Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090258574 | POLISHING SYSTEM HAVING A TRACK - Embodiments described herein relate to a track system in a polishing system. One embodiment described herein provides a track system configured to transfer polishing heads in a polishing system. The track system comprises a supporting frame, a track coupled to the supporting frame and defining a path along which the polishing heads are configured to move, and one or more carriages configured to carry at least one polishing head along the path defined by the track, wherein the one or more carriages are coupled to the track and independently movable along the track. | 10-15-2009 |
20100019431 | METHODS OF VERIFYING EFFECTIVENESS OF A PUT OF A SUBSTRATE ONTO A SUBSTRATE SUPPORT - In a first aspect, a method of manufacturing a substrate is provided wherein an end effector mounted substrate is attempted to be placed, that is put, onto a substrate support, such as a pedestal or slotted support of a substrate carrier, and the effectiveness of the put is verified by a sensor associated with the end effector. In one embodiment, the verification takes place during the retraction motion of the end effector and is accomplished by sensing the presence, absence, or location of the substrate on the substrate support. The sensor may be a through beam sensor, and may be mounted on, coupled to or otherwise move with the end effector adapted to carry the substrate. Numerous other aspects are described. | 01-28-2010 |
20100130107 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LINEAR PAD CONDITIONING - A method and apparatus for conditioning a polishing pad is described. The apparatus includes a base coupled to a platform, a first arm member having a first end coupled to the base, and a second arm member having a first end pivotably coupled to a second end of the first arm member and a conditioning disk coupled to a second end opposite the first end. The method includes rotating a polishing pad, urging a rotating conditioning disk against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and moving the conditioning disk in a linear direction relative to the rotating polishing pad to perform a conditioning process. | 05-27-2010 |
20120208438 | POLISHING SYSTEM HAVING A TRACK - Embodiments described herein relate to a track system in a polishing system. One embodiment described herein provides a track system configured to transfer polishing heads in a polishing system. The track system comprises a supporting frame, a track coupled to the supporting frame and defining a path along which the polishing heads are configured to move, and one or more carriages configured to carry at least one polishing head along the path defined by the track, wherein the one or more carriages are coupled to the track and independently movable along the track. | 08-16-2012 |
20120322345 | APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING - Embodiments of the invention generally relate to systems and methods to CMP substrates. The systems generally include a polishing system that has a polishing module and cleaning module. Each of the polishing module and the cleaning module can be partitioned into independently operable sections. Each section of the polishing module includes a platen, at least one load cup, and at least one polishing head. Each section of the cleaning module includes a cleaning station and one or more robots adapted to advance substrates through the cleaning station. The methods generally include polishing a plurality of substrates in a polishing system having independently operable sections. During the polishing of the substrates in one section, a second of the independently operable stations may be maintained or cleaned. | 12-20-2012 |
20130115862 | CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING PLATFORM ARCHITECTURE - Embodiments of the invention provide polishing systems for increasing production efficiency, maximizing substrate throughput, and reducing production costs. The polishing systems generally include one or more polishing stations for performing a CMP process and one or more cleaning stations at which post-polishing cleaning is performed. The number of cleaning stations and polishing heads present may be increased depending on the desired substrate throughput or processing time at each polishing station. The number of polishing stations or cleaning stations can also be reduced in order to reduce the footprint of the polishing system. The polishing pads at each polishing station can be adjusted in size to accommodate one or more polishing heads simultaneously depending on substrate throughput and system footprint. Additionally, the polishing pads may be replaced with a fixed abrasive pad, or adapted to polish 450 millimeter substrates. | 05-09-2013 |
20130199405 | CIRCULAR TRACK ACTUATOR SYSTEM - Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and a method for transferring substrate processing equipment. One embodiment of the present invention includes a track assembly having a continuous guide rail formed from a unitary body. The track assembly also includes vertically arranged stator strips for driving motor coils of a plurality of carriages. The motor coils in the carriages may be modular including coil segments of various lengths. The coil segments and the carriages may be driven individually and jointly. | 08-08-2013 |
20140020830 | Carrier Head Sweep Motor Current for In-Situ Monitoring - A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen to support a polishing pad, two carrier heads configured to hold two substrates against the polishing pad at the same time, two actuators to sweep the two carrier heads laterally across the polishing pad, an in-situ polishing monitoring system including a two current sensors to sense two currents supplied to the two actuators and generate two signals, and a controller to receive the two signals and independently detect a two endpoints for the two substrates based on the two signals. | 01-23-2014 |
20140141695 | Multi-Platen Multi-Head Polishing Architecture - A polishing apparatus includes a plurality of stations supported on a platform, the plurality of stations including at least two polishing stations and a transfer station, each polishing station including a platen to support a polishing pad, a plurality of carrier heads suspended from and movable along a track such that each polishing station is selectively positionable at the stations, and a controller configured to control motion of the carrier heads along the track such that during polishing at each polishing station only a single carrier head is positioned in the polishing station. | 05-22-2014 |
20140141696 | Polishing System with In-Sequence Sensor - A polishing apparatus includes a plurality of stations supported on a platform, the plurality of stations including at least two polishing stations and a transfer station, each polishing station including a platen to support a polishing pad, a plurality of carrier heads suspended from and movable along a track such that each polishing station is selectively positionable at the stations, and a controller configured to control motion of the carrier heads along the track such that during polishing at each polishing station only a single carrier head is positioned in the polishing station. | 05-22-2014 |