Work piece carrier with adjustable pressure zones and barriers and a method of planarizing a work piece

• US 7,025,664 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SpeedFam-Ipec Corporation
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen C., Korovin, Nikolay N., Herb, John D., Farmer, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US10/830,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20040259476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 451285-290, 451/388, 451/397, 451/398
• US Class Current: 451/289
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/30 for single side lapping of plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/32 Retaining rings
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/16 taking regard of the load

Abstract

An apparatus for planarizing a work piece includes an easily assembled work carrier. The carrier includes a carrier insert having a work piece bladder clamped to a carrier backing plate with a plurality of clamps to form a plurality of web plenums. The outer edge of the bladder is supported by a rib that is coupled to a carrier plenum. By adjusting the pressure in the carrier plenum, the pressure exerted on the edge of a work piece during a planarization operation can be adjusted. The carrier also includes a floating wear ring that surrounds the work piece bladder and a work piece mounted on that bladder. By adjusting the force exerted by the wear ring on a polishing pad, independently of the pressure exerted by the rib at the edge of the bladder, the material removal rate near the edge of the work piece can be controlled.

Claims

1. A chemical mechanical planarization apparatus comprising:

a work piece carrier;

a flexible work piece diaphragm having a substantially planar portion bounded by a periphery positioned in a plane beneath at least a portion of the work piece carrier; and

an annular outer rib comprising;

a first end connected to the work piece carrier;

a second end connected to the flexible work piece diaphragm at the periphery thereof; and

a mid portion between the first end and the second end, the mid portion including an angular flexure portion and wherein the first end comprises two web portions, each of the two web portions terminating in an enlarged sealing feature configured to be clamped against the work piece carrier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of the first end and the second end has a width greater than the other of the first end and the second end.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mid portion has a bellows shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flexible work piece diaphragm and the annular outer ring comprise an integrally formed single piece of elastic material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first end comprises at least a web portion configured to be clamped to the work piece carrier.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the two web portions are configured to form a pressurizable region between the first end and the work piece carrier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an inner annular rib connected to the work piece crier and to the flexible work piece at a position interior to the periphery and configured to form a pressurizable region with the work piece carrier, the flexible work piece diaphragm, and the work piece carrier.