FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM COMBINATION FLOATING AND RIGID ABRADING WORKHOLDER
First Claim
1. A rotating platen abrasive lapping and polishing apparatus having a floating workpiece substrate carrier apparatus comprising:
- a.) a workpiece substrate carrier frame moveable in a vertical direction that supports an attached rotatable workpiece carrier spindle having a hollow rotatable carrier drive shaft with a vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation;
b) a rotatable drive housing having a rotatable drive housing rotation axis wherein the rotatable drive housing is attached to the rotatable carrier drive shaft and the rotatable drive housing rotation axis is coincident with the rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation;
c) a rotatable flexible annular disk device with an annular disk device annular surface, an annular disk device outer periphery portion, an annular disk device inner periphery portion and an axis of rotation that is nominally located at the radial center of the annular disk device annular surface and that is nominally perpendicular to the annular disk device annular surface, wherein the annular disk device outer annular periphery portion is moveable relative to the annular disk device inner annular periphery portion;
d) a floating circular rotatable workpiece carrier plate having a workpiece carrier plate top surface, an opposed nominally-horizontal workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface, a workpiece carrier plate rotation axis nominally-perpendicular to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface and a workpiece carrier plate nominally-vertical outer periphery annular surface located between the workpiece carrier plate top and bottom surfaces, wherein the floating circular rotatable workpiece carrier plate is movable relative to the rotatable drive housing;
e) wherein the rotatable flexible annular disk device inner annular periphery portion is attached to the rotatable drive housing and the rotatable flexible annular disk device outer annular periphery portion is attached to the workpiece carrier plate top surface wand the rotatable flexible annular disk device axis of rotation is nominally-coincident with the vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation and the rotatable flexible annular disk device together with the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate forms a sealed enclosed rotatable flexible annular disk device pressure chamber having an internal volume contained by the rotatable flexible annular disk, the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate top surface;
f) a rotary workpiece drive device that is connected with both the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate wherein the rotary workpiece drive device allows movement of the workpiece carrier plate relative to the rotatable drive housing and wherein the rotary workpiece drive device transmits torque, measured about the rotatable drive housing rotation axis, from the rotatable drive housing to the workpiece carrier plate and is configured to cause the workpiece carrier plate to be rotated by the rotatable drive housing;
g) at least two rotatable idlers having rotation axes wherein the rotatable idlers have outer periphery cylindrical or spherical surfaces that are rotatable about the rotatable idlers rotation axes;
h) wherein the at least two rotatable idlers are attached to the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame and the at least two rotatable idlers'"'"' rotation axes are nominally parallel to the vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation and the at least two respective rotatable idler'"'"'s outer periphery cylindrical or spherical surfaces contact the floating circular workpiece carrier plate outer periphery annular surface, wherein the at least two rotatable idlers maintain the floating circular workpiece carrier plate rotation axis as nominally concentric with the carrier drive shaft axis of rotation;
i) wherein the floating circular workpiece carrier plate is moveable relative to the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame in a nominally-vertical direction along the floating circular workpiece carrier plate rotation axis wherein the at least two respective rotatable idler'"'"'s outer periphery cylindrical surfaces are in vertical sliding contact with the floating circular workpiece carrier plate outer periphery annular surface and the at least two rotatable idlers rotate in contact with the rotating rotatable workpiece carrier plate; and
j) wherein at least one workpiece having opposed workpiece top and bottom surfaces is attached to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface and a rotatable abrading platen having a flat abrasive coated abrading surface that is nominally horizontal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached to a rotatable floating or rigid workpiece holder carrier that is supported by a pressurized-air flexible elastomer disk sealed air-chamber device and is rotationally driven by a flexible arm or a lug-pin device. The rotating wafer carrier rotor is horizontally restrained by a set of idlers that are attached to a stationary housing to provide rigid support against abrading forces. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. A wide range of abrading pressures are applied uniformly across the surface of the workpiece. Vacuum can also be applied to the elastomer chamber to quickly move the wafer away from the abrading surface. Internal constraints limit the axial, lateral and circumferential motion of the workholder. Wafers can be quickly attached to the workpiece carrier with vacuum.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A rotating platen abrasive lapping and polishing apparatus having a floating workpiece substrate carrier apparatus comprising:
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a.) a workpiece substrate carrier frame moveable in a vertical direction that supports an attached rotatable workpiece carrier spindle having a hollow rotatable carrier drive shaft with a vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation; b) a rotatable drive housing having a rotatable drive housing rotation axis wherein the rotatable drive housing is attached to the rotatable carrier drive shaft and the rotatable drive housing rotation axis is coincident with the rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation; c) a rotatable flexible annular disk device with an annular disk device annular surface, an annular disk device outer periphery portion, an annular disk device inner periphery portion and an axis of rotation that is nominally located at the radial center of the annular disk device annular surface and that is nominally perpendicular to the annular disk device annular surface, wherein the annular disk device outer annular periphery portion is moveable relative to the annular disk device inner annular periphery portion; d) a floating circular rotatable workpiece carrier plate having a workpiece carrier plate top surface, an opposed nominally-horizontal workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface, a workpiece carrier plate rotation axis nominally-perpendicular to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface and a workpiece carrier plate nominally-vertical outer periphery annular surface located between the workpiece carrier plate top and bottom surfaces, wherein the floating circular rotatable workpiece carrier plate is movable relative to the rotatable drive housing; e) wherein the rotatable flexible annular disk device inner annular periphery portion is attached to the rotatable drive housing and the rotatable flexible annular disk device outer annular periphery portion is attached to the workpiece carrier plate top surface wand the rotatable flexible annular disk device axis of rotation is nominally-coincident with the vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation and the rotatable flexible annular disk device together with the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate forms a sealed enclosed rotatable flexible annular disk device pressure chamber having an internal volume contained by the rotatable flexible annular disk, the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate top surface; f) a rotary workpiece drive device that is connected with both the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate wherein the rotary workpiece drive device allows movement of the workpiece carrier plate relative to the rotatable drive housing and wherein the rotary workpiece drive device transmits torque, measured about the rotatable drive housing rotation axis, from the rotatable drive housing to the workpiece carrier plate and is configured to cause the workpiece carrier plate to be rotated by the rotatable drive housing; g) at least two rotatable idlers having rotation axes wherein the rotatable idlers have outer periphery cylindrical or spherical surfaces that are rotatable about the rotatable idlers rotation axes; h) wherein the at least two rotatable idlers are attached to the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame and the at least two rotatable idlers'"'"' rotation axes are nominally parallel to the vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation and the at least two respective rotatable idler'"'"'s outer periphery cylindrical or spherical surfaces contact the floating circular workpiece carrier plate outer periphery annular surface, wherein the at least two rotatable idlers maintain the floating circular workpiece carrier plate rotation axis as nominally concentric with the carrier drive shaft axis of rotation; i) wherein the floating circular workpiece carrier plate is moveable relative to the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame in a nominally-vertical direction along the floating circular workpiece carrier plate rotation axis wherein the at least two respective rotatable idler'"'"'s outer periphery cylindrical surfaces are in vertical sliding contact with the floating circular workpiece carrier plate outer periphery annular surface and the at least two rotatable idlers rotate in contact with the rotating rotatable workpiece carrier plate; and j) wherein at least one workpiece having opposed workpiece top and bottom surfaces is attached to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface and a rotatable abrading platen having a flat abrasive coated abrading surface that is nominally horizontal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A process of providing abrading workpieces using an abrading machine floating workpiece substrate carrier apparatus comprising:
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a.) providing a workpiece substrate carrier frame moveable in a vertical direction that supports an attached rotatable workpiece carrier spindle having a hollow rotatable carrier drive shaft that has a vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation; b) providing a rotatable drive housing having a rotatable drive housing rotation axis where the rotatable drive housing is attached to the rotatable carrier drive shaft wherein the rotatable drive housing rotation axis is coincident with the rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation; c) providing a rotatable flexible annular disk device having an annular disk device annular surface, an annular disk device outer periphery portion, an annular disk device inner periphery portion and an axis of rotation that is nominally located at the radial center of the annular disk device annular surface and that is nominally perpendicular to the annular disk device annular surface wherein the annular disk device outer annular periphery portion is moveable relative to the annular disk device inner annular periphery portion; d) providing a floating circular rotatable workpiece carrier plate having a workpiece carrier plate top surface, an opposed nominally-horizontal workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface, a workpiece carrier plate rotation axis that is nominally-perpendicular to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface and a workpiece carrier plate nominally-vertical outer periphery annular surface located between the workpiece carrier plate top and bottom surfaces and wherein the floating circular rotatable workpiece carrier plate is movable relative to the rotatable drive housing; e) attaching the rotatable flexible annular disk device inner annular periphery portion to the rotatable drive housing and attaching the rotatable flexible annular disk device outer annular periphery portion to the workpiece carrier plate top surface wherein the rotatable flexible annular disk device axis of rotation is nominally-coincident with the vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation and wherein the rotatable flexible annular disk device together with the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate forms a sealed enclosed rotatable flexible annular disk device pressure chamber having an internal volume contained by the rotatable flexible annular disk, the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate top surface; f) providing a rotary workpiece drive that is connected with both the rotatable drive housing and the workpiece carrier plate wherein the rotary workpiece drive allowing movement of the workpiece carrier plate relative to the rotatable drive housing and wherein the rotary workpiece drive device transmits torque, measured about the rotatable drive housing rotation axis, from the rotatable drive housing to the workpiece carrier plate and causes the workpiece carrier plate to be rotated by the rotatable drive housing; g) providing at least two rotatable idlers having rotation axes wherein the rotatable idlers have outer periphery cylindrical or spherical surfaces that are rotatable about the rotatable idlers rotation axes; h) attaching the at least two rotatable idlers to the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame wherein the at least two rotatable idlers'"'"' rotation axes are nominally parallel to the vertical rotatable carrier drive shaft axis of rotation and wherein the at least two respective rotatable idler'"'"'s outer periphery cylindrical or spherical surfaces are in contact with the floating circular workpiece carrier plate outer periphery annular surface, wherein the at least two rotatable idlers maintain the floating circular workpiece carrier plate rotation axis is nominally concentric with the carrier drive shaft axis of rotation; i) moving that the floating circular workpiece carrier plate relative to the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame in a nominally-vertical direction along the floating circular workpiece carrier plate rotation axis wherein the at least two respective rotatable idler'"'"'s outer periphery cylindrical surfaces slide in vertical sliding contact with the floating circular workpiece carrier plate outer periphery annular surface and wherein the at least two rotatable idlers rotate as they are in contact with a rotating rotatable workpiece carrier plate; j) attaching at least one workpiece having opposed workpiece top and bottom surfaces to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface; and k) providing a rotatable abrading platen having a flat abrasive coated abrading surface that is nominally horizontal; l) moving the workpiece substrate carrier frame and the attached workpiece carrier spindle vertically to position the flat workpiece bottom surface of at least one workpiece that is attached to the workpiece carrier plate flat bottom surface close to flat-surfaced abrading contact with the rotatable abrading platen abrading surface after which the movable workpiece substrate carrier frame and the workpiece carrier spindle are held stationary at that position and wherein the workpiece carrier plate is moved in a vertical direction relative to the stationary workpiece substrate carrier frame by adjusting the pressure in the sealed flexible annular disk device pressure chamber wherein the at least one workpiece bottom surface is positioned in flat-surfaced abrading contact with the rotatable abrading platen abrading surface to abrade the workpiece.
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Specification