EP0593057A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Planarization apparatus and method for performing a planarization operation
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1993-10-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-10-14
Abstract
Abstract Described is a method and apparatus for improving planarity of substrates, like semiconductor wafers by chemical and/or mechanical means. The wafer (31) is affixed to the planar surface (32) of a carrier (33). A planar platen (35), on which is mounted a polishing pad (37), is moved about in a plane parallel to the pad surface with either an orbital, fixed-direction vibratory, or random-direction vibratory motion. In one embodiment of the invention, pressure between the surface of the wafer (31) to be polished and the moving polishing pad (37) is generated by the force of gravity acting on at least the wafer (31) and the carrier (33); in another embodiment the pressure is provided by a mechanical force applied normal to the wafer surface. The polishing pad (37) is wetted with a slurry (40) having abrasive particles suspended in a liquid which may be chemically reactive with respect to at least one material on the wafer (31).
Inventors
- 👤 Mark E. Tuttle
- 👤 Trung T. Doan
- 👤 Angus C. Fox
- 👤 Gurtej S. Sandhu
- 👤 Hugh E. Stroupe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:25
CPC Classifications
B; B24; B24B; B24B37/00; B24B37/04; B24B37/07; B24B37/10; B24B37/102; H; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0402; H10P72/0404; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/959
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A chemical and/or mechanical planarization apparatus comprising: a platen (35) having a horizontal, planar upper surface (36); an abrasive planar surface removably affixed to said upper surface (36); a carrier (33) having a lower planar surface (32) to which one side a substrate is removably attachable, the other side of said substrate being disposed against said abrasive planar surface; and means for imparting non-rotational motion to either said carrier (33) or said platen upper surface (36), the relative motion between said carrier (33) and said platen upper surface (36) being parallel to that upper surface (36) and also providing every point on that upper surface (36) with identical relative motion during same time interval.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for imparting non-rotational motion imparts a random-directed vibratory motion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for imparting non-rotational motion imparts a fixed-direction vibratory motion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for imparting non-rotational motion imparts an ellipsoid orbital motion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the distance between the loci of the ellipse, which defines said ellipsoid orbital motion, is zero.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein said substrate is pressed against the abrasive planar surface by the effect of gravity on at least the substrate itself and the carrier (33).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the substrate is pressed against the abrasive planar surface by mechanical force.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, which further comprises a resilient backing pad (34) which is placed between the substrate and said lower planar surface (32), said resilient backing pad (34) providing frictional attachment of the substrate to the carrier (33).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the resilient backing pad (34) is uniformly thick.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the coefficients of friction between the backing pad (34) and the substrate, on one side, and the carrier surface, on the other, are at least 1.5 times that of the coefficient of friction between the substrate and the abrasive planar surface.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein the abrasive planar surface is a slurry-wetted polishing pad (37).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said polishing pad (37) has a porous surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of one of claims 11 or 12, wherein said polishing pad (37) is equipped with perforations which extend from a lower surface (82) thereof to an upper surface thereof (83).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein slurry (40) is supplied from a supply (71) to the polishing pad (37) via a network of channels (72) in the upper surface of the platen (35).
Claim 15
Independent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein the platen (35) is equipped with a barrier wall (39) which surrounds the abrasive planar surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said barrier wall (39) prevents the carrier (33) and an attached substrate from wandering beyond the limits of the platen (35).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 15 or 16, wherein said carrier (33) is equipped with a resilient bumper (41), which surrounds the carrier (33) and cushions impact between the carrier (33) and the barrier wall (39).
Claim 18
Independent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of one of claims 15 to 17, wherein said barrier wall (39) is equipped with a resilient cushion (42), which cushions impacts between the carrier (33) and the barrier wall (39).
Claim 19
Independent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein said substrate is a wafer (31).
Claim 20
Independent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein said non-rotational motion is imparted to said platen upper surface (36).
Claim 21
Independent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein said non-rotational motion is imparted to said carrier (33).
Claim 22
Independent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of one of the preceding claims, wherein said abrasive planar surface is uniformly thick.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for performing a chemical and/or mechanical planarization operation on a substrate having front-side and back-side planar surface, said method comprising the step of disposing the front-side surface against an abrasive planar surface, said abrasive planar surface being moved non-rotationally relative to said substrate in a manner so that every point on said front-side surface experiences both virtually identical pressure against said abrasive planar surface and virtually identical relative motion, with respect to said abrasive planar surface during the same time interval.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said motion is a random-direction vibratory motion.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said motion is fixed-direction vibratory motion.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said motion is ellipsoid orbital motion.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 26, wherein the distance between the loci of the ellipse, which defines the ellipsoid orbital motion, is zero.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
29 words
The method of one of claims 23 to 27, wherein said abrasive planar surface comprises a polishing pad wetted with a slurry having abrasive particles suspended in a liquid.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 28, wherein said liquid is chemically-reactive with respect to at least one material on the front-side of said substrate.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein said abrasive planar surface is horizontal, said substrate is attached to a carrier, and the pressure between said front-side surface and said abrasive planar surface is generated by the force of gravity acting on at least said substrate and said carrier.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein said abrasive planar surface is horizontal, said substrate is attached to a carrier, and the pressure between said front-side surface and said abrasive planar surface is variably and mechanically applied.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
15 words
The method of one of claims 23 to 31, wherein said substrate is a wafer.
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