface 119 and/or to clean the rear surface 119 .
- the cleaning head 150 has three gas manifolds 160 (shown as an upper manifold 160 a , an intermediate manifold 160 b and a lower manifold 160 c ) and in other embodiments, the cleaning head has more or fewer manifolds 160 , as will be discussed in greater detail below.
- Each gas manifold 160 is coupled via a gas conduit or passage 161 to a gas source 164 to provide gas to the manifolds 160 .
- the gas source 164 can include any suitable gas, such as air, or an inert gas, compressed to an elevated pressure of, for example, between about 10 psi and about 100 psi, or another suitable pressure.
- Each gas manifold 160 is also in fluid communication with one or more orifices 162 (shown in FIG. 2 as circular upper orifices 162 a , circular intermediate orifices 162 b and an elongated lower orifice 162 c ) to direct the gas toward the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 .
- the upper and intermediate orifices 162 a , 162 b can include discrete circular openings arranged in rows transverse to the travel direction T-T of the polishing pad 116 or the orifices 162 a , 162 b can have other shapes or configurations.
- the upper orifices 162 a are offset or staggered transversely relative to the intermediate orifices 162 b to uniformly distribute the gas over the width of the rear surface 119 .
- the orifices 162 a , 162 b are directed at least partially downward so that the gas emitted from the orifices 162 a , 162 b forces liquid and/or contaminants downwardly away from the rear surface 119 as the post-operative portion 114 moves upwardly back onto the platen 120 .
- the orifices 162 a , 162 b can have other orientations.
- the lower orifice 162 c includes a slot elongated in a direction generally transverse to the travel path T-T and directed at least slightly downward, as was discussed above.
- the lower gas manifold 160 c is coupled to a temperature controller 163 to control the temperature of the gas directed toward the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 .
- the temperature controller 163 can control the temperature of the gas be up to and including approximately 100° C. In other embodiments, the temperature controller 163 can elevate the temperature of the gas to other values that do not adversely affect the polishing pad 116 .
- the cleaning head 150 can include a single row of orifices 162 or can include more than two rows of orifices 162 , any of which can be coupled to the temperature controller 163 .
- the cleaning head 150 can include the elongated orifice 162 c in lieu of, rather than in addition to, the circular orifices 162 a , 162 b .
- the gas manifold(s) 160 can be eliminated, for example, when the liquid manifold 170 provides liquid sufficient to adequately clean the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 and the liquid evaporates before the post-operative portion 114 moves back onto the platen 120 . Conversely, when the gas provided by the gas manifold(s) 160 is sufficient to both clean and dry the rear surface 119 , the liquid manifold 170 can be eliminated.
- One feature of an embodiment of the apparatus 110 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2 is that the cleaning head 150 removes liquid and/or solid contaminants from the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 before the post-operative portion 114 of the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- An advantage of this arrangement is that the planarizing surface 118 of the polishing pad 116 is less likely to have non-uniformities resulting from contaminants trapped between the polishing pad 116 and the support pad 111 .
- a further advantage of this arrangement is that the likelihood for the polishing pad 116 to adhere to the support pad 111 (due to the presence of liquid between the two) can be reduced, increasing the ease with which the polishing pad 116 is moved across the platen 120 . This is unlike some conventional planarizing devices which not only allow liquid and/or solid debris to accumulate on the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 but also fail to remove such contaminants before the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, partially broken side isometric view of an apparatus 210 having a cleaning head 250 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- the cleaning head 250 includes a body 251 having a slot 252 through which the polishing pad 116 passes.
- two contact elements 280 (shown as a wiper 280 a and an absorbent brush 280 b ) are positioned within the slot to remove contaminants from the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 .
- the contact elements 280 can be coupled to an actuator 286 that moves the contact elements 280 into and out of engagement with the rear surface 119 , or the contact elements 280 can remain pressed against the rear surface 119 .
- the cleaning head 250 can include more or fewer contact elements 280 and/or contact elements 280 in combination with fluid manifolds and/or gas manifolds, similar to those discussed above with reference to FIG. 2.
- the wiper 280 a includes an impermeable, resilient and flexible material, such as rubber or another elastomer having one or more edges 281 (two are shown in FIG. 3) or other cleaning surfaces that contact the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 .
- the wiper 280 a has vacuum orifices 283 facing toward the rear surface 119 and coupled with a vacuum conduit 282 to a vacuum source (not shown). When a vacuum is applied to the vacuum orifices 283 via the vacuum conduit 282 , the polishing pad 116 is drawn against the wiper 280 a so that the rear surface 119 contacts the edges 281 , forming an at least partially liquid-tight seal.
- the vacuum orifices 283 can be housed in a separate unit (not shown) adjacent to the wiper 280 a .
- the edges 281 of the wiper 280 a deflect liquid and/or solid contaminants from the rear surface 119 as the polishing pad 116 moves upwardly onto the platen 120 .
- the cleaning head 250 can include the absorbent brush 280 b in addition to, or in lieu of the wiper 280 a .
- the absorbent brush 280 b has a cleaning surface that includes any resilient, compliant and absorbent material (such as polyvinyl alcohol) to absorb liquid from the polishing pad 116 without abrading the polishing pad 116 .
- the absorbent brush 280 b has a heating element 285 coupled to an electrical source (not shown) with electrical leads 284 to remove moisture from the absorbent brush 280 b after the absorbent brush 280 b has absorbed moisture from the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 .
- other devices discharge moisture from the absorbent brush 280 b .
- the absorbent brush 280 b (or another contact element 280 , such as the wiper 280 a ) is heated while it is pressed against the polishing pad 116 .
- the cleaning head 250 includes the heating element 285 alone instead of the contact elements 280 .
- the heating element 285 can include an electric coil heater or an infrared heater that removes moisture from the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad without contacting the polishing pad 116 .
- the heating element 285 operates in conjunction with devices that clean the rear surface 119 (such as the gas manifolds 160 and liquid manifolds 170 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2) or alternatively the heating element 285 operates independently of the cleaning devices, for example, when it is desired only to dry the rear surface 119 , rather than both clean and dry the rear surface 119 .
- the cleaning head 250 includes a cleaning vessel 290 in addition to or in lieu of the planarizing surface cleaner 140 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2.
- the cleaning vessel 290 has an internal volume 292 with an opening 291 configured to receive the polishing pad 116 .
- the internal volume 292 contains a cleaning liquid 293 , such as a solvent, to remove contaminants from the polishing pad 116 .
- the polishing pad 116 passes around a guide roller 222 submerged in the cleaning liquid 293 to immerse both the planarizing surface 119 and the rear surface 118 of the polishing pad 116 .
- the cleaning vessel 290 can include other devices that immerse the planarizing surface 118 and/or the rear surface 119 .
- the vessel 290 can also include ultrasonic transducers 294 adjacent to the internal volume 292 to direct ultrasonic energy into the cleaning liquid 293 , increasing the efficacy of the cleaning liquid 293 .
- the cleaning liquid 293 includes a relatively high vapor pressure liquid, such as acetone or alcohol, that evaporates from the polishing pad 116 before the post-operative portion 114 of the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- a relatively high vapor pressure liquid such as acetone or alcohol
- the body 251 of cleaning head 250 can be eliminated.
- the vessel 290 can include other liquids 293 (such as water) that do not evaporate as readily as acetone or alcohol, in which case the contact elements 280 , the heating element 285 , and/or the gas manifolds 160 discussed above can remove excess liquid from the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 before the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- One feature of an embodiment of the apparatus 210 shown in FIG. 3 is that the cleaning vessel 290 cleans the polishing pad 116 without direct mechanical contact other than that resulting from the roller 222 . Accordingly, the likelihood for abrading the polishing pad 116 during cleaning is reduced when compared with some conventional devices. The likelihood for abrasion can be further reduced by drying the polishing pad 116 with the heater 285 or with gas from the gas manifold(s) 160 (FIG. 2) or by allowing the cleaning liquid 293 to evaporate before the polishing pad 116 returns to the platen 120 .
- FIG. 4 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing apparatus 310 having a platen 320 that supports the polishing pad 116 (shown in phantom lines) in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- the apparatus 310 includes a support pad 311 positioned between the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 and an upwardly facing support surface 322 of the platen 320 .
- the platen 320 can further include a channel 325 that extends around the perimeter of the support pad 311 and has an upwardly facing opening adjacent to the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 .
- the channel 325 is coupled with a conduit 326 to a pressurized gas source 327 and a vacuum source 328 .
- a valve 323 in the conduit 326 can be manually or automatically controlled to connect either the gas source 327 or the vacuum source 328 with the channel 325 .
- the valve 323 is adjusted to connect the vacuum source 328 with the channel 325 during planarization of the substrate 112 (FIGS. 2 - 3 ). Accordingly, the polishing pad 116 is drawn tightly against the support pad 311 to prevent unwanted movement of the polishing pad 116 which can result in non-uniformities in the substrate 112 .
- the valve 323 is adjusted to couple the gas source 327 to the channel 325 .
- the gas source 327 pumps a gas (such as air) through the channel 325 to impinge on the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 and flow to an interface region between the polishing pad 116 and the support pad 311 .
- the pressurized gas separates the polishing pad 116 slightly from the support pad 311 , allowing the polishing pad 116 to be more easily moved relative to the support pad 311 and the platen 320 .
- the compressed gas can remove contaminants, such as liquid or solid debris, from the rear surface 119 of the polishing pad 116 . Accordingly, an advantage of an embodiment of the apparatus 310 shown in FIG. 4 is that it can clean and dry the rear surface 119 and/or separate the rear surface 119 from the support pad 311 for moving the polishing pad 116 relative to the platen 320 .
- FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, partially broken top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing apparatus 410 having a platen 420 and a support pad 411 that support the polishing pad 116 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- the platen 420 includes a plurality of orifices 429 arranged around the perimeter of the support pad 411 and coupled to a plenum 421 positioned within the platen 420 .
- the plenum 421 is coupled via the conduit 326 to the gas source 327 and the vacuum source 328 in a manner generally similar to that discussed above with reference to FIG. 4. Accordingly, the plenum 421 can be selectively coupled to the gas source 327 and the vacuum source 328 to either expel or draw in air in a manner generally similar to that discussed above with reference to FIG. 4.
- FIG. 6 is a partially schematic, partially broken top isometric view of a portion of an apparatus 510 having a platen 520 and a support pad 511 that support the polishing pad 116 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.
- the platen 520 includes a plenum 521 coupled to the gas source 327 and the vacuum source 328 in a manner similar to that discussed above.
- the apparatus 510 further includes a plurality of orifices 529 , including pad orifices 529 a extending through the support pad 511 and aligned with a corresponding plurality of platen orifices 529 b extending through a portion of the platen 520 to be in fluid communication with the manifold 521 .
- the orifices 529 can be uniformly spaced over the support pad 511 , or alternatively, the orifices can be arranged in other patterns. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the orifices 529 can point toward the edges of the support pad 511 and the polishing pad 116 to direct contaminants outwardly away from the interface region between the support pad 511 and the polishing pad 116 .
- the orifices 529 are selectively coupled to either the gas source 327 or the vacuum source 328 to operate in a manner similar to that discussed above with reference to FIG. 4.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention is directed toward methods and apparatuses for supporting, cleaning and/or drying a polishing pad used for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization.
- Mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarizing processes (collectively “CMP”) are used in the manufacturing process of microelectronic devices to form a flat surface on semiconductor wafers, field emission displays, and many other microelectronic-device substrates and substrate assemblies. FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, isometric view of a conventional web-
format planarizing machine 10 that has aplaten 20. Asub-pad 11 is attached to theplaten 20 to provide a flat, solid workstation for supporting a portion of a web-format polishing pad 16 in a planarizing zone “A” during planarization. Thepolishing pad 16 has arear surface 19 that engages thesub-pad 11 and a planarizingsurface 18 facing opposite therear surface 19 to planarize asubstrate 12. - The planarizing
machine 10 also has a pad-advancing mechanism, including a plurality of rollers, to guide, position and hold thepolishing pad 16 over thesub-pad 11. The pad-advancing mechanism generally includes asupply roller 24, first andsecond idler rollers second guide rollers up roller 23. As explained below, a motor (not shown) drives the take-up roller 23 and thesupply roller 24 to advance and retract thepolishing pad 16 over thesub-pad 11 along a travel path T-T. Thefirst idler roller 21 a and thefirst guide roller 22 a press an operative portion of thepolishing pad 16 against thesub-pad 11 to hold thepolishing pad 16 stationary during operation. - The planarizing
machine 10 further includes acarrier assembly 30 to translate thesubstrate 12 over thepolishing pad 16. In one embodiment, thecarrier assembly 30 has ahead 31 to pick up, hold and release thesubstrate 12 at appropriate stages of the planarizing process. Thecarrier assembly 30 also has asupport gantry 32 and adrive assembly 33 that can move along thegantry 32. Thedrive assembly 33 has anactuator 34, adrive shaft 35 coupled to theactuator 34, and anarm 36 projecting from thedrive shaft 35. Thearm 36 carries thehead 31 via aterminal shaft 37. Theactuator 34 orbits thehead 31 about an axis B-B (as indicated by arrow R1) and can rotate thehead 31 about an axis C-C (as indicated by arrow R2) to move thesubstrate 12 over thepolishing pad 16 while aplanarizing fluid 17 flows from a plurality ofnozzles 38 in thehead 31. The planarizingfluid 17 may be a conventional CMP slurry with abrasive particles and chemicals that etch and/or oxidize the surface of thesubstrate 12, or the planarizingfluid 17 may be a non-abrasive planarizing solution without abrasive particles. In most CMP applications, conventional CMP slurries are used on conventional polishing pads, and planarizing solutions without abrasive particles are used on fixed-abrasive polishing pads. - In the operation of the planarizing
machine 10, thecarrier assembly 30 presses thesubstrate 12 against the planarizingsurface 18 of thepolishing pad 16 as thecarrier head 31 moves thesubstrate 12 over theplanarizing surface 18. Thepolishing pad 16 moves across thesub-pad 11 along the pad travel path T-T either during or between planarizing cycles to change the particular portion of thepolishing pad 16 in the planarizing zone A. For example, the supply and take-up rollers polishing pad 16 between planarizing cycles such that a point P moves incrementally across thesub-pad 11 to a number of intermediate locations I1, I2, etc. Alternatively, therollers polishing pad 16 between planarizing cycles such that the point P moves all the way across thesub-pad 11 toward the take-up roller 23 to completely remove a used or post-operative portion of thepolishing pad 16 from the planarizing zone A. Therollers polishing pad 16 at a slow rate during a planarizing cycle such that the point P moves continuously across thesub-pad 11 during planarization. - The planarizing
machine 10 can also include a planarizing surface cleaner 40 (shown schematically in FIG. 1) positioned between theplaten 20 and the take-up roller 23 to clean the post-operative portion of thepolishing pad 16. The planarizingsurface cleaner 40 can include a brush 41 having bristles that contact the planarizingsurface 18 of thepolishing pad 16 and aliquid dispenser 42 positioned proximate to the brush 41 to dispense a cleaning liquid on the planarizingsurface 18. Accordingly, the planarizingsurface cleaner 40 can clean the post-operative portion of thepolishing pad 16 as it moves off theplaten 20 along the travel path T-T. Once the post-operative portion of thepolishing pad 16 has been cleaned, it can be translated back onto theplaten 20 along the travel path T-T and into the planarizing zone A for another planarizing cycle. - One drawback with the
apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is that therear surface 19 of thepolishing pad 16 can become contaminated with debris (such as liquid and/or particulate matter) during the planarizing process and/or the cleaning process. The debris can become trapped between thepolishing pad 16 and thesub-pad 11, causing a local bump or other non-uniformity to form in theplanarizing surface 18. The non-uniformity in the planarizingsurface 18 can create a non-uniformity in thesubstrate 12 and/or can cause thepolishing pad 16 to wear in a non-uniform manner. - A further drawback is that liquid on the
rear surface 19 of thepolishing pad 16 can form an adhesive bond between thepolishing pad 16 and thesub-pad 11. The adhesive bond can inhibit relative movement between thepolishing pad 16 and thesub-pad 11 when thepolishing pad 16 moves along the travel path T-T. In one conventional method, theidler rollers guide roller 22 a move thepolishing pad 16 normal to the upper surface of thesub-pad 11 to break the adhesive bond. However, the action of the rollers against thepolishing pad 16 may not be effective to separate thepolishing pad 16 from thesub-pad 11. Furthermore, if thepolishing pad 16 is dragged over thesub-pad 11, the frictional contact between the two can abrade particulate matter from thepolishing pad 16 and/or thesub-pad 11, which can cause a bump or other non-uniformity to form in theplanarizing surface 18, as discussed above. - The present invention is directed toward methods and apparatuses for supporting, cleaning and/or drying a polishing pad used for mechanical and/or chemical planarization of microelectronic substrates and substrate assemblies. In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning head is positioned proximate to a post-operative portion of the polishing pad to remove material from a rear surface of the polishing pad that faces opposite a planarizing surface of the polishing pad. The cleaning head can have a cleaning device operable to remove liquid and/or particulate material from the rear surface. For example, the cleaning device can include a contact element such as an absorbent brush or an impermeable blade positionable to contact the rear surface of the post-operative portion of the polishing pad, an orifice facing toward the rear surface of the polishing pad to provide gas or liquid to the rear surface, and/or a heat source to dry the rear surface of the polishing pad. Alternatively, the cleaning head can include a vessel proximate to the post-operative portion of the polishing pad. The vessel can have an opening configured to receive the post-operative portion and an interior volume in fluid communication with the opening and configured to contain a quantity of cleaning liquid sufficient to contact the rear surface of the polishing pad. The vessel can further include an ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic energy to the cleaning liquid.
- In an embodiment in accordance with still a further aspect of the invention, the polishing pad can be supported on a support surface, such as a surface of a support pad. Gas or liquid is directed toward or away from an interface region between the support surface and the rear surface of the polishing pad to separate the polishing pad from the support surface, or draw the polishing pad toward the support surface.
- FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, front isometric view of a web-format planarizing machine in accordance with the prior art.
- FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, partially broken, front isometric view of a planarizing machine having a cleaning head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, partially broken, front isometric view of a planarizing machine having a cleaning head and a liquid vessel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing machine having a platen coupled to a gas source and a vacuum source in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing machine having a platen with orifices coupled to a gas source and a vacuum source in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 6 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a planarizing machine having a platen and a support pad with orifices coupled to a gas source and a vacuum source in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention.
- The present invention is directed toward methods and apparatuses for supporting, cleaning and/or drying planarizing media used to planarize microelectronic substrates and/or substrate assemblies. Many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in FIGS.2-6 to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description.
- FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, side isometric view of planarizing
machine 110 having apolishing pad 116 that passes through acleaning head 150 and adjacent a planarizingsurface cleaner 140 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Thepolishing pad 116 extends from asupply roller 124 across aplaten 120 and asupport pad 111 to a take-up roller 123, while being controlled and guided by anidler roller 121 and twoguide rollers polishing pad 116 has a planarizingsurface 118 facing toward a microelectronic substrate orsubstrate assembly 112 and arear surface 119 facing opposite theplanarizing surface 118. Acarrier assembly 130 positioned adjacent thepolishing pad 116 can include ahead 131 having anengaging surface 139 that presses thesubstrate 112 against thepolishing pad 116 during operation. Adrive assembly 133 supported by agantry 132 and including anactuator 134, adrive shaft 135, anarm 136 and aterminal shaft 137 moves thehead 131 relative to thepolishing pad 116 to remove material from thesubstrate 112. Thepolishing pad 116 advances from thesupply roller 124 to the take-up roller 123 either between or during planarizing cycles, in a manner generally similar to that discussed above. - The
polishing pad 116 includes apre-operative portion 113 between thesupply roller 124 and theplaten 120 and apost-operative portion 114 between theplaten 120 and the take-up roller 123. As thepolishing pad 116 advances along the travel path T-T toward the take-up roller 123, thepre-operative portion 113 moves onto theplaten 120 to planarize thesubstrate 112 and thepost-operative portion 114 moves off theplaten 120 for cleaning. Accordingly, the planarizingsurface cleaner 140 and thecleaning head 150 are positioned proximate to thepost-operative portion 114 between theplaten 120 and the take-up roller 123. - In one embodiment, the
planarizing surface cleaner 140 includes abrush 141 having bristles that engage theplanarizing surface 118 of thepolishing pad 116 to remove particulates and other contaminants from theplanarizing surface 118, or theplanarizing surface cleaner 140 can include other cleaning elements. Theplanarizing surface cleaner 140 also includes aliquid dispenser 142 coupled with aconduit 143 to a source of cleaning liquid (not shown). Theliquid dispenser 142 can have orifices facing toward theplanarizing surface 118 to dispense the cleaning liquid onto theplanarizing surface 118. The mechanical action provided by thebrush 141 in combination with the chemical and/or mechanical action provided by the cleaning liquid clean theplanarizing surface 118 of thepost-operative portion 114 before thepost-operative portion 114 returns to theplaten 120 along the travel path T-T for the next planarizing cycle. - The
cleaning head 150 is positioned between theplanarizing surface cleaner 140 and theplaten 120 to clean and/or dry therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 before thepost-operative portion 114 of thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. The cleaninghead 150 can include abody 151 with anupper surface 153, alower surface 154 and aslot 152 extending through thebody 151 from theupper surface 153 to thelower surface 154, or thecleaning head 150 can have other configurations to receive thepolishing pad 116. In one embodiment, the cleaninghead 150 includes aliquid manifold 170 positioned within theslot 152 and coupled to aliquid source 174 with a liquid conduit orpassage 171. Theliquid manifold 170 has one or more liquid orifices 172 pointing toward therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 to direct the cleaning liquid toward therear surface 119. In one aspect of this embodiment, the cleaning liquid has a high vapor pressure so that it evaporates quickly, leaving therear surface 119 dry before thepost-operative portion 114 of thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. For example, the cleaning liquid can include acetone, alcohol, or other liquids having a relatively high vapor pressure. Alternatively, the vapor pressure of the cleaning liquid may not be particularly high and the rate at which thepolishing pad 116 moves back onto theplaten 120 can be reduced (or thepolishing pad 116 can remain in a fixed position) while the cleaning liquid evaporates from therear surface 119. - In one embodiment, the cleaning
head 150 includes one or more gas manifolds 160 to hasten the drying of therear surface 119 and/or to clean therear surface 119. In one aspect of this embodiment, the cleaninghead 150 has three gas manifolds 160 (shown as anupper manifold 160 a, anintermediate manifold 160 b and alower manifold 160 c) and in other embodiments, the cleaning head has more or fewer manifolds 160, as will be discussed in greater detail below. Each gas manifold 160 is coupled via a gas conduit orpassage 161 to agas source 164 to provide gas to the manifolds 160. Thegas source 164 can include any suitable gas, such as air, or an inert gas, compressed to an elevated pressure of, for example, between about 10 psi and about 100 psi, or another suitable pressure. - Each gas manifold160 is also in fluid communication with one or more orifices 162 (shown in FIG. 2 as circular
upper orifices 162 a, circularintermediate orifices 162 b and an elongatedlower orifice 162 c) to direct the gas toward therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. The upper andintermediate orifices polishing pad 116 or theorifices upper orifices 162 a are offset or staggered transversely relative to theintermediate orifices 162 b to uniformly distribute the gas over the width of therear surface 119. In one aspect of this embodiment, theorifices orifices rear surface 119 as thepost-operative portion 114 moves upwardly back onto theplaten 120. Alternatively, theorifices - In yet a further aspect of this embodiment, the
lower orifice 162 c includes a slot elongated in a direction generally transverse to the travel path T-T and directed at least slightly downward, as was discussed above. Thelower gas manifold 160 c is coupled to atemperature controller 163 to control the temperature of the gas directed toward therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. For example, in one embodiment, thetemperature controller 163 can control the temperature of the gas be up to and including approximately 100° C. In other embodiments, thetemperature controller 163 can elevate the temperature of the gas to other values that do not adversely affect thepolishing pad 116. - In still further embodiments, other combinations and arrangements of the elements discussed above with reference to FIG. 2 can clean and/or dry the
rear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. For example, the cleaninghead 150 can include a single row of orifices 162 or can include more than two rows of orifices 162, any of which can be coupled to thetemperature controller 163. Alternatively, the cleaninghead 150 can include theelongated orifice 162 c in lieu of, rather than in addition to, thecircular orifices liquid manifold 170 provides liquid sufficient to adequately clean therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 and the liquid evaporates before thepost-operative portion 114 moves back onto theplaten 120. Conversely, when the gas provided by the gas manifold(s) 160 is sufficient to both clean and dry therear surface 119, theliquid manifold 170 can be eliminated. - One feature of an embodiment of the
apparatus 110 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2 is that the cleaninghead 150 removes liquid and/or solid contaminants from therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 before thepost-operative portion 114 of thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. An advantage of this arrangement is that theplanarizing surface 118 of thepolishing pad 116 is less likely to have non-uniformities resulting from contaminants trapped between thepolishing pad 116 and thesupport pad 111. A further advantage of this arrangement is that the likelihood for thepolishing pad 116 to adhere to the support pad 111 (due to the presence of liquid between the two) can be reduced, increasing the ease with which thepolishing pad 116 is moved across theplaten 120. This is unlike some conventional planarizing devices which not only allow liquid and/or solid debris to accumulate on therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 but also fail to remove such contaminants before thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. - FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, partially broken side isometric view of an
apparatus 210 having a cleaninghead 250 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The cleaninghead 250 includes abody 251 having aslot 252 through which thepolishing pad 116 passes. In one embodiment, two contact elements 280 (shown as awiper 280 a and anabsorbent brush 280 b) are positioned within the slot to remove contaminants from therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. The contact elements 280 can be coupled to anactuator 286 that moves the contact elements 280 into and out of engagement with therear surface 119, or the contact elements 280 can remain pressed against therear surface 119. In other embodiments, the cleaninghead 250 can include more or fewer contact elements 280 and/or contact elements 280 in combination with fluid manifolds and/or gas manifolds, similar to those discussed above with reference to FIG. 2. - In one embodiment, the
wiper 280 a includes an impermeable, resilient and flexible material, such as rubber or another elastomer having one or more edges 281 (two are shown in FIG. 3) or other cleaning surfaces that contact therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. In a further aspect of this embodiment, thewiper 280 a hasvacuum orifices 283 facing toward therear surface 119 and coupled with avacuum conduit 282 to a vacuum source (not shown). When a vacuum is applied to thevacuum orifices 283 via thevacuum conduit 282, thepolishing pad 116 is drawn against thewiper 280 a so that therear surface 119 contacts theedges 281, forming an at least partially liquid-tight seal. Alternatively, thevacuum orifices 283 can be housed in a separate unit (not shown) adjacent to thewiper 280 a. In either case, theedges 281 of thewiper 280 a deflect liquid and/or solid contaminants from therear surface 119 as thepolishing pad 116 moves upwardly onto theplaten 120. - The
cleaning head 250 can include theabsorbent brush 280 b in addition to, or in lieu of thewiper 280 a. In one embodiment, theabsorbent brush 280 b has a cleaning surface that includes any resilient, compliant and absorbent material (such as polyvinyl alcohol) to absorb liquid from thepolishing pad 116 without abrading thepolishing pad 116. In one aspect of this embodiment, theabsorbent brush 280 b has aheating element 285 coupled to an electrical source (not shown) withelectrical leads 284 to remove moisture from theabsorbent brush 280 b after theabsorbent brush 280 b has absorbed moisture from therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. In other embodiments, other devices (for example, rollers or forced heated air) discharge moisture from theabsorbent brush 280 b. In still another embodiment, theabsorbent brush 280 b (or another contact element 280, such as thewiper 280 a) is heated while it is pressed against thepolishing pad 116. - In yet another embodiment, the cleaning
head 250 includes theheating element 285 alone instead of the contact elements 280. For example, theheating element 285 can include an electric coil heater or an infrared heater that removes moisture from therear surface 119 of the polishing pad without contacting thepolishing pad 116. In one embodiment, theheating element 285 operates in conjunction with devices that clean the rear surface 119 (such as the gas manifolds 160 andliquid manifolds 170 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2) or alternatively theheating element 285 operates independently of the cleaning devices, for example, when it is desired only to dry therear surface 119, rather than both clean and dry therear surface 119. - In one embodiment, the cleaning
head 250 includes acleaning vessel 290 in addition to or in lieu of theplanarizing surface cleaner 140 discussed above with reference to FIG. 2. The cleaningvessel 290 has aninternal volume 292 with anopening 291 configured to receive thepolishing pad 116. Theinternal volume 292 contains a cleaningliquid 293, such as a solvent, to remove contaminants from thepolishing pad 116. In one aspect of this embodiment, thepolishing pad 116 passes around aguide roller 222 submerged in the cleaning liquid 293 to immerse both theplanarizing surface 119 and therear surface 118 of thepolishing pad 116. Alternatively, the cleaningvessel 290 can include other devices that immerse theplanarizing surface 118 and/or therear surface 119. Thevessel 290 can also includeultrasonic transducers 294 adjacent to theinternal volume 292 to direct ultrasonic energy into the cleaningliquid 293, increasing the efficacy of the cleaningliquid 293. - In one embodiment, the cleaning
liquid 293 includes a relatively high vapor pressure liquid, such as acetone or alcohol, that evaporates from thepolishing pad 116 before thepost-operative portion 114 of thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. Accordingly, thebody 251 of cleaninghead 250 can be eliminated. Alternatively, thevessel 290 can include other liquids 293 (such as water) that do not evaporate as readily as acetone or alcohol, in which case the contact elements 280, theheating element 285, and/or the gas manifolds 160 discussed above can remove excess liquid from therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 before thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. - One feature of an embodiment of the
apparatus 210 shown in FIG. 3 is that the cleaningvessel 290 cleans thepolishing pad 116 without direct mechanical contact other than that resulting from theroller 222. Accordingly, the likelihood for abrading thepolishing pad 116 during cleaning is reduced when compared with some conventional devices. The likelihood for abrasion can be further reduced by drying thepolishing pad 116 with theheater 285 or with gas from the gas manifold(s) 160 (FIG. 2) or by allowing the cleaning liquid 293 to evaporate before thepolishing pad 116 returns to theplaten 120. - FIG. 4 is a partially schematic, top isometric view of a portion of a
planarizing apparatus 310 having aplaten 320 that supports the polishing pad 116 (shown in phantom lines) in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, theapparatus 310 includes asupport pad 311 positioned between therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 and an upwardly facingsupport surface 322 of theplaten 320. Theplaten 320 can further include achannel 325 that extends around the perimeter of thesupport pad 311 and has an upwardly facing opening adjacent to therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. Thechannel 325 is coupled with aconduit 326 to apressurized gas source 327 and avacuum source 328. Avalve 323 in theconduit 326 can be manually or automatically controlled to connect either thegas source 327 or thevacuum source 328 with thechannel 325. - In operation, the
valve 323 is adjusted to connect thevacuum source 328 with thechannel 325 during planarization of the substrate 112 (FIGS. 2-3). Accordingly, thepolishing pad 116 is drawn tightly against thesupport pad 311 to prevent unwanted movement of thepolishing pad 116 which can result in non-uniformities in thesubstrate 112. When thepolishing pad 116 is to be moved relative to the platen 320 (for example, to be cleaned according to one or more of the methods discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2-3), thevalve 323 is adjusted to couple thegas source 327 to thechannel 325. Thegas source 327 pumps a gas (such as air) through thechannel 325 to impinge on therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116 and flow to an interface region between thepolishing pad 116 and thesupport pad 311. The pressurized gas separates thepolishing pad 116 slightly from thesupport pad 311, allowing thepolishing pad 116 to be more easily moved relative to thesupport pad 311 and theplaten 320. Furthermore, the compressed gas can remove contaminants, such as liquid or solid debris, from therear surface 119 of thepolishing pad 116. Accordingly, an advantage of an embodiment of theapparatus 310 shown in FIG. 4 is that it can clean and dry therear surface 119 and/or separate therear surface 119 from thesupport pad 311 for moving thepolishing pad 116 relative to theplaten 320. - FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, partially broken top isometric view of a portion of a
planarizing apparatus 410 having aplaten 420 and asupport pad 411 that support thepolishing pad 116 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Theplaten 420 includes a plurality oforifices 429 arranged around the perimeter of thesupport pad 411 and coupled to aplenum 421 positioned within theplaten 420. Theplenum 421 is coupled via theconduit 326 to thegas source 327 and thevacuum source 328 in a manner generally similar to that discussed above with reference to FIG. 4. Accordingly, theplenum 421 can be selectively coupled to thegas source 327 and thevacuum source 328 to either expel or draw in air in a manner generally similar to that discussed above with reference to FIG. 4. - FIG. 6 is a partially schematic, partially broken top isometric view of a portion of an
apparatus 510 having aplaten 520 and asupport pad 511 that support thepolishing pad 116 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention. Theplaten 520 includes aplenum 521 coupled to thegas source 327 and thevacuum source 328 in a manner similar to that discussed above. Theapparatus 510 further includes a plurality of orifices 529, includingpad orifices 529 a extending through thesupport pad 511 and aligned with a corresponding plurality ofplaten orifices 529 b extending through a portion of theplaten 520 to be in fluid communication with themanifold 521. The orifices 529 can be uniformly spaced over thesupport pad 511, or alternatively, the orifices can be arranged in other patterns. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the orifices 529 can point toward the edges of thesupport pad 511 and thepolishing pad 116 to direct contaminants outwardly away from the interface region between thesupport pad 511 and thepolishing pad 116. The orifices 529 are selectively coupled to either thegas source 327 or thevacuum source 328 to operate in a manner similar to that discussed above with reference to FIG. 4. - From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
Claims (97)
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US09/850,902 US6368197B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2001-05-07 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
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US09/387,190 US6244944B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 1999-08-31 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
US09/850,902 US6368197B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2001-05-07 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
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US09/387,190 Division US6244944B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 1999-08-31 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
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US09/850,934 Expired - Fee Related US6352470B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2001-05-07 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
US09/850,902 Expired - Lifetime US6368197B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2001-05-07 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
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US09/387,190 Expired - Lifetime US6244944B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 1999-08-31 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
US09/850,934 Expired - Fee Related US6352470B2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2001-05-07 | Method and apparatus for supporting and cleaning a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates |
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- 2001-05-07 US US09/850,902 patent/US6368197B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (5)
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US20030036343A1 (en) * | 2001-08-17 | 2003-02-20 | Yasutaka Mizomoto | Machining strain removal apparatus |
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EP3535094A4 (en) * | 2016-11-04 | 2020-07-08 | BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. | Grinding apparatus |
US12030093B2 (en) | 2019-05-29 | 2024-07-09 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Steam treatment stations for chemical mechanical polishing system |
CN114026364A (en) * | 2019-06-27 | 2022-02-08 | 应用材料公司 | Steam generation for chemical mechanical polishing |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US20010021627A1 (en) | 2001-09-13 |
US6352470B2 (en) | 2002-03-05 |
US6368197B2 (en) | 2002-04-09 |
US6244944B1 (en) | 2001-06-12 |
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