Ultra-flat, high throughput wafer lapping process
First Claim
1. An apparatus for polishing wafers and other substantially thin, rigid materials, comprising:
- a rotatable flat, lapping platen;
a plurality of wafer carriers, each adapted to receive at least one wafer;
a plurality of rotatable pressurized heads configured to rotate in counterbalanced pairs in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions and configured to apply pressure against the plurality of wafer carriers and the lapping platen; and
a plurality of concentric conditioning rings configured around a respective one of the plurality of rotatable pressurized heads.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises of a process for lapping a high-throughput of ultra-flat wafers by utilizing a lapping apparatus containing a rotary flat, grooved polishing platen, at least two rotating pressurized heads each having a polishing wafer carrier that is adapted to receive a plurality of mounted wafers, and a plurality of concentric conditioning rings surrounding each pressurized head. The rotating pressurized heads are counterbalanced throughout the inventive process, and the lapping platen is continuously conditioned by simultaneously rotating the concentric conditioning rings over the lapping platen. This process allows continuous and controllable planarization thus allowing for a high throughput of wafers, while at the same time it prevents distortions in the lapping platen which reduces maintenance by providing continuous conditioning of the lapping platen. Further this inventive process allows substantially the entire surface of each wafer carrier to be utilized while maintaining a high quality planarized wafer product, highly desired in the semiconductor industry.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus for polishing wafers and other substantially thin, rigid materials, comprising:
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a rotatable flat, lapping platen; a plurality of wafer carriers, each adapted to receive at least one wafer; a plurality of rotatable pressurized heads configured to rotate in counterbalanced pairs in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions and configured to apply pressure against the plurality of wafer carriers and the lapping platen; and a plurality of concentric conditioning rings configured around a respective one of the plurality of rotatable pressurized heads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification