System for real-time control of semiconductor wafer polishing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising:
- a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a polishing head shaft, and a polishing head supported by the polishing head shaft for rotation relative to the polishing head shaft, the polishing head being configured to support a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly further including a polishing head displacement mechanism supporting the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly and configured to translate the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly along a polishing path which is variable between a linear polishing path and a non-linear polishing path, to cause the polishing head to polish the wafer face; and
a controller configured to adjust the polishing path during polishing of the wafer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly to polish the wafer face; and a controller selectively adjusting one of a plurality of adjustable polishing parameters during polishing of the wafer.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising:
-
a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a polishing head shaft, and a polishing head supported by the polishing head shaft for rotation relative to the polishing head shaft, the polishing head being configured to support a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly further including a polishing head displacement mechanism supporting the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly and configured to translate the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly along a polishing path which is variable between a linear polishing path and a non-linear polishing path, to cause the polishing head to polish the wafer face; and a controller configured to adjust the polishing path during polishing of the wafer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising:
-
a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, the polishing area defining a plane, a polishing head shaft, and a polishing head supported by the polishing head shaft for rotation relative to the polishing head shaft, the polishing head being configured to support a semiconductor wafer and hold a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly, the wafer polishing assembly further including a polishing head displacement mechanism supporting the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly and configured to translate the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly in a direction transverse to the plane defined by the polishing area, at a wafer movement rate that is adjustable during polishing, for polishing of the wafer face by the polishing head; and a controller configured to adjust the wafer movement rate during polishing of the wafer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A system for controlling an operational parameter of a polishing process to control uniformity of the polishing process from one wafer to another wafer, the system comprising:
-
a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a polishing head shaft, and a polishing head supported by the polishing head shaft for rotation relative to the polishing head shaft, the polishing head being configured to support a semiconductor wafer, the wafer polishing assembly further including a polishing head displacement mechanism supporting the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly and configured to translate the polishing head shaft relative to the platen subassembly along a polishing path which is variable between a linear polishing path and a non-linear polishing path, to cause the polishing head to polish the wafer face, the polishing path being an operational parameter of the polishing process; and a controller configured to adjust the polishing path and thereby control the operational parameter of the polishing process to control uniformity of the polishing process from one wafer to another wafer.
-
Specification