Abrading – Machine – Reciprocating tool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-11-20
Rose, Robert A. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Reciprocating tool
C451S168000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319103
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing(hereinafter “CMP”) apparatus, and more particularly to a CMP apparatus in which a chemical mechanical polishing is performed at a wafer surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to the recent developments in manufacture of semiconductors, semiconductor devices have been highly integrated. To achieve high integration in the semiconductor device, it is required to obtain photolithography margins or a planarization process at a bottom layer so as to minimize its wiring length. According to these requirements, the CMP method has been introduced as a known technology to planarize a bottom layer. Among the semiconductor manufacturing procedures, the CMP method is utilized at a step of planarizing the bottom layer formed on a wafer surface. In the CMP method, the wafer surface is chemical-reacted with slurry containing microscopic particles and the chemically reacted wafer surface is mechanically polished with a polishing pad.
The conventional CMP apparatus using slurry and polishing pad consist of a polishing pad rotating operator, a wafer holder that a wafer is fixed in, and a slurry supplier which supplies slurry on a wafer surface.
The conventional CMP apparatus as constituted above, however, incurs a disadvantage that pressure from the polishing pad to the wafer is locally different, and then the polishing thickness is not uniform.
Specifically, there is a strong possibility of transformation in the polishing pad since the polishing pad rotates and is contacted closely to the wafer surface. When the polishing pad is transformed, a dishing is occurred at the rotating polishing pad. Therefore, when the dishing is occurred at the polishing pad, should the polishing pad should be substituted at once. Due to the substitution, the realization of CMP process may be deteriorated during a polishing process using the new polishing pad.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a CMP apparatus capable of applying a constant pressure to a wafer thereby improving uniformity in the polishing thickness.
It is another object of the present invention to realize the CMP process by extending lifetime of apparatus.
To accomplish, the present invention provides a CMP apparatus having a rotatable wafer holder in which a wafer is fixed. At a bottom of the wafer holder, a pair of driving roller is arranged and the respective rollers are rotated by motors. A polishing wire is winded between the respective driving rollers, the polishing wire is stuck to the wafer fixed at the wafer holder and the polishing wire moves in a linear reciprocal movement. Meanwhile, guide-rollers for providing tension with the polishing wire are arranged at outer portions of the respective driving rollers thereby winding both ends of the polishing wire at the respective guide-rollers. Further, a height adjusting member is arranged at bottom portions of the polishing wire thereby adjusting the height of the polishing wire owing to a rise of the height adjusting member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1912016 (1933-05-01), Sittner
patent: 3674004 (1972-07-01), Grandia et al.
patent: 3824982 (1974-07-01), Bowman
patent: 5564409 (1996-10-01), Bonzo et al.
patent: 2906238 (1980-08-01), None
patent: 717874 (1954-11-01), None
Andrus Sceales Starke & Sawall LLP
Dongbu Electronics Co. Ltd.
Rose Robert A.
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