Chemical mechanical polishing conditioner

• US 6,361,423 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Lawrence M., Gurusamy, Jayakumar
• Primary Examiner(s): BANKS, DERRIS HOLT
• Application Number:
  US09/746,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20010001301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 451/56, 451/72, 451/443, 451/444, 451/442, 451/540, 451/548, 451/550, 451/490, 451/494
• US Class Current: 451/443
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/017 Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/02 of plane surfaces on abrasive tools B24B53/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/12 Dressing tools; Holders therefor

Abstract

A conditioner head for conditioning the polishing surface of a polishing pad. The conditioner head includes a drive element carried for rotation about a longitudinal axis and a disk backing element. The disk backing element carries an abrasive disk and holds the lower surface of the disk in engagement with the polishing pad. The conditioner head further includes a driven element coupling the disk backing element to the drive element to transmit torque and rotation therebetween. The driven element is longitudinally movable between retracted and extended positions. An annular diaphragm spans a gap between the drive element and the driven element and is coupled to the drive element and to the driven element to rotate therewith as a unit.

Claims

1. A disk holder for holding a conditioning disk for conditioning a polishing pad, comprising:

a lower face for engaging an upper surface of the conditioning disk and defining a plurality of generally radially outward extending channels along the upper surface of the conditioning disk.

2. The disk holder of claim 1 further comprising:

a central region;

an outer perimeter;

a plurality of radially extending spokes, extending from the central region to the outer perimeter, each said spoke having a lower surface for engaging the upper surface of the conditioning disk; and

a plurality of webs, one such web between each adjacent pair of said spokes, each web having a lower surface at least partially vertically recessed from the lower surfaces of the adjacent spokes so as to define one said channel.

3. The disk holder of claim 2 wherein each web extends from the central region and terminates at an outboard edge, radially recessed from the outer perimeter.

4. The disk holder of claim 3 wherein the outer perimeter is formed as a rim and wherein the rim has a plurality of radially extending passageways, each passage generally aligned with an associated one of the channels for permitting flow radially outward through the passageway from the associated channel when the disk holder and disk are rotated about a central longitudinal axis while at least a lower surface of the disk is exposed to a liquid.

5. The disk holder of claim 4 wherein each of the radially extending passageways is formed as a downwardly extending recess in the rim.

6. The disk holder of claim 2 wherein the conditioning disk is readily securable to and removable from the disk holder and each spoke carries a magnet for attracting the conditioning disk.

7. The disk holder of claim 2 wherein the conditioning disk is readily securable to and removable from the disk holder, and the disk holder is readily securable to and removable from a rotating fixture wherein each spoke carries a magnet for securing the conditioning disk to the disk holder and for securing the disk holder to the rotating fixture.

8. The disk holder of claim 2 further comprising a first pin depending from a first one of said spokes and a second pin depending from a second one of said spokes, the first and second pins receivable by the conditioning disk for preventing rotation of the conditioning disk relative to the disk holder.

9. The disk holder of claim 2 wherein the central region, outer perimeter, said spokes and said webs are unitarily formed as a single piece of material.

10. The disk holder of claim 9 wherein each one of said spokes has a relatively narrow section extending outward from the central region and joining a relatively wider section adjacent the outer perimeter.

11. The disk holder of claim 9 wherein each one of said webs has an upper surface, substantially coplanar with the upper surfaces of adjacent ones of said spokes.