Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Stuart L. Meyer ·
Assignee(s)	SpeedFam-IPEC Corporation ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Snell & Wilmer, L.L.P. ·
Primary Examiner	M. Rachuba ·
Application Number	US9712460
Filing date	11/14/2000
Issue date	12/24/2002
Predicted expiration date	07/07/2017
Patent term adjustment	11
U.S. Classifications	451/41  · 451/288  · 451/287  · 451/307  · 451/63  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B1
International Classifications	451 41 · 451 60 · 451 57 · 451287 · 451288 · 451296 · 451307 · 451305 · 451306 · 451 63 ·
Related U.S. Application Data	RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/883,404, filed Jun. 26, 1997 and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL MECHANICAL PLANARIZATION USING A MICROREPLICATED SURFACE”.

Patent Family

Abstract

An apparatus for chemically and mechanically planarizing a workpiece surface employs a polishing slurry and a microreplicated pad having a surface for planarizing the workpiece surface in the presence of the slurry. The surface of the microreplicated pad has a regular array of structures having a sharp distal apexes which contact the workpiece surface during planarization and which are subject to ablating during planarizing thereby becoming substantially blunt. The workpiece moves in a rotational, orbital or translational motion relative to the microreplicated pad.

Independent Claims | See all claims (23)

1. 1. An apparatus for chemically and mechanically planarizing a workpiece surface, comprising: a polishing slurry; and a microreplicated pad having a surface for planarizing said workpiece surface in the presence of said slurry, wherein said surface of said microreplicated pad comprises structures having sharp distal apexes which contact said workpiece surface during planarization and which are subject to ablating during planarizing thereby becoming substantially blunt; wherein said workpiece moves in at least one of a rotational, orbital and translational motion relative to said microreplicated pad.
2. 7. A process for chemical mechanical planarization of a workpiece surface, comprising: providing a microreplicated pad having a surface, wherein said surface of said microreplicated pad comprises structures having sharp distal apexes which contact said workpiece surface during planarization and which are subject to ablating during said planarization thereby becoming substantially blunt; and planarizing said workpiece surface by moving said microreplicated pad in at least one of a rotating, orbiting and translating motion while contacting said workpiece surface.
3. 10. An apparatus for planarizing a surface of a wafer, comprising: a first roller; a second roller; a microreplicated surface in the shape of an elongated belt held by said first and said second roller wherein said microreplicated surface comprises structures having sharp distal apexes which contact said surface of said wafer during planarization and which are subject to ablating during planarizing thereby becoming substantially blunt; and a holder for pressing the wafer against said microreplicated surface and causing relative motion between the wafer and said microreplicated surface so as to planarize the surface of the wafer.
4. 13. An apparatus for planarizing a wafer surface, comprising: a first roller; a second roller; a microreplicated surface in the shape of an elongated belt held by the first and the second roller wherein said microreplicated surface comprises a regular array of structures having sharp distal apexes which contact said wafer surface during planarization and which are subject to ablating during said planarizing thereby becoming substantially blunt; a fluid introduced between the wafer surface and the microreplicated surface and adapted to enhance the planarization process; and a holder for pressing the wafer surface against the microreplicated surface and causing relative motion between the wafer surface and the microreplicated surface so as to planarize the wafer surface.
5. 18. An apparatus for chemically and mechanically planarizing a workpiece surface, comprising: a polishing slurry; and a microreplicated pad having a surface for planarizing said workpiece surface in the presence of said slurry, wherein said surface of said microreplicated pad comprises a regular array of structures having cross-sectional areas; wherein said workpiece moves in at least one of a rotational, orbital and translational motion relative to said microreplicated pad and wherein said cross-sectional areas of said structures increase during continued contact with said workpiece surface thereby causing said structures to perform with said polishing slurry a fine planarization process of the workpiece.
6. 23. A process for chemical mechanical planarization of a workpiece surface, comprising: providing a microreplicated pad having a surface, wherein said surface of said microreplicated pad comprises a regular array of structures having cross-sectional areas; and planarizing said workpiece surface by at least one of rotating, orbiting and translating said surface of said microreplicated pad while contacting said workpiece surface, wherein said cross-sectional areas of said structures increase during continued contact with said workpiece surface thereby causing said structures to perform with a polishing slurry a fine planarization process of the workpiece.