POLISHING HEAD WITH LOCAL WAFER PRESSURE

Organization Name

applied materials, inc.

Inventor(s)

Andrew Nagengast of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Steven M. Zuniga of Soquel CA (US)

Jay Gurusamy of Santa Clara CA (US)

Charles C. Garretson of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Vladimir Galburt of Santa Clara CA (US)

POLISHING HEAD WITH LOCAL WAFER PRESSURE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240253179 titled 'POLISHING HEAD WITH LOCAL WAFER PRESSURE

Simplified Explanation: The patent application describes a polishing system with a unique substrate carrier that can adjust the pressure applied between a substrate and a polishing pad.

The system includes a carriage arm with an actuator that has a piston and roller for applying pressure.
A polishing pad and substrate carrier are attached to the carriage arm to polish substrates effectively.
The substrate carrier has a housing, retaining ring, and membrane, with an upper load ring inside.
The roller of the actuator contacts the upper load ring during rotation, adjusting the pressure on the substrate.
By applying a load to the upper load ring, the actuator can change the pressure between the substrate and polishing pad.

Key Features and Innovation:

Unique substrate carrier design with adjustable pressure mechanism.
Actuator with piston and roller for precise pressure application.
Ability to alter pressure between substrate and polishing pad for optimal polishing results.

Potential Applications:

Semiconductor manufacturing for polishing silicon wafers.
Optics industry for polishing lenses and mirrors.
Metalworking for polishing metal components.

Problems Solved:

Inconsistent pressure during polishing.
Lack of control over pressure applied to substrates.
Difficulty in achieving uniform polishing results.

Benefits:

Improved polishing precision.
Enhanced substrate surface quality.
Increased efficiency in polishing processes.

Commercial Applications: Polishing systems with adjustable pressure mechanisms can be used in various industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, optics, and metalworking to achieve high-quality polished surfaces efficiently.

Questions about Polishing Systems: 1. How does the actuator in the polishing system adjust the pressure between the substrate and polishing pad? 2. What are the potential benefits of using a substrate carrier with adjustable pressure in polishing processes?

Original Abstract Submitted

a polishing system includes a carriage arm having an actuator disposed on a lower surface thereof. the actuator includes a piston and a roller coupled to a distal end of the piston. the polishing system includes a polishing pad and a substrate carrier suspended from the carriage arm and configured to apply a pressure between a substrate and the polishing pad. the substrate carrier includes a housing, a retaining ring, and a membrane. the substrate carrier includes an upper load ring disposed in the housing. the roller of the actuator is configured to contact the upper load ring during relative rotation between the substrate carrier and the carriage arm. the actuator is configured to apply a load to a portion of the upper load ring thereby altering the pressure applied between the substrate and the polishing pad.