KR20110015402A - Multiple-sided cmp pad conditioning disk - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A multiple side CMP pad conditioning disk is provided to prevent a contact with the polishing materials of a disk by including a ring and an outer edge. CONSTITUTION: A conditioning tool is attached to a driving device. The conditioning tool receives the peripheral edge of the disk and includes a surface to which a shoulder is protruded. A disk has two opposite surfaces which are flat and receive the polishing materials. The ring has the shoulder complementary to the peripheral edge of the disk. The ring is firmly attached to a base(20) by a screw(32,33,34).

Description

Multi-sided CMP PAD Conditioning Disc {MULTIPLE-SIDED CMP PAD CONDITIONING DISK}

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, in particular to an improved disk or other type of substrate, for conditioning and restoring polishing pads used in such methods. will be.

Fabrication of integrated circuits includes fabrication of high quality semiconductor wafers. As is well known in this industry, a flat (planar) surface with high precision is required on one or more sides of the wafer to ensure that proper performance objectives are achieved. The demand for high precision surface quality of wafers increases as the size of circuit components decreases and the complexity of the microstructures involved increases.

This high precision surface is formed on the semiconductor wafer by flushing or planarization of the semiconductor wafer. During this process, the polishing pad rotates against the surface of the wafer in the presence of the abrasive slurry. The chemical composition of the abrasive slurry helps the abrasive to remove portions of such material from the surface of the wafer by reacting with one or more special materials on the wafer being polished. Typical polishing pads include foamed polyurethane-based materials such as the IC and GS series of pads available from Rohm and Haas. Hardness and density characteristics of the polishing pad are determined based on the material of the product (semiconductor wafer) to be polished.

The following patents provide a broad discussion of chemical and mechanical planarization, referred to herein as CMP in this specification and in the industry: US Patent No. 4,805,348 to Arai et al., Issued February 1989; US Patent No. 5,099,614 to Array et al., Issued March 1992; US Patent No. 5,329,732 to Karlsrud et al., Issued July 1994; US Patent No. 5,498,196 to Karlsruud et al., Issued March 1996; US Patent No. 5,498,199 to Carlsrud et al., Issued March 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,486,131 to Cesna et al., Issued January 1996; And US Pat. No. 5,842,912 to Holzapfel et al., Issued December 1, 1998. All of the aforementioned patents are referenced herein.

During the continued use of the polishing pad in the CMP process, the material removal rate from the wafer is reduced by what is referred to herein as "pad glazing". In addition, with continued use, the surface of the polishing pad normally experiences uneven wear resulting in unwanted surface irregularities. Thus, it is necessary to recondition (adjust and dress) the polishing pad to restore the polishing pad to the desired operating state by exposing the pad to the pad-conditioning surface, such as the planar surface of the rotating disk. Do. Such adjustment and dressing of the pads can be performed during the wafer polishing process as described in US Pat. No. 5,569,062 issued to Carlsrud on October 29, 1996 (referred to as in-situ conditioning). being). However, such conditioning can also be performed between polishing steps as described in US Pat. No. 5,486,131 issued to Cessna et al. On January 23, 1996 (as ex-situ conditioning). Referred to).

Reconditioning of the polishing pad allows the pad to continue to be used to restore the proper coefficient of friction of the pad surface to provide the desired plane on the wafer. Reconditioning also allows for the effective transport of the polishing slurry to the wafer surface to obtain the most effective and precise planarization of the semiconductor wafer surface being polished.

Conventional pad conditioners include stainless steel discs coated with a single layer of abrasive particles. The disk is mounted to a rotary motor and the abrasive particle-coated surface is placed against the CMP pad as the surface rotates. Diamond particles or cubic boron nitride particles are preferred abrasives and are often referred to as "super abrasives" because of their resistance to abrasion. Such super abrasive particles can be fixed to the conditioning disk by electroplating, sintering or by a brazing process. The brazing process is desirable because of the formation of stronger bonds between the particles and the substrate, whereby less particles are loosened and less separated compared to electroplated conditioning disks. If the abrasive particles are separated and embedded in the polishing pad or otherwise exposed to the wafer being polished, significant deformation or wear of the wafer surface may occur and render the wafer unusable. This situation means thousands of dollars of lost time and labor.

Conditioning discs employing single-layer braze bonded diamonds, such as those manufactured by Abrasive Technology, Inc. of the Lewis Center, Ohio, USA, are very effective and especially prevent early loss of diamond abrasive particles. It is recognized as an improvement over conditioning discs of the prior art using other bonding media to resist. The current technique for restoring the CMP polishing pad used utilizes a diamond conditioning disk with a mounting surface on the opposite side of the disk for attaching the diamond surface and the conditioning disk to the conditioning drive mechanism on one side of the conditioning disk.

Some devices used for wrapping, such as double-sided lapping, appear in connection with the devices used to restore the CMP pads used. Such a device, believed to be manufactured by a Lap Master and possibly others, is inserted between a counterrotating platen and a float therein while counterrotating. Such a device is not driven directly when the CMP reconditioning disc has to be in a conventional CMP reconditioning process due to the fact that the CMP polishing pad reconditions only one side of the surface at a time. CMP pads are not used to polish two sides of the surface as in the lapping process.

Thus, there is a need for a conditioning disk that reduces the amount of material used and thereby reduces the cost of the conditioning disk without any reduction in performance.

The present invention provides a conditioning tool for restoring an old CMP polishing pad to a usable state. In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a substrate which is preferably a disk having a circular outer circumferential edge. In a preferred embodiment, the peripheral edges of the disc are oblique to two or more surfaces obliquely to each other.

The disk has a substantially planar first surface to which a first abrasive, such as a monolayer of diamond particles, is attached, such as by brazing. The second abrasive is similarly attached to the opposing substantially planar second surface. This configuration thus forms two opposing and substantially planar polishing surfaces, which are used at different times to repair the old CMP polishing pad.

The base for drivingly connecting the conditioning tool to the rotatably driven device has a circular shoulder extending from the base surface. The diameter of the base shoulder is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of the circular outer peripheral edge of the disk. The base shoulder receives at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the disk and most preferably receives one of the angled surfaces of the circumferential edge.

Fasteners, such as screws or magnets, install the disk on the base. The first abrasive faces away from the base, and the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface such that the second abrasive or the base surface does not experience wear due to contact.

In a preferred embodiment, the ring has an annular body having a circular shoulder forming an opening. The opening has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the outer peripheral edge of the disk to prevent the entire disk from passing through the opening. The diameter of the ring shoulder is substantially the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral edge of the disk, the ring shoulder receiving at least a portion of the outer peripheral edge of the disk.

Fastening means, such as screws or magnets, install a ring on the base with the disk supported between the base and the ring by a clamping force. The clamping force is preferably applied only at the peripheral edge of the disc by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder. The first abrasive protrudes through the opening of the ring, and the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface such that the second abrasive or the base surface does not experience wear due to contact.

Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the base has a disk mounted thereon, the disk having abrasive on two opposing faces. The disk is flipped when the abrasive on one side reaches or approaches the limit of its useful life. The disc can be mounted to the base by fastening means, and the fastening means can comprise any useful fastening means. In a preferred embodiment, the securing means comprises a ring, which ring is slightly larger than the disc and has an opening through which the abrasive on the disc protrudes, the abrasive clamping the disc between the ring and the base. In one particular embodiment, the disk has an outer circumferential edge that is advantageously contacted by the ring and the base, thereby preventing the contact with the abrasive portion of the disk. The peripheral edge of the disk and the receiving surfaces of the base and the ring are aligned and hold the disk.

The present invention thus effectively provides two useful abrasive conditioning surfaces per disc instead of the current industry standard practice of one of the other advantages and improvements.

1 is a plan view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a bottom view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 along line 3-3 of FIG.
4 is a perspective view illustrating the embodiment of FIG. 3.
5 is a perspective view showing a preferred disk of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating the disk of FIG. 5.
7 is a perspective view showing a preferred ring of the present invention.
8 is an enlarged side view of a circled portion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.
9 is a perspective view with the base removed to show the notch in the ring and disk.
FIG. 10 is a top view of the invention shown in FIG. 9 showing the location of the completion key in the notch, only a portion of which is shown due to the cross-sectional view. FIG.
11 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 taken along line 12-12.
13 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 taken along line 12-12.
14 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 taken along line 14-14.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 14 with some parts removed for illustration.
FIG. 16 is a view of the device of FIG. 15 with additional components removed. FIG.
17 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 11 with some parts removed for illustration.
18 is a view of the device of FIG. 17 with additional components removed.
19 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 19, viewed from below.
21 is a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 20 taken along line 21-21.
22 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 20 taken along line 21-21.
FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 22 with some components removed for illustration.
24 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
25 is a side sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 26 is another side sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 25 with some removed for clarity.
27 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the embodiment of FIG. 25.
In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to the specific terminology so selected, and it should also be understood that each specific terminology includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. For example, the term "connected" or similar term is often used. This is not limited to direct connections, but also includes connections through other members, which are recognized as equivalent by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention include the following main components shown in FIGS. 1-10. Holder 10 consists of a base 20 and a ring 30 attached to base 20. Base 20 is designed to be attached to a drive mechanism (not shown), such as a rotatable drive motor. The ring 30 is firmly and firmly attached to the base 20 using fastening members such as screws or magnets. The disc 40 is mounted between the ring 30 and the base 20, and preferably the base 20 or ring 30 and the disc that are engaged to prevent relative movement of the holder 10 and the disc 40. By means of the structure located at the circumferential edge of 40, it is firmly connected, not rotated, and held in place. In this manner, the disk 40 is held firmly in place in the holder 10, thereby being rotatably driven without substantial relative movement between the disk 40 and the holder 10. This allows the disk surface to be placed in contact with the CMP polishing pad for conditioning of the pad, which is the purpose of the device.

In particular, a pad conditioning substrate, such as disk 40, is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 with two opposing major surfaces 42, 44 that are substantially flat and have a generally flat shape. The major surfaces 42, 44 of the disc are preferably parallel and substantially flat for the reasons described below. On the flat major surfaces 42, 44, abrasives such as diamond, cubic boron nitride, silicon carbide, alumina or other conventional superabrasives, particularly preferably conventional superabrasive particles, are typically It is attached in a conventional manner, such as by adhesively mounting, electroplating, or brazing, as disclosed in the U.S. Patents, which are known herein and incorporated herein by reference. The abrasive particles preferably have a size of about 30 to about 350 microns, depending on the type of CMP in which the disc is used. Thus, such particles do not appear visually distinct in the figures. The abrasive may be arranged in a regular pattern and may be disposed over most of the surface of the major surfaces 42 and 44, or only over a small portion of the major surface, such as in the case of a ring shaped circular abrasive. Thus, each major surface 42, 44 is covered with at least a portion of the surface of a single layer of abrasive so that it is possible to polish any material surface that is disposed such that the surfaces 42, 44 are in contact with during rotation.

Since the disk 40 can be used as a CMP pad conditioning disk, portions of the surfaces 42 and 44 covered by the abrasive do not extend to the peripheral edge of the disk 40. Instead, as is practiced in the art, a small gap is formed between the radially outermost edge of the abrasive and the circumferential edge of the disk 40.

Preferably the disk 40 is made of a strong corrosion resistant material, such as stainless steel, titanium, ceramic or plastic, and has a substantial thickness on the order of 5.0 mm to prevent substantial deformation in use. The disk 40 may be about 10.5 cm thick. These sizes and materials are for illustration only; The size and material of the disc is not critical and can vary substantially from this example. Preferably the base 20 and the ring 30 may also be made of stainless steel or any other material suitable for the circumstance.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the three circular surfaces 46, 48, 49 are preferably formed so that the circumferential edge 45 of the disk extends around the circumference of the disk 40 and is angled to each other. Inclined to form. The relative angle α between the two surfaces 46 and 48 is not critical but is preferably in the range of about 90 degrees. Circular surfaces 46, 48 are inclined at about 45 degrees with respect to surfaces 42, 44, and 49 of disk 40, and surface 49 is inclined at about 90 degrees relative to major surfaces 42, 44. This angle can vary considerably. For example, the angle α may vary from 90 degrees, and the angle α may also vary from about 30 degrees or more to about 180 degrees.

When the angle α is 180 degrees, the circumferential edge 45 is flattened; That is, the edge 45 forms one curved circular surface that is inclined 90 degrees from the major surfaces 42, 44 of the disk. Although this embodiment is not shown, such a disc will have a shape that resembles a conventional coin. In another alternative disk 340 shown in FIG. 24, the peripheral edge 345 is rounded. Other forms are also possible. The circumferential edge of the disk can be any non-vertical shape that protrudes to enable gripping, and for some fastening means a vertical form is useful. Indeed, any form that allows the present invention to operate as described herein may replace the major surface edge form disclosed herein.

1 shows a base 20 having a substantially round cylindrical shape. Such a shape is preferred but not required, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, the base 20 may be rotated, preferably at high speed, without imbalance and without adversely affecting the surrounding structure. It will be apparent that it can be any shape that can be driven. The base 20 has a cavity-shaped first end 22, such as a screw hole 23, that allows for easy attachment of the drive mechanism, as in the prior art. Examples of conventional CMP conditioning equipment used in the industry include Reflection tools and CMP machines and AMAT Mirra sold by Ebrarra Technologies. Other drive mechanisms can be replaced by making obvious modifications to the skilled person in the base and / or drive mechanism. Preferably the base 20 is mounted to the drive mechanism with a screw (not shown) screwed into the hole 23, but the skilled person is a conventional tool, which, without limitation, is a conventional tool for radially tightening the axis in a " chuck " It will be appreciated that other fastening means such as chuck ", magnet attachment means or O-rings that are compressed and expand into the annular groove may be possible.

The second base end 24 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) opposite the first base end 22 on which the drive mechanism is mounted preferably has a first surface 25 which is substantially flat. The shoulder 26 is formed integrally with the base 20 (see FIG. 8), but may be installed on the first surface 25 as a separate component. The shoulder 26 has an inwardly facing surface 28 that is inclined about 45 degrees from the first surface 25. Inward surface 28 has a size, shape, and orientation to abut the inclined surface 46 of the peripheral edge 45 of the disk, as shown in FIG. 8.

The ring 30 has a circular body 31, through which the opening 35 is formed. The opening 35 is defined by a shoulder 36 extending radially inward, which is best seen in FIG. 8. Shoulder 36 has a surface 38 oriented from surface 39 at an angle of about 45 degrees. The opening 35 extends between the radially inward-most edges of the shoulder 36 and is preferably larger than the diameter of the disk 40 so that the disk 40 cannot pass completely through the opening 35. Have a slightly smaller diameter.

The ring 30 is mounted to the base 20 by one or more fastening means, such as the screws 32, 33, 34 shown in FIG. 1. Screws 32-34 extend through alignment holes extending between ring 30 and base 20, an example of such alignment holes is hole 50 shown in FIG. 8. When ring 30 is mounted to base 20 as shown in detail in FIG. 8, disk 40 is tightened between base 20 and ring 30 as described below.

When the disk 40 is clamped between the base 20 and the ring 30, only the surfaces in contact between the three respective bodies are the surfaces of the outer circumference of the disk 40 as clearly shown in FIG. 8. It is preferable to add. Thus, the surface 28 of the body 20 firmly abuts the surface 46 of the disk 40. The surface 38 of the ring 30 exerts an opposing bond against the surface 48 of the disk 40. The clamping force of the base 20 and the ring 30 against the outer circumferential edge surface of the disk 40 holds the disk 40 in place with this tight engagement, which is expected when the holder 10 is rotationally driven. Substantial movement of the disk 40 relative to the holder 10 is not possible underneath. Further, the engagement of the complementary surfaces of the base 20 and the ring 30 with the oblique circumferential edge 45 of the disk 40, even if the disk 40 is not initially placed in this position, Until the disk 40 “finds” the relative position between the two structures where the disk 40 is as close as possible to the base 20, the fixation of the ring 30 to the base 20 is determined by the disk 40. Ensure that the angled surface slides against the bonding surfaces.

The disk 40 is also limited to rotationally moving relative to the holder 10 by means of a key 57, the key being aligned notches formed in each of the outer edge 45 and the ring 30 of the disk 40. 37, 47) (see FIGS. 6, 7, and 10). As shown in FIG. 9, the notches 37, 47 are aligned with each other to form a void that is substantially the same shape as the key 57. The key 57 is preferably slightly smaller than the notch 47 and slightly larger than the notch 37 so that the key 57 is inserted into and maintained inside the notch 37 with a friction fit. Thus, the key 57 remains attached to the ring 30 and extends into the notch 47 of the disk 40 upon alignment of the notch 47 with the protrusion of the key 57. The disk 40 can then be removed by manually lifting the disk 40 from the base 20 and the ring 30.

Although the present invention shows a single key 57, it should be understood that more than one such key may be used and that the shape of the key may vary from that shown. For example, the key may be round, rectangular, triangular, dovetail or any other shape suitable. In an alternative embodiment, the key 57 is a magnet having a very strong attractive force with respect to the disk itself, or mounted on a disk where any expected rotational force exerted by the material on the disk 40 is insufficient to cause relative motion. Replaced by a structure or other structure.

A gap 60 (FIG. 8) is formed between the surface on the base 20 and the disk major surface 42. The gap 60 prevents the abrasive on the disc major surface 42 from contacting the surface 25 on the base 20 and thereby causing wear between the two portions. Furthermore, the disc major surface 44 protrudes through the opening 35 of the ring 30 and extends beyond the distal surface 39 of the ring 30 as best shown in FIG. 8. The extension of the disk major surface 44 past the ring surface 39 prevents the ring 30 from contacting the surface to be conditioned by the abrasive on the disk major surface 44.

The invention works in the following manner in one preferred embodiment. Base 20 is mounted to the drive machine and disk 40 is located in ring 30. Ring 30 and disk 40 are located below base 20 (where notch 47 is aligned with notch 37 and key 57 is notches 37 and 47 as described herein). ), The screws 32-34 are inserted into the opening and tightened. Upon tightening, disk 40 is clamped in place between ring 30 and base 20 and angled circumferential surfaces 46 and 48 are angled surfaces of base 20 and ring 30, respectively. Are seated on the fields 28 and 38.

Once the disk 40 is mounted in the holder 10, the holder 10 and the disk 40 are rotated. The rotating disk major surface 44 rests on one or more CMP polishing pads and the CMP pads are typically reconditioned. Once the abrasive on the disc major surface 44 reaches a predetermined degree of wear, the rotating machine is stopped and the screws 30-34 are removed and the ring 30 and disc 40 away from the base 20. The ring 30 is removed from the base 20 by manually pulling (generally a combination thereof). Once the ring 30 and disk 40 are removed from the base 20, the disk 40 can be manually removed from the ring 30 by simply pulling the disk 40 away from the ring 30. have.

The removed disk 40 is then flipped over such that the worn disk major surface 44 faces the base 20 and the fresh disk major surface 42 faces the base 20. Of course, if necessary, the entire opening including the disc can be cleaned at first. In one possible embodiment, a film, coating, or other indicator as to whether the disk major surface has been used may be attached to the surface to immediately recognize whether the disk major surface 42 has been used. The notch 47 of the disk is aligned with the notch 37 and the key 57, and then the ring 30 is reattached to the base 20 in the same way as it was previously attached. This forms a gap substantially equal to the gap 60 between the disc major surface 44 and the base surface 25. The CMP pads can be readjusted as the holder 10 and the disk 40 are rotated and the disk major surface 42 rests on one or more CMP polishing pads.

The present invention allows only one abrasive surface of the disc 40 to be used at any time. This is due to the fact that when the disk 40 is rotated in contact with the workpiece, the holder 10 substantially covers all the other sides of the disk 40. Further, because of the spacing 60, the use of one abrasive surface has little or no effect on the opposite abrasive surface because little or no wear occurs on the abrasive surface or its adjacent structure that is not in use.

It will be apparent from the description that various alternatives may be made to the preferred structures and methods described herein. For example, the fastening means used to mount the ring 30 to the base 20 is preferably screws, which screws and removes the disk 40 from the base 20 numerous times using conventional tools. This is because the replacement is easy. However, in place of the screws 32-34, there may be any structure including magnetic fasteners, rivets, clamps and specialized structures made for the purpose of fastening the ring to the base or any combination or equivalent thereof. Other removable fastening means can be used without limitation. Similarly, although the base 20 is shown attached to the drive machine by threaded apertures 23 formed therein, one of ordinary skill in the art would likewise assume that such fastening means is one such. It can be appreciated that the threaded chuck, clamps, and other fastening means can be replaced. Furthermore, sealing structures can be added to prevent the slurry from leaking into the holder 10. For example, compressible o-rings or adhesively-backed plastic gaskets are provided between the ring 30 and the base 20 and between the disk 40 and the base 20 and It can be inserted between other structures.

In addition, the shape of the disk 40, ring 30 and base 20 can be modified from the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9. For example, the base may be square or triangular rather than circular in cross section. Similarly, the ring and disk may preferably have different shapes to accommodate the form of cooperating components and to allow the holder and the disk to rotate without excessive vibration.

One obvious advantage of the present invention is that the abrasive is present on both sides rather than just one side, although it can be manufactured very similar in size and material to existing single sided discs and thus can be used in existing machines. This allows for subsequent use of the second side of the disk without substantially added material costs to the underlying substrate (disk). Similarly, only the portion of the abrasive device that must be discarded or recycled after use is the component that rests directly on the surface to be worn. Because when the holder 10 is reused, the cost for conventional one-sided disks is smaller in the long run.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the disk replacement time is reduced. The holder 10 does not need to be removed from the machine driving the holder. Instead, the holder remains in the driver and a few small screws are removed and subsequently replaced after the rotation of the disc to expose the unused side. Moreover, when it is desired to expose a new abrasive surface in any holder using the disc with an unused abrasive surface, this can be achieved without having to place another disc. Instead, a fresh disk is retained in the holder 10.

In addition, other substrate shapes may be used instead of the disk having only two sides. For example, stainless steel cubes may be considered, which have between two and six abrasive surfaces and have six planar sides. Each side has a superabrasive monolayer extending near the edge. The base has a shoulder with a rectangular surface located against the cube. A rectangular ring with a similar shoulder around a hole slightly smaller than each of the sides of the cube is mounted to the base, thereby clamping the cube to the base. The base, ring and cube are mounted to the device, which rotates the combination and the projecting surface of the cube erodes the material. When a certain point of wear is reached, the cube is removed and moved to expose the cube's different and unused abrasive surface by removing the ring, which then replaces the ring after the cube's movement. Alternative shapes are also conceivable.

It is preferable that the polishing characteristics of each side of the substrate are almost the same. However, the abrasive on one side may be slightly or substantially different from the abrasive on the opposite side. Also, in the case of a multi-side substrate, each side may be different, whereby, for example, each abrasive may be used for part of the polishing process on the material. In the example contemplated, coarse abrasive is used first, then finer abrasive is used and then even finer abrasive is used.

Another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 11-18. In FIG. 11, the holder 110 consists of a ring 130 and a base 120 attached to the base 120. The base 120 is designed to be attached to a drive mechanism (not shown), such as a rotatable drive motor. The ring 130 is firmly and firmly attached to the base 120 using a clamp such as a screw or a magnet. The disk 140 is attached to the ring 130 and is positioned at the peripheral ring of the ring 130 or base 120 and the disk 140 to engage relative to prevent relative movement of the disk 140 and holder 110. Is preferably maintained in a rigid non-rotating connection. In this way, the disk 140 is held firmly in its position in the holder 110 and is rotationally driven without a substantial relative rotational movement between the disk 140 and the base 120.

Disk 140 is nearly identical to disk 40 shown and described herein. Base 120 preferably has a substantially circular cylindrical configuration and is shown in FIG. 11. Base 120 has a first end 122 (see FIG. 12), in which a cavity is formed, such as a threaded bore, which allows for convenient attachment of the drive mechanism as conventionally. The base 120 is preferably mounted to the drive mechanism in a conventional manner.

The second base end 124 (see FIG. 12) opposite the first base end 122 on which the drive mechanism is mounted preferably has a first surface 125 that is substantially planar. The ring 130 has a circular body with a hole formed through the body. The hole is formed by the shoulder 136, which forms a disc shaped cavity located relative to the circumferential edge of the disc 140. The shoulder 126 of the ring 130 is opposite the shoulder 136 and a groove is formed therebetween, into which the peripheral edge of the disk 130 is inserted during use. The hole 135 extends between the radially innermost edges of the shoulder 136 and is preferably slightly smaller in diameter than the disk 140 so that the disk 140 cannot fully pass through the hole 135. Thus, the shoulders 126, 136 of the ring 130 form a surface, which surface is positioned relative to the peripheral edge of the disk 140, which is very similar to the shoulders 26, 36 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-10. do. However, because the shoulders 126 and 136 are immovable relative to each other, they must be removable parts of the ring without similar adjustable clamping and allowing insertion and removal of the disk 140.

Ring 130 is mounted to base 120 by one or more fasteners, such as screws 132 and 134, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that only the surface contacted between the three respective bodies when the disk 140 is mounted to the ring 130 is the surface around the disk 140 in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10. To mount the disk 140 in the ring 130, the first portion 130a (see FIGS. 15 and 16) removes the clamp from the cavity at the ends of the second portion 130b and portions 130a and 130b. Separated by Thus, the second portion 130b may be permanently mounted relative to the base 120, the disk 140 slides into the groove formed by the shoulders 136, 126, and the first portion 130a may be a disk ( Slide beyond the end of 140, and then the clamps 132, 134 are secured between the base 120 and the ring 130.

The disk 140 is constrained to rotate relative to the holder 110 by a key 157 extending to the peripheral edges of the disk 140 and aligned notches formed in the ring 130 (FIGS. 13, 17). , See 18). A gap 160 (FIG. 12) is formed between the surface 125 on the base 120 and the disk major surface 142. The gap 160 prevents the abrasive on the disk major surface 142 from contacting the surface 125 on the base 120, thereby causing wear between the two parts. Thus, holder 110 has many of the same features of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-10, thereby indicating the possibility of variation of embodiments of the present invention.

Another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 19-23. The holder 210 attached to the drive mechanism associated with another embodiment disclosed herein has a disk 240 attached to the base 220 by fastening means, such as screws 232, 234, as in FIG. 21. Of course, other fasteners and fastening means may replace the screws 232, 234, which include, without limitation, magnets, press-fit pins, rivets and clamps, or combinations thereof. For example, a combination that may be considered includes the magnetic attraction between the disc and the base with one or more drive pins extending from the base into the corresponding cavity of the disc to prevent relative rotation. Base surface 225, which is preferably planar, is formed on one end of base 220. The first disk-receiving surface is formed on the shoulder 236 extending from the surface 225. The second disk-receiving surface is formed on the opposing shoulder 226. The complementary surface is formed on the disk 240 at the transitional position between the central region 250 and the polishing surface 252 and at its peripheral edge.

When disk 240 is mounted to base 220, these complementary surfaces allow shoulders 236 and 226 of base 220 to contact disk 240 in the absence of wear particles. Thus, when the screws 232 and 233 are tightened with respect to the central region 250 of the disk 240, the opposite side of the disk 240 rests against the base 220, wherein the wear surface and the surface of the disk are seated. A gap is formed between the 225. Of course, the peripheral edge of the disk 240 need not be inclined. Instead, the peripheral edge may be angled 90 degrees from the major surfaces of the disc.

Another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 25-28. In FIG. 25, holder 410 consists of base 220 and ring 430, which is attached to base 420. Base 420 is designed to be attached to a drive mechanism (not shown). Ring 430 is firmly and securely attached to base 420 using fastening means such as screws or magnets (not shown). The disk 440 is preferably formed by a base 420 interlocked or a structure located at the peripheral edge of the disk 440 and the ring 430 to prevent relative movement of the disk 440 and the holder 410. It is mounted to the ring 430 and is held in place by tight non-rotating connection. In this way, the disk 440 is reliably held in place in the holder 410 and is thus driven in a rotational direction, with no substantial movement relative to each other between the disk 440 and the base 420. Becomes The disk 440 is substantially the same as the disk 40 presented and described herein except for the peripheral edge.

As best shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the disk 440 has a perimeter edge 445, the perimeter edge being beveled to extend around the perimeter of the disc 440 and formed at an angle to each other. Three circular surfaces 446, 448 and 449. The relative angle between the two surfaces 446 and 448 is not critical but will preferably be in the range of about 90 degrees. Preferably, surfaces 446 and 448 are at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to opposing disk surfaces 442 and 444 and peripheral edge surface 449 of disk 440. Surface 449 is also at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to surfaces 442 and 444. These angles may vary substantially as in the embodiments described above.

A base 420 having a preferred substantially circular cylindrical configuration is shown in FIG. 25. Base 420 has a first end, which is formed with a void such as a threaded bore that allows for easy attachment of the drive mechanism as in the prior art. Preferably, base 420 is mounted to the drive mechanism in a conventional manner. The base end 424 (see FIG. 25) located opposite the base end on which the drive mechanism is mounted has a first surface 425 which is preferably planar.

Ring 430 has a circular body having an aperture formed through the body. The opening is formed by shoulders 436 that form disk-shaped voids that rest against the peripheral edge 449 of disk 440. The shoulder 436 forms a rib that, in use, is inserted into a groove formed in the peripheral edge of the disk 430 (see FIG. 25). The opening of the ring 430 extends between the radially innermost edge of the shoulder 436 and preferably has a diameter slightly smaller than the disk 440 so that the disk 440 does not fully pass through the opening. can not do it. As such, the shoulders 436 form a surface that rests against the peripheral edge 445 of the disk 440, much like the shoulders 26 and 36 of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-10. However, since there is no adjustable clamping similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10, there must be a detachable portion of the ring 430 for insertion and removal of the disk 440.

Ring 430 is mounted to base 420 by one or more fastening means, such as a screw (not shown). When the disk 440 is mounted to the ring 430, the only surfaces that contact the three respective bodies are preferably the surfaces around the disk 440, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10. In order to mount the disk 440 in the ring 430, for example, by removing the fastening means from the voids in the ends of the first portion 430a and the second portion 430b, the first portion 430a (FIG. 28). Reference) from the second portion 430b. Accordingly, the second portion 430b is permanently (or detachably) mounted to the base 420, the disk 440 slides into the ring portion 430b, and the first portion 430a is the disk 440. Sliding above the end of), the fastening means is then secured between the base 420 and the ring 430.

By the peripheral edge of the disk 440 and the key 457 (see FIG. 25) extending into aligned notches formed in the ring 430, it is possible for the disk 440 to rotate relative to the holder 410. Is prevented. A gap 460 (see FIG. 25) is formed between the disc major surface 442 and the surface 425 on the base 420. The spacing 460 prevents the abrasive on the disc major surface 442 from contacting the surface 425 on the base 420, thereby preventing wear between the two portions.

These detailed descriptions in connection with the drawings relate in principle to the presented preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to describe the only form in which the invention may be constructed or used. The foregoing description sets forth the design, function, means and method for carrying out the invention in connection with the presented embodiments. However, the same or equivalent functions and features may be achieved by various other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention or claims. I can understand that.

Claims (25)

A conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state,
(a) a substrate having a first major surface substantially flat with a circumferential edge and at least a second substantially major flat surface that faces away, wherein a first abrasive is provided on the first major surface and the second major surface is provided. A substrate, on which a second abrasive is provided;
(b) a base for drivingly connecting to a rotatably driven device, the base having a base surface; And
(c) one or more fastenings for mounting the substrate to the base such that the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface to form a gap between the base surface and the second abrasive and the first abrasive faces the base. Means comprising;
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 1,
The one or more fastening means is mounted in a central region between the substrate and the base, wherein no abrasive is provided on the central region of the substrate,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 2,
Said at least one fastening means extending to said base through said substrate,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 1,
The substrate is a disk having a circular circumferential edge,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 4, wherein
The ring is mounted to the base such that the disc is held between the ring and the base by a clamping force exerted by the one or more fastening means, wherein the first abrasive is formed of a smaller ring than the disc. Protruding through an opening, the base having a first substrate shaped cavity to which the substrate is mounted and the ring having a second substrate shaped cavity to which the disk is mounted;
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first substrate shaped cavity is defined by a circular shoulder extending from the base surface, the shoulder diameter being substantially equal to the diameter of the circular peripheral edge of the disk and receiving at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the disk,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 6,
Wherein the second substrate shaped cavity is formed by a ring body having a circular shoulder forming an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the peripheral edge of the disk, the ring shoulder diameter being substantially equal to the diameter of the peripheral edge of the disk. And receive at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the disk,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The at least one fastening means mounts the ring to the base such that the disc is held between the base and the ring by a clamping force applied by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder to the peripheral edge of the disk.
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 8,
And a key inserted into at least one of the base and the ring and a notch formed in the disk to prevent relative movement of the base and the disk,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 4, wherein
Wherein said at least one fastening means mounts a ring to said base, a groove in a ring forming first and second substrate shaped cavities to hold said disk in said ring, and wherein said first abrasive is smaller than said disk. Protruding through the opening,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 10,
The first substrate shaped cavity is formed by a first circular shoulder formed in the ring, the first shoulder diameter being substantially the same as the diameter of the circular peripheral edge of the disk and receiving at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the disk; And the second substrate shaped cavity is formed by a second circular shoulder formed in the ring opposite the first circular shoulder and forming an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the circular circumferential edge of the disk. 2 circular shoulder diameter is substantially the same as the diameter of the peripheral edge of the disk and receives at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the disk,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 11,
The ring further comprising a first ring portion removably mounted to the second ring portion and configured to receive the disk,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 12,
And a key inserted into the ring and a notch formed in the disk to prevent relative movement of the base and the disk.
Conditioning tools.
An improved conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state, comprising a substantially flat first surface and a circular circumference to which a first mount is attached and a drive mount for drive connection to a rotatably driven instrument. A conditioning tool comprising a disk having an edge, the conditioning tool comprising:
(a) the disk has a substantially flat and opposing second surface to which the second abrasive is attached, thereby forming two opposing substantially flat abrasive surfaces;
(b) a base on which the drive mount is formed, having a circular shoulder extending from a base surface substantially opposite the drive mount, the base shoulder diameter being substantially the same as the diameter of the circular circumferential edge of the disk and A base for receiving at least a portion of the circumferential edge;
(c) a ring having an annular body having a circular shoulder forming an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk, wherein the ring shoulder diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk and A ring for receiving at least a portion of the circumferential edge;
(d) one or more fastening means for mounting the ring to the base such that the disk is held between the base and the ring by clamping force exerted by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder on the peripheral edge of the disk. And at least one fastening means, wherein the first abrasive protrudes through the opening of the ring and the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface.
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 14,
The at least one fastening means mounts the ring to the base such that the disc is held between the base and the ring by a clamping force applied by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder to the peripheral edge of the disk.
Conditioning tools.
16. The method of claim 15,
And a key inserted into at least one of the base and the ring and a notch formed in the disk to prevent relative movement of the base and the disk,
Conditioning tools.
A conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state,
(a) having a circular circumferential edge, a substantially flat first surface to which the first abrasive is attached, and a substantially flat and opposing second surface to which the second abrasive is attached, thereby providing two opposing substantially flat abrasive surfaces. A disk forming, wherein the circular circumferential edge comprises a first surface and a second surface;
(b) a base for driving connection to a rotatably driven device, the base having a circular shoulder extending from the base surface, the shoulder diameter being substantially the same as the diameter of the circular circumferential edge of the disk and the circumference of the disk. A base for receiving a first surface of the edge;
(c) a ring having an annular body having a circular shoulder forming an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk, wherein the ring shoulder diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk and A ring for receiving a second surface of the peripheral edge; And
(d) at least one fastening means for mounting said ring to said base such that said disk is held between said base and said ring by a clamping force applied by said ring shoulder and said base shoulder to the circumferential edge of said disk. And at least one fastening means, wherein the first abrasive protrudes through the opening of the ring and the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface.
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 17,
The at least one fastening means mounts the ring to the base such that the disc is held between the base and the ring by a clamping force applied by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder to the peripheral edge of the disk.
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 18,
And a key inserted into at least one of the base and the ring and a notch formed in the disk to prevent relative movement of the base and the disk,
Conditioning tools.
A conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state,
(a) a substrate having a first major surface substantially flat with a circumferential edge and at least a second substantially major flat surface facing away, wherein a first abrasive is provided on said first major surface and said second principal A substrate provided with a second abrasive on the surface;
(b) a base for drivingly connecting to a rotatably driven device, the base having a base surface; And
(c) mounting means for mounting the substrate to the base such that the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface to form a gap between the base surface and the second abrasive and the first abrasive faces the base; Including,
Conditioning tools.
The method of claim 20,
The substrate is a disk having a circular circumferential edge,
Conditioning tools.
A method for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operational state, the method comprising:
(b) drivingly connecting the base to the rotatably driven appliance, wherein the base has a circular shoulder extending from the base surface and the shoulder diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the circular circumferential edge of the disc. ;
(a) disposing a circular circumferential edge of the disk against the shoulder of the base, the disk having a first substantially flat surface to which the first abrasive is attached, and a substantially flat and opposing second to which the second abrasive is attached; Having a surface, thereby forming two opposing substantially flat abrasive surfaces;
(c) mounting a ring to the base, the ring having an annular body having a circular shoulder defining an opening having a diameter less than the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk, the ring shoulder diameter being the circumference of the disk. Mounting, the mounting step being substantially the same as the diameter of the edge and receiving at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the disk;
(d) clamping the disk between the ring and the base by a clamping force applied by the ring shoulder and the base shoulder to the circumferential edge of the disk, wherein the first abrasive material passes through the opening of the ring. A protruding and clamping step, wherein the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface.
A method for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state.
The method of claim 22,
Inserting a key into at least one of said base and said ring and a notch formed in said disk to prevent relative movement of said base and said disk,
A method for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state.
A conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state,
(a) having a circular circumferential edge, a substantially flat first surface to which the first abrasive is attached, and a substantially flat and opposing second surface to which the second abrasive is attached, thereby providing two opposing substantially flat abrasive surfaces. A disk forming, wherein the circular circumferential edge comprises a first surface facing a second surface;
(b) a base for driving connection to a rotatably driven device, the base having a circular shoulder extending from the base surface, the shoulder diameter being substantially the same as the diameter of the circular circumferential edge of the disk and the circumference of the disk. A base for receiving a first surface of the edge;
(c) a ring having an annular body having a circular shoulder forming an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk, wherein the ring shoulder diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk and A ring for receiving a second surface of the peripheral edge; And
(d) one or more fastening means for mounting the ring to the base such that the disk is held between the base and the ring, the first abrasive protruding through the opening of the ring and the second abrasive being the base One or more fastening means spaced from the surface;
Conditioning tools.
A holder for a conditioning tool for restoring a used CMP polishing pad to an operable state,
(a) a base for driving connection to a rotatably driven device, the base having a circular shoulder extending from a base surface configured to receive the disc, wherein the disc is
(Iii) a circular circumferential edge comprising a first surface and a second surface;
(Ii) a substantially flat first surface to which the first abrasive is attached; And
(Iii) a substantially flat and opposing second surface to which the second abrasive is attached to form two opposing substantially flat abrasive surfaces, the shoulder diameter being substantially equal to the diameter of the circular circumferential edge of the disk; A base, the base receiving a first surface of the peripheral edge of the disk;
(b) a ring having an annular body having a circular shoulder forming an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk, wherein the ring shoulder diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the circumferential edge of the disk and A ring for receiving a second surface of the peripheral edge; And
(c) one or more fastening means for mounting said ring to said base such that said disk is held between said base and said ring by clamping forces exerted by said ring shoulder and said base shoulder at the peripheral edge of said disk. At least one fastening means, wherein the first abrasive projects through the opening of the ring and the second abrasive is spaced apart from the base surface.
Holder for conditioning tool.

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