US5177908A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Polishing pad
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 1990-01-22
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Granted: 1993-01-12
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Expires: 2010-01-22
Abstract
Abstract A polishing pad for semiconductor wafers, having a face shaped to provide a constant, or nearly constant, surface contact rate to a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, in order to effect improved planarity of the workpiece. The favored face shape is a sunburst pattern having nontapered rays, coaxial with the pad's rotation.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark E. Tuttle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 09:56
CPC Classifications
B; B24; B24B; B24B37/00; B24B37/11; B24B37/20; B24B37/26; B24B13/00; B24B13/01; B24B7/00; B24B7/20; B24B7/22; B24B7/228; B24D; B24D11/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S451/00; Y10S451/921
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
Apparatus to polish a workpiece, comprising: a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; said face, in use, to be urged against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face is configured to be able to provide to the workpiece a surface contact rate having a magnitude independent of radius from said axis, and wherein said surface contact rate is constant, or nearly so, for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius, wherein said face is shaped by at least one series of grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
Apparatus to polish a workpiece, comprising: a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; said face, in use, to be urged against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face is configured to be able to provide to the workpiece a surface contact rate having a magnitude independent of radius from said axis, and wherein said surface contact rate is constant, or nearly so, for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius, wherein said face is shaped by at least one series of grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein least one of said series of grooves contains grooves which are parallel to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein multiple series of grooves are orthogonally arranged.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner and outer radii are sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of polish a workpiece, comprising the steps of: providing a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis, said face wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; and urging said face against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of polish a workpiece, comprising the steps of: providing a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis, said face wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; and urging said face against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
134 words
A method to polish a workpiece, comprising the steps of: providing a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; and urging said face against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide to the workpiece a surface contact rate having a magnitude independent of radius from said axis, wherein said surface contact rate is constant, or nearly so, for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius, and wherein said face is shaped by at least one series of grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
134 words
A method to polish a workpiece, comprising the steps of: providing a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; and urging said face against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide to the workpiece a surface contact rate having a magnitude independent of radius from said axis, wherein said surface contact rate is constant, or nearly so, for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius, and wherein said face is shaped by at least one series of grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 8, wherein least one of said series of grooves contains grooves which are parallel to each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 9, wherein multiple series of grooves are orthogonally arranged.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said inner and outer radii are sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
129 words
Apparatus to polish a workpiece, comprising: a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; said face shaped by at least one series of parallel grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; said face, in use, to be urged against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
129 words
Apparatus to polish a workpiece, comprising: a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; said face shaped by at least one series of parallel grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; said face, in use, to be urged against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
129 words
Apparatus to polish a workpiece, comprising: a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; said face shaped by multiple, orthogonally arranged series of parallel grooves, and wherein a first distance between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; said face, in use, to be urged against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
129 words
Apparatus to polish a workpiece, comprising: a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis; said face shaped by multiple, orthogonally arranged series of parallel grooves, and wherein a first distance between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; said face, in use, to be urged against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
131 words
A method to polish a workpiece, comprising the steps of: providing a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis, said face shaped by multiple, orthogonally arranged series of parallel grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; and urging said face against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
131 words
A method to polish a workpiece, comprising the steps of: providing a polishing pad, rotatable about an axis and having a face perpendicular to and coaxial with said axis, said face shaped by multiple, orthogonally arranged series of parallel grooves, and wherein a first distance, between first and second adjacent grooves within said series of grooves, is oppositely related to a smallest radius between said first groove and said axis; and urging said face against the workpiece to facilitate polishing of same; wherein said face, by virtue of its shape, is able to provide a constant, or nearly so, surface contact rate to the workpiece for any radius bounded by an inner radius and an outer radius from said axis, said radii being sufficiently different to accommodate the workpiece between them.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the workpiece is a semiconductor wafer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-01-12 | 1996-07-13 | 1997-01-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-01-12 | 2000-07-13 | 2001-01-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-01-12 | 2004-07-13 | 2005-01-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |