Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080207093 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A SUBSTRATE EDGE USING CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL POLISHING - Methods and apparatus are provided for concurrently chemically and mechanically polishing a substrate edge. The invention includes a substrate support adapted to rotate a substrate; a polishing head adapted to contact an edge of the substrate, the polishing head including a first channel adapted to apply a first fluid to the edge of the substrate; a second channel adapted to direct a second fluid onto a major surface of the rotating substrate; and a third channel adapted to direct a third fluid at the major surface of the substrate and to prevent the second fluid from diluting the first fluid. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 08-28-2008 |
20080293331 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LOW COST AND HIGH PERFORMANCE POLISHING TAPE FOR SUBSTRATE BEVEL AND EDGE POLISHING IN SEMINCONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING - Apparatus and methods are provided relating to polishing a substrate using a polishing device, such as a polishing tape. The polishing device may be formed to include a base, a resin layer adhering to the base, and a plurality of embossed abrasive particles and/or abrasive beads affixed to the base by the resin layer. The plurality of abrasive particles and/or beads may be embossed in the resin layer. The plurality of abrasive beads may include a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in binder material. The plurality of abrasive particles and/or beads and the resin layer combine to form an abrasive side of the polishing device adapted to contact the substrate. Polishing of the substrate preferably includes polishing an edge of the substrate while the substrate is rotated by a holding device such that no apparatus other than the polishing tape contacts the edge while the substrate is rotating. | 11-27-2008 |
20080293333 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SIZE OF AN EDGE EXCLUSION ZONE OF A SUBSTRATE - In some embodiments, a method of controlling a width of an edge exclusion zone of a substrate is provided. The method includes determining a range of angles over which to rotate a polishing head; rotating the polishing head over the determined range of angles to achieve a preset width for an edge exclusion zone of the substrate; and polishing an edge of the substrate with the polishing head. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20080293334 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING A BEVEL POLISHING HEAD WITH AN EFFICIENT TAPE ROUTING ARRANGEMENT - Apparatus and methods are provided to polish an edge of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head, adapted to contact an edge of a substrate, wherein the polishing head includes one pair of front guide rollers and two pairs of back clamping rollers. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20080293336 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CONTROL SUBSTRATE BEVEL AND EDGE POLISHING PROFILES OF FILMS - Methods and apparatus are provided for polishing a film on an edge of a substrate. In some embodiments, a polishing head is provided having a backing plate adapted to press polishing material against a film on an edge of a substrate. The backing plate has a profiled portion adapted to provide a pre-set film profile. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20080293337 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING A NOTCH OF A SUBSTRATE BY SUBSTRATE VIBRATION - Apparatus and methods are provided for polishing a notch on an edge of a substrate. An exemplary apparatus may include a substrate support adapted to support a substrate; a polishing head adapted to contact a notch in an edge of the substrate; and a controller adapted to oscillate the substrate between at least first and second oscillatory positions while the polishing head contacts the substrate notch. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20080293340 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVAL OF FILMS AND FLAKES FROM THE EDGE OF BOTH SIDES OF A SUBSTRATE USING BACKING PADS - Apparatus and methods are provided to polish an edge of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head adapted to retain a backing pad having a selected contour, wherein the polishing head is adapted to press the backing pad against an edge of a substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20080293341 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING A ROLLING BACKING PAD FOR SUBSTRATE POLISHING - An apparatus and method are provided to polish an edge of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head including a backing pad, wherein a width of the backing pad that contacts the substrate edge is larger than a width of a notch in the substrate edge. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 11-27-2008 |
20090017731 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE - Methods and apparatus for cleaning an edge of a substrate are provided. The invention includes a polishing film having a polishing side and a second side; an inflatable pad disposed adjacent the second side of the polishing film; a frame adapted to support the polishing film and the inflatable pad; and a substrate rotation driver adapted to rotate a substrate against the polishing side of the polishing film, wherein the polishing film is disposed between an edge of the substrate and the inflatable pad so that the inflatable pad and polishing film contour to the edge of the substrate with the polishing film contacting the edge of the substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 01-15-2009 |
20090029629 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AN EDGE OF A SUBSTRATE - Methods for polishing an edge of a substrate are provided. The invention includes rotating a substrate against a polishing film so as to remove material from the edge of the substrate; and detecting an amount of force exerted in pressing the polishing film against the substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 01-29-2009 |
20090036033 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE - A method of cleaning an edge of a substrate is provided. The method comprises tensioning a first polishing film in a frame; contacting the first polishing film against an edge of a substrate; conforming the first polishing film to the edge of the substrate, the edge including an outer edge and at least one bevel; and rotating the substrate while the first polishing film remains in contact with the substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 02-05-2009 |
20090036037 | APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING PROCESSING PADS - Embodiments of an apparatus for conditioning a processing pad are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for conditioning a processing pad includes a member having a bottom surface selectively maintained in a non-planar orientation and an abrasive disposed on the bottom surface of the member. The abrasive is configured for conditioning a processing pad. The member and abrasive have a profile that produces a non-planar processing pad surface. | 02-05-2009 |
20090036042 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AN EDGE OF A SUBSTRATE - Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for polishing an edge of a substrate. The invention includes an apparatus adapted to apply a preset pressure to a polishing film in contact with an edge of a substrate. The apparatus includes an actuator adapted to apply a preset pressure to the polishing film; and a controller coupled to the actuator and adapted to receive a signal indicative of a condition of the edge of the substrate, and to adjust a pressure applied by the actuator to the polishing film so as to maintain the preset pressure based on the received signal. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 02-05-2009 |
20090262353 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING SUBSTRATE EDGE THICKNESS DURING POLISHING - Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for determining a substrate polishing endpoint. The invention includes a light source adapted to transmit light to an edge of a substrate; one or more detectors adapted to detect an arrangement of light reflected from the substrate edge; and a controller adapted to determine a polishing endpoint for the substrate edge based on the arrangement of reflected light. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 10-22-2009 |
20100105291 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING A NOTCH OF A SUBSTRATE - Apparatus and methods are provided to polish a notch of a substrate. The invention includes a polishing head adapted to apply a polishing tape against the notch of the substrate, including: a plunger; and an actuator, wherein the actuator is adapted to move the plunger with respect to the polishing tape. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 04-29-2010 |
20100105299 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING AN EDGE AND/OR NOTCH OF A SUBSTRATE - Apparatus and methods are provided to polish a substrate. In some aspects, the invention includes a polishing head adapted to apply a polishing tape against at least one of a substrate edge and a notch in the substrate edge. The polishing head includes a polisher coupled to the polishing head, wherein the polisher has a hollow portion and is adapted to conform to a shape of at least one of the substrate edge and the notch. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 04-29-2010 |
20100105302 | POLISHING PAD CONDITIONER - Embodiments of the present invention generally provide an improved conditioning module and conditioning disks for improved pressure distribution during the process of conditioning a polishing pad of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system. In one embodiment, a conditioning module comprising multiple, small conditioning disks is provided. In one embodiment, a conditioning disk having a compliant backing member is provided. In one embodiment, the compliant backing member comprises a semi-rigid backing member cut into a spiral shape to provide compliancy. In another embodiment, the compliant backing member comprises a fluid-pressurized, flexible membrane. Each embodiment of the present invention provides an improved pressure distribution across the face of each conditioning disk, resulting in increased disk life as well as increased conditioning rate and uniformity. | 04-29-2010 |
20110094537 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR BRUSH AND PAD CONDITIONING - A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a brush box is described. The brush box includes a tank having an interior volume and a pair of cylindrical rollers at least partially disposed in the interior volume, each of the cylindrical rollers being rotatable about a respective axis, an actuator assembly coupled to each of the cylindrical rollers to move the respective cylindrical roller between a first position where the cylindrical rollers are in proximity and a second position where the cylindrical rollers are spaced away from each other, and a conditioning device for each of the cylindrical rollers, each conditioning device including a conditioner disposed in the interior volume, the conditioner contacting an outer surface of each of the cylindrical rollers when the rollers are in the second position. | 04-28-2011 |
20110265816 | DISK-BRUSH CLEANER MODULE WITH FLUID JET - Embodiments of the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning a substrate using a disk brush. One embodiment provides a substrate cleaner comprising a substrate chuck disposed in the processing volume, and a brush assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the brush assembly comprises a disk brush movably disposed opposing the substrate chuck, and a processing surface of the disk brush contacts a surface of the substrate on the substrate chuck. | 11-03-2011 |
20130098395 | SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE CLEANING APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Methods, apparatus, and systems for cleaning a substrate are provided. In one aspect, a substrate is scrubbed using an acidic cleaning solution in a first scrubber, transferred to a second scrubber after scrubbing the substrate using the acidic cleaning solution, followed by scrubbing the substrate in the second scrubber using a basic cleaning solution. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed. | 04-25-2013 |
20130185884 | CLEANING MODULE AND PROCESS FOR PARTICLE REDUCTION - A method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a particle cleaning module is provided that includes a substrate holder and a pad holder disposed in a housing, and an actuator operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder. The substrate holder is configured to retain and rotate a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation. The pad holder has a pad retaining surface that faces the substrate holder in a parallel and spaced apart relation. The pad holder is rotatable on an axis parallel to an axis on which the substrate holder rotates. The actuator is operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder as to change a distance defined between the first axis and the second axis. | 07-25-2013 |
20130196572 | CONDITIONING A PAD IN A CLEANING MODULE - A particle cleaning module includes a housing, a substrate holder, a pad holder, an actuator and a pad conditioner. The substrate holder is disposed in the housing, is configured to retain a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation, and is rotatable on a first axis. The pad holder is disposed in the housing, has a pad retaining surface facing the substrate holder in a parallel and spaced apart relation, and is rotatable on a second axis parallel to the first axis. The actuator is operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder to change a distance defined between the pad retaining surface and the substrate. The pad conditioner is disposed in the housing and has a conditioning surface oriented parallel to the pad retaining surface. | 08-01-2013 |
20130247314 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR BRUSH AND PAD CONDITIONING - A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a brush box is described. The brush box includes a tank having an interior volume and a pair of cylindrical rollers at least partially disposed in the interior volume, each of the cylindrical rollers being rotatable about a respective axis, an actuator assembly coupled to each of the cylindrical rollers to move the respective cylindrical roller between a first position where the cylindrical rollers are in proximity and a second position where the cylindrical rollers are spaced away from each other, and a conditioning device for each of the cylindrical rollers, each conditioning device including a conditioner disposed in the interior volume, the conditioner contacting an outer surface of each of the cylindrical rollers when the rollers are in the second position. | 09-26-2013 |
20140209239 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POST-CHEMICAL MECHANICAL PLANARIZATION SUBSTRATE CLEANING - A method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate after chemical mechanical planarizing (CMP) is provided. The apparatus comprises a housing, a substrate holder rotatable on a first axis and configured to retain a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation, a first pad holder having a pad retaining surface facing the substrate holder in a parallel and spaced apart relation, the first pad holder rotatable on a second axis disposed parallel to the first axis, a first actuator operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder to change a distance between the first axis and the second axis, and a second pad holder disposed in the housing, the second pad holder having a pad retaining surface facing the substrate holder in a parallel and spaced apart relation, the second pad holder rotatable on a third axis parallel to the first axis and the second axis. | 07-31-2014 |
20140261539 | DISK/PAD CLEAN WITH WAFER AND WAFER EDGE/BEVEL CLEAN MODULE FOR CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING - A method and apparatus for cleaning a substrate after chemical mechanical planarizing (CMP) is provided. The apparatus comprises a housing, a substrate holder rotatable on a first axis and configured to retain a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation, a first pad holder having a pad retaining surface facing the substrate holder in a parallel and space apart relation, the first pad holder rotatable on a second axis rotatable parallel to the first axis, a first actuator operable to move the pad holder relative to the substrate holder to change a distance defined between the first axis and the second axis, and a second pad holder disposed in the housing, the second pad holder having a pad retaining surface facing the substrate holder in a parallel and spaced apart relation, wherein the second pad holder is couple with a rotary arm. | 09-18-2014 |
20140360976 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR BRUSH AND PAD CONDITIONING - A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is described. The method includes transferring a substrate to a tank, positioning the substrate between two cylindrical rollers disposed in the tank, moving each of the two cylindrical rollers into a first position where a processing surface of each of the cylindrical rollers contacts major surfaces of the substrate, processing the substrate by providing relative motion between at least one of the two cylindrical rollers and the substrate, moving each of the two cylindrical rollers to a second position that is spaced apart from the major surfaces of the substrate, the second position including contacting the processing surface with a conditioning device, and transferring the substrate out of the tank while conditioning the processing surface. | 12-11-2014 |