JP2022141653A - Cmp machine with improved throughput and process flexibility - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) apparatus decreased in the footprint and increased in the throughput and the functionality.

SOLUTION: An apparatus 500 for performing chemical mechanical planarization is disclosed. The apparatus 500 includes a support, where an axis of rotation extends through the support. The apparatus 500 includes at least one elongated member including a first portion and a second portion opposed to the first portion. The first portion is configured to rotatably connect to the support and pivot the elongated member about the axis of rotation relative to the support through an angle of rotation that is at least about 270° in a single direction. The apparatus 500 includes a carrier head configured to connect to the second portion and to hold and process a substrate.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY CLAIMING APPLICATION This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/602,538, filed April 26, 2017. This provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Field The disclosed technology relates to semiconductor processing equipment and, more particularly, to chemical mechanical planarization with maneuverability that provides a reduced footprint and allows for handling and manipulation of objects in congested spaces. planarization (CMP) system and apparatus.

CMP equipment is widely used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

There is a need for machines with substantially different architectures to enable solutions to specific needs in today's market. Machines of this type available today have reduced throughput due to limited wafer handling and multi-wafer processing options.

It is an object of the disclosed technique to provide an improved chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) apparatus with a reduced footprint and increased throughput and functionality.

According to one embodiment, a substrate carrier head system is disclosed that includes a support with an axis of rotation extending through the support, a first portion and the second portion. at least one elongated member comprising a second portion opposite one portion, said first portion rotatably connected to said support for unidirectionally urging said elongated member relative to said support; At least one elongated member configured to pivot about the axis of rotation through an angle of rotation that is at least about 270° and connected to the second portion and configured to hold and process a substrate. a carrier head;

According to one aspect, the rotation angle is substantially unlimited in a single direction.

According to yet another aspect, the carrier head comprises a membrane configured to be pressurized to allow the substrate to contact and be processed by the polishing pad at the platen with the polishing pad. .

According to another aspect, the carrier head carries the substrate from a first position that enables a first process to be performed on the substrate at a first platen, against the substrate at a second platen. A controller is disclosed that is configured to move to a second position that enables performing a second process.

According to yet another aspect, the first and second processes are different.

According to another aspect, the first process is a bulk removal process and the second process is a fine removal process.

According to another embodiment, a substrate carrier head system is disclosed comprising at least one support, a first axis of rotation extending through the support. a first link having a portion, a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the first portion being rotatably connected to the support and connecting the first link to the support; with a second axis of rotation extending through the second part, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation; A first link having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to each other, and a second link having a third portion and a fourth portion opposite the third portion, the third portion rotating to the second portion. at least one elongated member comprising a second link operably connected and configured to pivot the second link about said second axis of rotation through a second angle of rotation relative to said first link; , a carrier head connected to the fourth portion and configured to hold and process a substrate.

According to one aspect, the first rotation angle is at least about 270 degrees in a single direction.

According to yet another aspect, the carrier head is configured to apply pressure to the substrate to allow the substrate to be processed by the platen.

According to another aspect, the system is configured to linearly move the carrier head toward the center of the platen based at least in part on synchronized rotation of the first link and the second link. It is

According to yet another aspect, the system further comprises at least one platen configured to process a substrate held by the carrier head.

According to another aspect, at least two embodiment substrate carrier head systems are disclosed, each system comprising at least two elongated members and at least two carrier heads, each carrier head comprising: and at least two platens configured to process at least four substrates handled by the first rotation angle is at least about 270° in a single direction.

According to yet another aspect, a second platen is disclosed, wherein the at least one elongated member is adapted to perform a first process on the substrate at the first platen. It is configured to move from a first position that enables a second platen to a second position that enables a second process to be performed on the substrate.

According to yet another embodiment, a chemical mechanical planarization apparatus is disclosed, the chemical mechanical planarization apparatus comprising at least a first substrate carrier head system and a second substrate carrier head system, each carrier head system comprising: at least one elongated member comprising a support with an axis of rotation extending through the support, a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion; at least one elongate member rotatably connected to the support and configured to pivot the elongate member about the axis of rotation through an angle of rotation relative to the support; At least a first substrate carrier head system and a second substrate carrier head system comprising a carrier head connected in two parts and configured to hold and process a substrate, and a first carrier head held by the first carrier head system. at least one platen configured to process a substrate and a second substrate held by the second carrier head system.

According to one aspect, the rotation angle is at least about 270° in a single direction.

According to another aspect, the rotation angle is substantially unlimited in a single direction.

According to yet another aspect, the first carrier head system loads a first substrate from a first position for performing a first process on the first substrate at a first platen, to a second substrate at a second platen. A controller configured to move two substrates to a second position for performing a second process is disclosed.

According to another aspect, the first and second processes are different.

According to yet another aspect, the controller configured to place the first substrate carrier head system off-line while the second substrate carrier head system remains in the processing state is disclosed.

According to another aspect, the controller is configured to cause the first carrier head system or the second carrier head system to replace the polishing pad of the at least one platen.

The foregoing features and advantages of the disclosed technology, as well as additional subject matter features and advantages, are described in the following illustrative, non-limiting details of embodiments of the disclosed technology with reference to the accompanying drawings. will be better understood through a brief explanation. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements unless otherwise indicated.

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. FIG. 1B is a side view of a CMP system in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary carrier head assembly for a CMP system. FIG. 3A is a plan view of a CMP apparatus with links in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. FIG. 3B is a plan view of a CMP apparatus with links in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a CMP system with a platen in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology; FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an exemplary CMP system in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of operation of a CMP system in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology.

The disclosed technology relates to a CMP machine that provides a reduced footprint compared to that of a typical CMP machine, which reduced footprint allows the machine to handle and manipulate wafer objects in congested spaces. Enabled manipulation capabilities are provided. The disclosed technology also relates to a CMP machine comprising a bendable arm having an elbow joint and a shoulder connected to a support. The disclosed technique allows single polishing of two or more wafers as part of a staggered (alternate) process so that the critical time to polish the wafers is not interrupted or disturbed by subsequent wafer polishing. It also relates to a CMP machine having the operability to polish on a platen. The disclosed technology improves off-line consumable preparation by providing a system in which the platen pad may be efficiently removed and replaced with a preconditioned platen pad without incurring machine downtime. also related to This is because the disclosed technique relates to utilizing other platens within the system.

There is a need for machines with substantially different architectures to enable solutions to specific needs in today's market. A disadvantage of these types of machines available today, and their respective drawbacks, is that throughput is low due to the need to perform wafer handling and insertion (loading)/unloading (unloading) in tandem with the processing steps. machines that are capable of processing only one wafer per platen, machines that are fixably coupled together so that the wafer carrier(s) can move between the polishing platens to all other One platen while the wafer carrier(s) waits for machine, processing operations and/or wafer insertion/removal operations that require moving simultaneously with the head to be completed on the other head and/or platen. are available, as well as machines that require wafers to be transferred from one wafer carrier to another in order to process the wafers between multiple platens.

The disclosed technology will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings. The disclosure is not limited thereto, but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are not intended to be limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. Dimensions and relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual practice of the disclosure.

The adoption and use of chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) for the planarization of thin films in the manufacture of semiconductor ICs, MEMS devices and LEDs, among many similar applications, has all contributed to the fabrication of the "chips" for these types of devices. common among companies. This adoption includes the manufacture of chips for mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices, and desktop and laptop computers. The growth of nanotechnology and microfabrication offers great promise for the ever-expanding use and adoption of digital devices in the medical, automotive, and Internet of Things (“IoT”) fields. Chemical-mechanical polishing for planarization of thin films was conceived and developed by scientists and engineers at IBM Corporation in the early 1980's. Today, this process has spread all over the world and is one of the true enabling technologies in the manufacture of almost all digital devices.

Integrated circuits are manufactured with multiple and alternating layers of conductive materials (copper, tungsten, aluminum, etc.), insulating layers (silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, etc.), and semiconducting materials (polysilicon). Although successive combinations of these layers are sequentially applied to the wafer surface, due to the buried devices on the surface, local undulations are formed in the device structure, as is the case with the silicon dioxide insulator layer. be. These undesired local undulations must be flattened or "flattened" before the next layer can be applied. In the case of copper layers, copper is deposited on the surface to fill the contact vias and create effective vertical (depthwise) paths for electron transfer from device to device and layer to layer. be done. This procedure is continued for each layer provided (usually provided by a vapor deposition process). In the case of multiple layers of conductor materials (multilayers of metals), this can result in numerous polishing steps (one for each layer of conductor, insulator, and semiconductor material) to achieve the desired electrical circuit. be.

The CMP process is an enabling technology in the manufacture of multilayer electrical circuits that makes all this possible. CMP processes, systems and equipment.

Detailed embodiments of the disclosed technology will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A illustrates a chemical mechanical planarization comprising a support 102 (eg, body, post (shaft), base, polishing arm support, etc.), an arm 104 (eg, elongated member or polishing arm), and a carrier head 106. 1 is a plan view illustrating an embodiment of a (CMP) system 100; FIG. Arm 104 is attached to support 102 and carrier head 106 is attached to arm 104 . CMP system 100 may also include means for rotating an arm attachment (not shown), as discussed further below. Support 102 is a structural support configured to hold arm 104 and carrier head 106 in place above one or more polishing platens (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). Additionally, the support 102 is configured to rotate an arm 104 that is rotatably attached to the support 102 . In some embodiments, support 102 or a portion thereof may rotate such that arm 104 attached to support 102 rotates about support 102 . Alternatively, the arm 104 attached to the support 102 may be configured to rotate around the support 102 while the support 102 does not move. FIG. 1B is a side view of the CMP system 100. FIG.

In some embodiments, support 102 is configured to provide electrical and fluid connections to the rest of CMP system 100 . Accordingly, the support 102 may have electrical/electromechanical and fluid connections located within the support 102 and/or along the perimeter of the support 102 . The electrical connections are configured to transmit power and electrical signals to one or more components of CMP system 100 and to receive electrical signals as feedback from CMP system 100 . For example, CMP system 100 may have wiring, such as Ethernet connections and electrical slip ring assemblies, that may be routed through the bottom of support 102 to various components of CMP system 100 . Additionally, fluid connections can be provided and may be configured to provide various fluids to the CMP system 100 (eg, CMP slurry). This fluid connection can provide pneumatic and vacuum forces to the system.

In one embodiment, CMP system 100 can be configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. The support 102 thus comprises means for rotating the arm 104 about the axis of rotation. The support 102 may be, for example, an electric motor (eg, a stepper motor, a brushless motor, a torque motor, etc.), a mechanical gear, a magnetic or rotary coupler, or an arm 104 or any motor for generating rotation on the support 102 . Other means may be provided.

In the example of FIG. 1A, the axis of rotation passes through support 102 . The degrees of rotation (°) are indicated by the symbol θ in FIG. 1A. However, the direction of rotation can be either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise). Additionally, arm 104 and carrier head 106 may rotate (ie, wind up or unwind) about an axis of rotation at least about 270° (ie, an angular displacement of 270° or more) in a single direction. In another embodiment, the rotation of the arm 104 about the axis of rotation may be continuous (ie, unlimited), thus allowing the CMP system 100 to achieve an angular displacement of 360° or more (ie, 2π radians or more). can have

In addition, the arm-mounted carrier head 106 is operable downward (ie, downward) and upward (ie, upward). Accordingly, the carrier head 106 can be lowered or raised depending on the desired placement for CMP processing. For example, in an elevated position, carrier head 106 or arm 104 may receive a control signal instructing carrier head 106 to descend. Carrier head 106 may be lowered until carrier head 106 presses against the polishing pad of the platen (not shown). For example, carrier head 106 may press a wafer held under a cradle portion of carrier head 106 against the polishing pad.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of carrier head 106 . Carrier head 106 may comprise membrane assembly 205 and support base 280 upon which membrane assembly 205 rests. Support base 280 can be of any suitable construction configured to provide support to the membrane assembly. Support base 280 may attach or join the remainder of carrier assembly 106 to CMP system 100 .

Membrane assembly 205 may comprise support plate 210, elastic membrane 220, membrane clamp 230, and outer pressure ring 240, as shown. Support plate 210 may be any suitable configuration for attaching membrane assembly 205 to support base 280 . For example, support plate 210 may be mounted to support base 280 using one or more bolts or other suitable attachment elements. The support plate 210 may rest on the support base 280 at various locations, such as along the perimeter of the support base 280 .

Support plate 210 may be of any suitable construction for supporting elastic membrane 220 . Elastic membrane 220 may be secured to support plate 210 in several different ways. The elastic membrane 220 may be fixed to the support plate 210 before or after the support plate 210 is fixed to the support base 280 . The elastic membrane 220 may be secured to the support plate 210 through the use of any of several suitable different holding elements, such as membrane clamps 230 . In some embodiments, membrane clamp 230 may be spring-biased. In other embodiments, membrane clamp 230 may be tightened through the use of a fastening mechanism (eg, nuts and bolts, etc.).

The elastic membrane 220 is secured to the support plate 210 such that the membrane 220 holds the wafer 270 in contact with the polishing pad so that the wafer can be processed, for example, as described above with reference to FIG. 1B. be able to. The terms "substrate" and "wafer" are used interchangeably herein, e.g., semiconductor or silicon wafers, flat panel displays, glass plates or discs, plastic workpieces, and the substrates disclosed herein. It encompasses other substantially rigid, flat and thin workpieces of various shapes (eg, circular, square, rectangular, etc.) and sizes on which one or more embodiments of the apparatus and process can be performed.

Membrane 220 can be sufficiently resilient and flexible so that wafer breakage is reduced in combination with polishing pad materials and process parameters. Membrane 220 and support plate 210 may be configured to allow gas pressure between membrane 220 and support plate 210 to force membrane 220 against wafer 270 during a CMP process. For example, a substantial seal may be formed between membrane 220 and plate 210 . The support plate 210 may be spaced apart from the membrane 220 to form a gap or cavity 260 between the support plate 210 and the membrane 220 . Cavity 260 may be formed when membrane 220 is at rest (eg, unpressurized). In some embodiments, membrane 220 rests on or is in close proximity to plate 210 when membrane 220 is at rest, and membrane 220 is inflated (eg, pressurized). Sometimes a cavity 260 is formed. Cavity 260 can redistribute and even out changes in gas pressure to film 220 and thus to wafer 270 during planarization. As shown, gas pressure can be applied to the backside of membrane 220 through air channel 250 . Air channels 250 may be disposed within support plate 210, or gas may be supplied through other arrangements. Air channel 250 may be modified differently (eg, round tube, square tube, etc.) depending on the application. In some embodiments, this air channel may provide a vacuum to keep the wafer 270 under the membrane assembly. Membrane 220 may include holes to provide such a vacuum and/or allow positive pressure to release wafer 270 from membrane 220 .

In some embodiments, cavity 260 may be formed by spacing membrane 220 from support plate 210 . For example, support plate 210 can include a concave inner portion to form a cavity. In the illustrated embodiment, membrane assembly 205 can include an outer pressure ring 240 for forming cavity 260 . In other embodiments, the membrane assembly may be assembled without the pressure ring. For example, membrane 220 may directly rest against (contact) support plate 210 without cavity 260 separating membrane 220 from support plate 210 . In some embodiments, the membrane assembly may comprise one or more pressure rings 240 arranged concentrically.

In another embodiment, the membrane 220 used may be a multi-region membrane. For example, membrane 220 may have grooves (eg, depressions) and/or ridges in membrane 220 that effectively separate different regions of membrane 220 . In a non-limiting example, the grooves may be arranged as a series of concentric circles emanating from the center of the membrane. In another example, the grooves and ridges are irregularly shaped (e.g., interconnected circles (overlapping circles)) to improve the distribution of pressure across the wafer 370 when the wafer 370 is attached to the membrane assembly. , non-circular depressions, circular patterns scattered across the surface of the membrane).

Membrane 220 may be flexible such that membrane 220 conforms to the structure that membrane 220 surrounds. In some examples, membrane 220 may be convex. For example, membrane 220 may be loose in the center. Membrane 220 may even be shaped like a cone so that a small area of membrane 220 is in contact with the wafer surface for finer precision polishing.

The membrane material may be any elastic material suitable for planarization as described herein and for use in carrier heads for eg CMP processes. In some embodiments, the membrane material may be one of rubber or synthetic rubber materials. The membrane material may be one of the ethylene propylene diene monomer (M class) (EPDM) rubbers or silicones. Alternatively, the membrane material may be vinyl, rubber, silicone rubber, synthetic rubber, nitrile, thermoplastic elastomer, fluoroelastomer, hydrated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, or a combination of one or more of urethane and polyurethane foams.

One or more membrane assemblies may be implemented within one CMP system. The CMP system may have controls that utilize feedback from the system during operation to more accurately control the CMP process (eg, variable speed motor control, etc.).

In some embodiments, the arm(s) of the CMP system described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 are configured such that the carrier head moves inward toward and/or away from the support. It can flex or rotate about a second axis of rotation so that it can swing outward (unfold). In some examples, this elongated arm may comprise multiple links that may all rotate about different axes of rotation (ie, a flexing arm or an articulated arm).

3A and 3B show top views of an embodiment of a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system 300 with links 304 and 306. FIG. CMP system 300 is substantially similar to CMP system 100 described in FIGS. 1A-1B and 2 . However, the CMP system 300 allows the arm(s) to flex or rotate about a second axis of rotation so that the carrier head 308 can move inward toward the support as shown in FIG. 3B. , or can swing outward away from the support in the opposite direction as shown in FIG. 3A. For example, CMP system 300 may include a first link 304 attached to support 302 , a second link 306 attached to first link 304 , and a carrier head 308 attached to second link 306 . In a non-limiting example, the links may be connected at center joints (ie, elbows).

In some embodiments, first link 304 is rotatably attached to support 302 and defines a first axis of rotation through support 302 . Additionally, the first link 304 may be rotatably attached to the second link 306 to define a second axis of rotation through the attachment area between the links. Alternatively, first link 304 may not be configured to rotate, in which case only second link 306 is configured to rotate about a second axis of rotation. The attachment section includes means for rotating the second link about a second axis of rotation, including features similar to those described with reference to FIGS. 1A-1B. Electrical and fluid connections may be provided throughout the link as well, as described with reference to FIGS. 1A-1B.

Accordingly, the links, including first link 304 and/or second link 306, may be configured to rotate about their respective axes of rotation (i.e., first axis of rotation, second axis of rotation, etc.). . For example, the second link 306 may be configured to rotate about a second axis of rotation through the link attachment section. In some embodiments, the second link 306 rotates about the second axis of rotation such that the second link 306 extends outwardly to create a straight line with the other links and the first axis of rotation. may be configured to In other embodiments, the second link 306 may rotate between 0° and 180° and between 180° and 270° and between 270° and 360° about the second axis of rotation. For example, the second link 306 may rotate substantially indefinitely about the second axis of rotation.

In some embodiments, the link may rotate independently of other links in the chain of links and independently of support 302 . In other embodiments, certain links may be linked together such that their movement depends on the movement of another link or the movement of support 302 . For example, one or more links and supports 302 may be linked together by rotating gears or magnets such that when the support or another link rotates, the linked link or support also moves. .

Additionally, the CMP system may comprise multiple supports with one or more arms attached to each support. For example, each support may have two arms. Furthermore, each arm may be composed of links, as discussed with reference to FIGS. 3A-3B. Additionally, multiple platens may be configured proximate each support. For example, two platens may be placed between two supports such that each carrier head of the two supports can access each platen for CMP processing. In another example, one platen may be configured adjacent to two supports, in which case each carrier head is configured to access its platen for processing, as shown in FIG. be done.

In some embodiments, the wafer is presented to a predetermined insertion station (not shown) and prepared for insertion into carrier head 308 . Wafer movement from the process equipment front end module (EFEM) to the insertion/removal station is accomplished via, for example, an overhead gantry robotic mechanism.

Carrier head 308 is positioned concentrically with and overhead an insertion/removal station (not shown) from which wafers are transferred to carrier head 106 . Those skilled in the art will recognize various methods and means for inserting wafers into the carrier head and removing wafers from the carrier head.

A carrier head 308 is positioned above the platen to perform the polishing process, as shown. While the polishing process is in progress, the next wafer can be placed on the insert/remove station (not shown) for further processing. Once the polishing process is complete, the links 304 and 306 that support the carrier 308 and the elbows (i.e., joints) between the links can articulate so that the carrier head 308 (by proceeding from FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B) Rotation of this carrier about support 302 within a spatial limit that is smaller than would be possible if it were "stowed" toward support 302 (as shown) and not otherwise stowed. becomes possible. This thus allows the carrier head 308 to be positioned concentrically with and above the pick station.

The carrier head 308 can then be rotated back into position for moving subsequent wafers from the insertion station to the carrier 308, which is then positioned above the platen for processing. sell.

The processed wafers may then be removed to an unload station and retrieved by a mobile robot for return to the EFEM or, more generally, to the cleaning system.

To increase the throughput of the system, this same process (sequence) is applied to corresponding sets of components arranged symmetrically across the platen to load wafers using additional insert and eject stations. The carrier 308 may be processing on the platen while the is being inserted into or removed from the second carrier head.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary implementation of a CMP system 400 that is similar to CMP systems 300 and 100 previously described and includes a platen 414 configured to process substrates held by carrier heads 410 and 412, respectively. Explain the form. In some embodiments, arms 406 and 408 are substantially similar to arm 104 . Alternatively, arms 406 and 408 may comprise links such as links 304 and 306 described with reference to FIGS. 3A-3B. Additionally, carrier heads 410 and 412 may be substantially similar to carrier heads 106 or 308 and supports 404 and 402 may be substantially similar to supports 102 or 302 . In a specific example, the platen 414 can be configured in any number of shapes (eg, circular, square, etc.) and thus will have a center. In the example of FIG. 4, platen 414 is a circle with center 416 . Additionally, CMP system 400 can be configured with any number of platens, where, for example, each platen or pair of adjacent platens has a number of corresponding supports.

Additionally, each of arms 406 and 408 can rotate about a respective axis of rotation through each of supports 402 and 404 . Furthermore, each arm may be configured to rotate about its respective axis of rotation with an angular displacement of 270° or more. In some examples, arms 406 and/or 402 may be configured for substantially unlimited rotation about their respective axes of rotation.

In some embodiments, CMP system 400 may include one or more stations for inserting a wafer object into one or more carrier heads and/or removing wafer objects from one or more carrier heads. . For example, each carrier head may have dedicated insertion and/or removal stations for inserting wafers onto the carrier head or removing wafers from the carrier head. Two or more carrier heads may have common insertion/extraction stations relative to each other for processing on the same or different platens. Additionally, each station may be located at approximately the same radial distance from each of supports 404 and 402 . Alternatively, each station may be located at a different radial distance from each of supports 404 and 402 . Each station may be placed at the same or different radial distances from the support with respect to the other station(s). Thus, in embodiments in which one or more arms of FIG. 4 comprise links, the arms can be configured in various configurations of the various stations with greater flexibility in different configurations and locations of the various supports. May be articulated to reach objects.

Thus, multiple wafers may be processed on a common platen. This may be desirable in certain applications to increase throughput over processing one wafer on one platen. In a non-limiting example, two or more wafers may be inserted into carrier heads 410 and 412 . Insertion may occur at an insertion station (not shown). Additionally, in some examples there may be an extraction station that has a separate configuration from the insertion station. Both carrier heads 410 and 412 may be positioned (as shown) above platen 414 so that both wafers may be processed substantially simultaneously. When both wafers have been processed, the carriers are positioned above a suitable station (not shown) for unloading and then for inserting additional wafers into carriers 410 and 412 for subsequent processing. Positioned above a suitable insertion station (not shown). Alternatively, the carrier heads may alternate or stagger (alternate) processing their respective wafers. For example, carrier head 410 may process a first wafer on platen 414 for a particular time or percentage of the overall process. Meanwhile, carrier head 412 is raised such that carrier head 412 does not press against platen 412 until carrier head 412 receives a control signal to lower its head to process a second wafer against platen 412 . It may be configured in a position where When carrier head 412 receives a control signal to lower its head, carrier head 410 may receive a control signal to raise the head of carrier head 410 so that the first wafer is no longer being processed. . Alternatively, carrier head 410 may be left down so that both carrier heads are processed simultaneously.

Additionally, the CMP systems described with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B, 2, 3 or 4 may be implemented in several different combinations, eg, as shown in FIG. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a CMP apparatus 500 comprising a first CMP system 520 and a second CMP system 530 . In this illustrated embodiment, each CMP system includes two arms with links and two platens. Each platen is thus configured to process one or more wafers from each of the CMP systems.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, CMP systems 520 and 530 have two arms with links. Although the CMP systems 520 and 530 of FIG. 5 are shown with links in the arms, the system does not have links in one or more of the arms as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. It should be appreciated that it can be configured as follows. Additionally, CMP systems 520 and 530 may have any number of arms extending from their respective supports. Furthermore, CMP apparatus 500 can have any number of platens. In some embodiments, the two arms attached to one support rotate about a common axis of rotation in the same direction as each other, substantially simultaneously, such that they displace each other. be able to.

Additionally, CMP systems 520 and 530 may include a controller 510 as shown. Alternatively, controller 510 may be located inside the CMP system (eg, inside the support of CMP system 520 and/or 530). Additionally, controller 510 can be electronic, mechanical, pneumatic, or a combination. Additionally, any of the devices and systems described herein can be configured to provide the functionality of the methods described herein as well as additional functionality. 510, FIG. 5). Additionally, any of the apparatus and systems described herein can include devices (eg, absolute encoders, etc.) for tracking (monitoring) the orientation and angular displacement of the CMP carrier head. Additionally, any of the apparatuses and systems described herein can include a platen having a polishing pad configured to rotate or spin. Additionally, any of the devices and systems described herein can additionally include a carrier head that is configured to rotate or spin. For example, a carrier head holding a wafer may spin the wafer while processing the wafer against a spinning platen.

In addition, the wafer carrier described above is attached to the outer portion of the outer link (or arm if there is no link) and the wafer carrier exerts pressure on the wafer being processed. The wafer carrier head can be lowered toward the platen and raised away from the platen depending on the desired operation. The wafer carrier is also configured to support wafer loading and unloading operations before and after CMP processing. The carrier head is also configured to move linearly (or radially if the platen is circular) toward the center of the platen (as described above with respect to center 416) due to the synchronized rotational motion of both links. It is For example, the carrier head can compress the wafer onto one area of the platen. In that case, the controller may command both links to rotate in a synchronized motion so that the wafer moves toward the center of the platen. Additionally, the carrier head is further configured to oscillate inwardly and outwardly along a line or radius.

Additionally, each platen may include a pad conditioner system (shown but not numbered). The pad conditioner can be swept across the entire polishing platen or any portion thereof. The pad conditioner can be configured to condition (condition) the pad before, during, and/or after polishing the wafer.

In another embodiment, in a system having at least two CMP carrier head systems, the CMP controller controls any carrier head system to replace the polishing pad (e.g., consumable) of the first platen. It may be further configured as follows. In such embodiments, the second carrier head system may continue processing wafers on the second platen while the first platen is temporarily offline. For example, the polishing pad may be prepared or preconditioned off-line (ie, remote from the CMP processing station). The controller may place the first carrier head system in an off-line state (eg, in maintenance or repair mode and the first carrier head is not processing a wafer). The second carrier head system may continue the machining state. Accordingly, the controller may instruct the first carrier head system to attach a preconditioned polishing pad to the system. In some embodiments, this installation will require removal of the carrier head so that the preconditioned polishing pad can be installed in its place. In other embodiments, a separate attachment may need to be installed in place of the carrier head so that the preconditioned polishing pad can be attached to the separate attachment.

In some embodiments, the CMP system 500 may be configured to advantageously alternate processing of multiple wafers on multiple platens. For example, a CMP system may comprise a first carrier head system and a second carrier head system, each system having a first arm and a second arm. Additionally, each arm has a carrier head attached to one end.

The first carrier head system may use the first arm to process the first wafer on the first platen while the second carrier head system uses the second arm to process the second wafer on the second platen. . When the first wafer has been processed for a predetermined amount of time or to a predetermined percentage of total processing (e.g., 80% processed), the first arm rotates to move the first wafer to the second platen for a second CMP process. can move to In some embodiments, the first and second CMP processes are different. For example, the first process may be a bulk (coarse) removal process, while the second process may be a fine removal process, wherein the bulk removal process removes more material from the wafer than the fine removal process. Remove material. For example, in some embodiments, the bulk removal process removes 80% of the total material removed from the wafer for the entire process and the fine removal process removes 20%. Additionally, a second wafer may continue to be processed on the second platen. Meanwhile, a third wafer is inserted using the second arm of the first carrier head system and processed on the first platen as the first wafer is removed, and this process itself is used for subsequent wafer processing. May be repeated.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method 600 for operating a CMP system according to certain embodiments disclosed herein. In some aspects, method 600 may be performed by system 100 of FIGS. 1A-1B. In some aspects, method 600 may be performed by system 300 of FIGS. 3A-3B. In some aspects, method 600 may be performed by system 400 of FIG. In some aspects, method 600 may be performed by system 500 of FIG. 5, or other systems.

At block 610, the CMP system is prepared to process the wafer. The CMP system includes an elongated arm rotatably attached to a support. At block 620, the arm is rotated from the first position to the second position. This rotation from the first position to the second position produces an angular displacement of over 270°.

Thus, the present disclosure enables simultaneous processing of one wafer during sequential wafer insertion and removal, so that both wafers are sequentially processed on the same platen and one wafer is processed on one platen. Provides high throughput for processing. In addition, the present disclosure allows processing of two wafers simultaneously during sequential wafer insertion and removal, so that both wafers are processed on the same platen and two wafers are processed on one platen. resulting in high throughput for Additionally, the disclosed technique is configured to provide approximately 100% duty cycle for the entire system. For example, the system may experience little to no downtime with respect to processing wafers as a result of the configurations and embodiments described herein. Further, the disclosed techniques are configured to produce a reduced footprint for each CMP system (ie, support and arm(s)) and for the system as a whole.

It should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made to the embodiments described above, and that these elements fall within the scope of some acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure. The foregoing description details certain embodiments. However detailed the above description may appear on paper, it will be appreciated, however, that the system and method can be implemented in many ways and can be implemented in other forms. As previously noted, the use of a particular terminology when describing a particular feature or aspect of such systems and methods does not imply that the terminology refers to any feature or aspect of the systems and methods to which the terminology relates. Note that redefinition herein is not to be implied to be limited to including any particular feature.

Conditional phrases, especially "can", "could", "might" or "may" "may," etc., unless stated otherwise or to be understood to be inconsistent with the context in which it is used, that a particular embodiment may include particular features, elements and/or steps. It is generally intended to convey inclusion, whereas other embodiments do not. Accordingly, such conditional phrases imply that the features, elements and/or steps are required in some way for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments are In general, whether or not these features, elements and/or steps are to be included or implemented in any particular embodiment, necessarily include logic Not intended.

Conjunctive phrases, such as the phrases "at least one of X, Y and Z" or "at least one of X, Y or Z," unless otherwise specified, are defined as items, terms, etc. or Z, or combinations thereof. For example, when the term "or" is used, for example, to connect elements of a list, the term "or" may refer to one, some, or all of the elements in the list. As meant, is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense). Thus, such conjunctions are said to imply that certain embodiments require that at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z are each present. is generally not intended.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, third, etc. in the specification and claims are used to distinguish between like elements and not necessarily to describe an order or chronological order. does not mean The above terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, and the embodiments of the disclosure may function in other sequences than those described or illustrated herein.

Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under, etc. in the specification and claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily to describe relative positions. It is not used for The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the disclosure described herein may be viewed in any orientation other than as described or illustrated herein. can function.

The term "a", as used herein, should be given an inclusive rather than an exclusive interpretation. For example, unless stated otherwise, the term "a" should not be understood to mean "exactly one" or "one and only one." Instead, the term "a", whether used in the claims or elsewhere in the specification, and "at least one means "one or more" or "at least one," regardless of the use of quantifiers such as "," "one or more," or "plurality."

The term "comprising", as used herein, is to be given an inclusive rather than an exclusive interpretation. For example, a general-purpose computer comprising one or more processors should not be construed to exclude other computer components, and may optionally include such components as memory, input/output devices and/or network interfaces, among others. good.

While the foregoing detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, variations in form and detail of the described devices or processes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. may be omitted, substituted and changed. As can be appreciated, the particular embodiments of the disclosed technology described herein may be embodied in forms that do not provide all of the features and benefits shown herein. may as some features may be used or implemented separately from others. The scope of certain aspects of the technology disclosed herein is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing specification. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

100 Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) System 102 Support 104 Arm 106 Carrier Head 205 Membrane Assembly 210 Support Plate 220 Elastic Membrane 230 Membrane Clamp 240 Outer Pressure Ring 250 Air Channel 260 Cavity 270 Wafer 280 Support Base 300 Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) ) system 302 support 304 first link 306 second link 308 carrier head 400 CMP system 402, 404 support 406, 408 arms 410, 412 carrier head 414 platen 416 center 500 CMP device 510 controller 520 first CMP system 530 second CMP system

Claims (20)

a support, the axis of rotation extending through the support;
at least one elongated member comprising a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the first portion rotatably connected to the support, the elongated member being attached to the support; at least one elongated member configured to pivot about said axis of rotation through an angle of rotation that is at least about 270° in a single direction relative to;
a carrier head connected to the second portion and configured to hold and process a substrate. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said rotation angle is substantially unlimited in a single direction. 3. The carrier head of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier head comprises a membrane configured to be pressurized thereby allowing the substrate to contact the polishing pad at the platen and be processed by the polishing pad. System as described. performing a second process on the substrate with a second platen from a first position that allows the carrier head to perform a first process on the substrate with a first platen; 4. The system of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a controller configured to move to a second position that allows the . 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first process and second process are different. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first process is a bulk removal process and said second process is a fine removal process. at least one support, wherein a first axis of rotation extends through said support;
A first link having a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the first portion being rotatably connected to the support, the first link being connected to the support. and a second axis of rotation extending through the second portion, the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation. are generally parallel to each other, and a second link having a third portion and a fourth portion opposite the third portion, the third portion being rotatable with respect to the second portion; at least one elongated member comprising a second link configured to connect and pivot the second link relative to the first link about the second axis of rotation through a second angle of rotation;
a carrier head connected to the fourth portion and configured to hold and process a substrate. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said first rotation angle is at least about 270[deg.] in a single direction. 8. The system of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the carrier head is configured to apply pressure to a substrate to allow the substrate to be processed by a platen. 9. The carrier head is configured to linearly move toward the center of the platen based at least in part on synchronized rotation of the first link and the second link. System as described. A chemical mechanical planarization apparatus comprising the system of any one of claims 1-10 and further comprising at least one platen configured to process a substrate held by the carrier head. comprising at least two systems according to any one of claims 7 to 11, each system comprising:
at least two elongated members and at least two carrier heads;
at least two platens configured to process at least four substrates handled by each carrier head;
The chemical mechanical planarization apparatus, wherein the first rotation angle is at least about 270 degrees in a single direction. a second platen, wherein the at least one elongated member moves the substrate from a first position to perform a first process on the substrate at the first platen; 12. The apparatus of claim 11, configured to move to a second position enabling a second process to be performed on the substrate. at least a first substrate carrier head system and a second substrate carrier head system, each carrier head system comprising:
a support through which the axis of rotation extends;
At least one elongated member comprising a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the first portion rotatably connected to the support, the elongated member relative to the support. at least one elongated member configured to pivot about said axis of rotation through an angle of rotation through said second portion; and a carrier head connected to said second portion and configured to hold and process a substrate. at least a first substrate carrier head system and a second substrate carrier head system comprising;
and at least one platen configured to process a first substrate held by the first carrier head system and a second substrate held by the second carrier head system. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said rotation angle is at least about 270[deg.] in a single direction. 16. Apparatus according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said angle of rotation is substantially unlimited in a single direction. transferring a first substrate to said first carrier head system from a first position for performing a first process on said first substrate on a first platen, and a second process on a second substrate on a second platen; 17. Apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 16, further comprising a controller configured to move to a second position for performing the. 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first process and second process are different. 17. Any one of claims 14-16, further comprising a controller configured to place the first substrate carrier head system off-line while the second substrate carrier head system remains in a processing state. Apparatus as described. 20. The apparatus of Claim 17 or Claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to cause the first carrier head system or the second carrier head system to replace the polishing pad of the at least one platen.

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