Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Differential fluid etching apparatus – With microwave gas energizing means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-19
2001-03-13
Mills, Gregory (Department: 1763)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Differential fluid etching apparatus
With microwave gas energizing means
C451S050000, C451S163000, C451S284000, C451S328000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200413
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to machining systems, and more particularly, to a system and method for polishing spherical shaped devices with a four-point precision polisher.
Conventional integrated circuits, or “chips,” are formed from a flat surface semiconductor wafer substrate. The semiconductor wafer is first manufactured in a semiconductor material manufacturing facility and is then provided to a fabrication facility. At the latter facility, several layers are processed onto the semiconductor wafer surface. Once completed, the wafer is then cut into one or more chips and assembled into packages. Although the processed chip includes several layers fabricated thereon, the chip still remains relatively flat.
Manufacturing the wafer substrate requires creating rod-form polycrystalline semiconductor material; precisely cutting ingots from the semiconductor rods; cleaning and drying the cut ingots; manufacturing a large single crystal from the ingots by melting them in a quartz crucible; grinding, etching, and cleaning the surface of the crystal; cutting, lapping and polishing wafers from the crystal; and heat processing the wafers. Moreover, the wafers produced by the above process typically have many defects. These defects can be attributed to the difficulty in making a single, highly pure crystal due to the cutting, grinding and cleaning processes as well as impurities associated with containers used in forming the crystals. These defects become more and more prevalent as the integrated circuits formed on these wafers contain smaller and smaller dimensions.
In co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,776 filed on May 16, 1997, herein incorporated by reference, a method and apparatus for manufacturing spherical-shaped semiconductor integrated circuit devices is disclosed. Although certain manufacturing methods for making and polishing spherical shaped substrates are disclosed in the above-referenced application, an improved method of making and polishing the spherical shaped substrates, which includes fewer defects and is more manufacturable, is desired. Furthermore, it is desired for the improved method to be relatively quick, yet still be very precise. Further still, it is desired for the improved method to support pipeline production techniques, instead of batch processing as is commonly used in conventional substrate manufacturing processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, accordingly, provides an apparatus and method for polishing spherical shaped devices. To this end, one embodiment provides a system including a carrier and an enclosure. The carrier has two projections so that when a device is placed between the projections, it contacts the carrier at two contact points. The enclosure matingly engages with the carrier so that it also contacts each device at two contact points. A movement system, such as a motor, provides relative movement between the carrier and the enclosure so that the four contact points polish each device. Also, the relative movement moves each device so that the device's entire outer surface is polished by the apparatus.
In another embodiment, the system includes a carrier, a half-enclosure and a rotating means. The carrier has two projections so that when a device is placed between the projections, it contacts the carrier at two contact points. The enclosure matingly engages with the carrier so that it also contacts each device at one contact point. The rotating means also matingly engages with the carrier so that it also contacts each device at one contact point. The motor provides relative movement between the carrier, the rotating means, and the enclosure so that the four contact points polish each device. Also, the relative movement, along with the rotating means, move each device so that the device's entire outer surface is polished by the apparatus.
In yet another embodiment, the system includes a carrier and two rotating means. The carrier has two projections so that when a device is placed between the projections, it contacts the carrier at two contact points. Each of the two rotating means also matingly engages with the carrier so that it also contacts each device at one contact point. The motor provides relative movement between the carrier and the two rotating means so that the four contact points polish each device. Also, the relative movement, along with the two rotating means, move each device so that the device's entire outer surface is polished by the apparatus.
The invention as described in the embodiments above provide many advantages over traditional polishing systems. For one, the four contact points support faster polishing. The present invention also supports a constant flow (instead of batches) of devices.
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Marcelja et al., Silicon Spheres for Gravity Probe B Experiment, 1998 Spring Topical Meeting, vol. 17, The American Society for Precision Engineering, Apr. 1998, pp. 74-77.
Achim J. Leistner, Fabrication of IKG Single Crystal Silicon Super-Precision Spheres (BALLS) for the Avogadro's Experiment, 1998 Spring Topical Meeting, vol. 17, The American Society for Precision engineering, Apr. 1998, pp. 101-104.
Ishikawa Akira
Kanatake Takashi
Privitt Roger
Ball Semiconductor Inc.
Haynes and Boone LLP
Mills Gregory
Powell Alva C
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