Patent Application
20080038993
a) and 6(b) are sequential cross-sectional views of the load-unload station of
With reference to
The polishing heads 20a-20c are attached to a rotation assembly 12, which operates to rotate the polishing heads between the polishing surfaces 10a-10c and the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c. The rotation assembly 12 includes rotational-and-vertical drive mechanisms 25a-25c, supporting arms 45a-45c, a rotational shaft 30 and a central rotational-and-vertical drive mechanism 35. The polishing heads 20a-20c are coupled to their respective rotational-and-vertical drive mechanisms 25a-25c, which control rotational and vertical motions of the respective polishing heads 20a-20c. The respective rotational-and-vertical drive mechanisms 25a-25c are connected to their respective supporting arms 45a-45c, which are attached to the rotational shaft 30.
The supporting arms 45a-45c are configured or designed such that the distance between the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 and the center of the first polishing head 20a, the distance of the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 and the center of the second polishing head 20b and the distance of the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 and the center of the third polishing head 20c are substantially equal.
The rotational shaft 30 is connected to the central rotational-and-vertical drive mechanism 35, which controls rotational and vertical motions of the rotational shaft 30. Thus, the supporting arms 45a-45c and the polishing heads 20a-20c are rotated in unison about the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 by the central rotational-and-vertical drive mechanism 35.
In this embodiment, the supporting arms 45a-45c, the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c and the polishing surfaces 10a-10c are arranged such that (1) the first polishing head 20a can be moved exclusively between the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the first polishing surface 20a and the second wafer load-unload station 15b; (2) the second polishing head 20b can be moved exclusively between the second wafer load-unload station 15b, the second polishing surface 20b and the third wafer load-unload station 15c; and (3) the third polishing head 20c can be moved exclusively between the third wafer load-unload station 15c, the third polishing surface 20c and the first wafer load-unload station 15a.
The polishing heads 20a-20c are configured to be able to hold semiconductor wafers. Each of the polishing heads 20a-20c is designed to hold a single semiconductor wafer. In an embodiment, the polishing heads 20a-20c are configured to be able to hold semiconductor wafers using vacuum, which is applied to the bottom surfaces of the polishing heads where the wafers contact the polishing heads. The polishing heads 20a-20c are attached to the rotation assembly 12 via the supporting arms 45a-45c such that all of the polishing heads are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a-10c when one of the polishing heads is positioned over one of the polishing surfaces and all of the polishing heads are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c when one of the polishing heads is positioned over one of the wafer load-unload stations.
The polishing surfaces 10a-10c and the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c are further arranged such that (1) the first wafer load-unload station 15a is positioned between the third and first polishing surfaces 10c and 10a; (2) the second wafer load-unload station 15b is positioned between the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b; and (3) the third wafer load-unload station 15c is positioned between the second and third polishing surfaces 10b and 10c. The polishing surfaces 10a-10c can be upper surfaces of polishing pads attached to respective rotatable polishing tables. Alternatively, the polishing surfaces 10a-10c can be upper surfaces of the rotatable polishing tables. In an embodiment, as illustrated in
The wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c are further arranged such that the distance between the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 and the center of the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the distance between the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 and the center of the second wafer load-unload station 15b and the distance between the rotational axis 36 of the rotational shaft 30 and the center of the third wafer load-unload station 15c are substantially equal. In an embodiment, as illustrated in
With reference to
The cup ring 195 and the wafer tray 210 are mounted on the cup base 190. The wafer tray 210 comprises a hole at the center such that the lifter 200 can be positioned at the center of the cup base 190. The lifter 200 is connected to a lifter pneumatic cylinder 204 through a lift piston 202, as illustrated in
The first multiple nozzles 240 are mounted on the top of the cup base 190 and the second multiple nozzles 250 are mounted on the interior side of the cup ring 195, as illustrated in
With reference to
Even though the polishing apparatus 1A has been described as having three polishing surfaces 10a-10c, three polishing heads 20a-20c and three wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c, the polishing apparatus 1A according to other embodiments of the invention can have different numbers of polishing heads, polishing surfaces and wafer load-unload stations. In general, the polishing apparatus 1A comprises N polishing heads, N polishing surfaces and N wafer load-unload stations, where N is an integer larger than one.
With reference to
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing process is completed, the first wafer W1 is transferred from the first polishing surface 10a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a from the first polishing surface 10a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15b, 15c and 15a, respectively, as illustrated in
The first wafer W1 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b in a manner described above with respect to the wafer load-unload station 15′. After the first wafer W1 is unloaded, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved back to the first wafer load-unload station 15a. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c, respectively, as illustrated in
The second wafer W2 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the wafer load-unload station 15a. The first wafer W1 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the wafer load-unload station 15b. The second wafer W2 and the first wafer W1 are then transferred to the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b to the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a-10c, as illustrated in
The second wafer W2 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
The first wafer W1 is also polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying a second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
After the polishing processes are completed, the second wafer W2 and the first wafer W1 are transferred to the second and third wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b to the second and third wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c, respectively, as illustrated in
The second wafer W2 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first wafer W1 is also unloaded from the second polishing head 20b to the third wafer load-unload station 15c. After the first and second wafers W1 and W2 are unloaded, the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are rotationally moved back to the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c, respectively, as illustrated in
The third wafer W3 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a. The second wafer W2 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first wafer W1 is also loaded onto the third polishing head 20c from the third wafer load-unload station 15c. The third wafer W3, the second wafer W2 and the first wafer W1 are then transferred to the first, second and third polishing surfaces 10a-10c, respectively, by rotationally moving the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c to the first, second and third polishing surfaces 10a-10c, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a-10c, respectively, as illustrated in
The third wafer W3 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the third wafer W3 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the third wafer W3 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
The second wafer W2 is also polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying the second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
The first wafer W1 is also polished on the third polishing surface 10c by the third polishing head 20c. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the third polishing surface 10c involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the third polishing surface 10c by the third polishing head 20c, rotating the third polishing surface 10c and supplying a third slurry to the third polishing surface 10c.
After the polishing processes are completed, the third wafer W3, the second wafer W2 and the first wafer W1 are transferred to the second, third and first wafer load-unload stations 15b, 15c and 15a, respectively, by rotationally moving the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c to the second, third and first wafer load-unload stations 15b, 15c and 15a, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a-20c are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c, respectively, as illustrated in
The third wafer W3 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The second wafer W2 is also unloaded from the second polishing head 20b to the third wafer load-unload station 15c. The first wafer W1 is also unloaded from the third polishing head 20c to the first wafer load-unload station 15a.
The first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are then rotationally moved away from the second, third and first wafer load-unload stations 15b, 15c and 15a, respectively, towards the first, second and third wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c, respectively. As the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are being rotationally moved, the first wafer W1 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50 and a fourth wafer W4 is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50.
The fourth wafer W4 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a. The third wafer W3 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The second wafer W2 is also loaded onto the third polishing head 20c from the third wafer load-unload station 15c. The fourth wafer W4, the third wafer W3 and the second wafer W2 are then transferred to the first, second and third polishing surfaces 10a-10c, respectively. The second, third and fourth wafers W2, W3 and W4 are processed further in the polishing apparatus 1A in the same sequential manner as the first wafer W1.
In this sequential manner, multiple wafers can be continuously transferred between the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c and the polishing surfaces 10a-10c of the polishing apparatus 1A, and polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c by the polishing heads 20a-20c.
In some embodiments, the polishing surfaces 10a-10c can be conditioned by their respective pad conditioners (not shown). In some embodiments, the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c can have multiple DI water spray nozzles, such as the wafer load-unload station 15′, such that the wafers and the polishing heads 20a-20c can be washed while the wafers and the polishing heads are positioned at the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c. However, in other embodiments, the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c may not have any DI water spray nozzles, and thus, are not configured to wash the polishing heads 20a-20 and their wafers. In some embodiments, the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c can have wafer loading and receiving mechanisms, similar to those of the wafer load-unload station 15′, to assist in loading and unloading wafers to and from the polishing heads 20a-20c when the polishing heads are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c.
Turning now to
As illustrated in
The first polishing apparatus 1A-1 is situated or orientated such that the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the first polishing surface 10a and the third polishing surface 10c of the polishing apparatus 1A-1 are closer to the wafer transfer device 50 than the second wafer load-unload station 15b, the third wafer load-unload station 15c and the second polishing surface 10b of the first polishing apparatus, as shown in
By this arrangement of the polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2, one or more users can have access to every polishing surface of the polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2 in the service area to service any polishing surface of the polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2, which may involve maintaining the polishing surfaces and changing polishing pads associated with the polishing surfaces. As illustrated in
The wafer cassette unit 105 is used to store wafers that will be polished in the polishing system 100 and to store the wafers that have been polished in the polishing system. The wafer transfer device 110 operates to transfer wafers from the wafer cassette unit 105 to the buffer station 120 and to transfer wafers from the post-CMP cleaner 150 to the wafer cassette unit 105. The buffer station 120 is used to temporarily hold a wafer from the wafer cassette unit 105 that will be polished. The wafer transfer device 50 operates to transfer wafers from the buffer station 120 to the first wafer load-unload stations 15a of the first and second polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2. The wafer transfer device 50 also operates to transfer wafers from the first wafer load-unload stations 15a of the first and second polishing apparatus 1A-1 and 1A-2 to the post-CMP cleaner 150.
The first and second polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2 operate to process the received wafers according to the method described above with respect to the polishing apparatus 1A of
The post-CMP cleaner 150 operates to clean the wafers that have been polished in the polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2. The post-CMP cleaner 150 includes an input station 152, a cleaning station 153 and a drying station 154. In operation, the post-CMP cleaner 150 receives polished wafers transferred by the wafer transfer device 50 at the input station 152, cleans the wafers at the cleaning station 153 and then dries the wafers at the drying station 154. The dried wafers are then transferred to the wafer cassette unit 105 by the wafer transfer device 110.
In the illustrated embodiment, the wafer transfer devices 50 and 110 are single arm devices. That is, each of the wafer transfer devices 50 and 110 includes a single robotic arm to hold and transfer one wafer at a time. In other embodiments, one or both of the wafer transfer devices 50 and 110 may be dual arm devices. In an embodiment in which the wafer transfer device 110 includes dual arms, a first arm of the wafer transfer device 110 may be used exclusively to transfer wafers from the wafer cassette unit 105 to the buffer station 120, and a second arm of the wafer transfer device 110 may be used exclusively to transfer wafers from the drying station 154 of the post-CMP cleaner 150 to the wafer cassette unit 105. Similarly, in an embodiment in which the wafer transfer device 50 includes dual arms, a first arm of the wafer transfer device 50 may be used exclusively to transfer wafers from the buffer station 120 to the first wafer load-unload stations 15a of the polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2, and a second arm of the wafer transfer device 50 may be used exclusively to transfer wafers from the first wafer load-unload stations 15a of the polishing apparatuses 1A-1 and 1A-2 to the input station 152 of the post-CMP cleaner 150. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first arm of the wafer transfer device 110 may have a flipping mechanism such that the first arm can flip the wafers before unloading them onto the buffer station 120. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second arm of the wafer transfer device 50 may have a flipping mechanism such that the second arm can flip the wafers before unloading them onto the input station 152 of the post-CMP cleaner 150.
Turning now to
In the illustrated embodiment, one of the ends of the first washing arm 51a is connected to the rotational shaft 30 between the first supporting arm 45a and the second supporting arm 45b such that the first washing arm 51a extends radially from the rotational shaft 30. The first washing arm 51a is of sufficient length so that the other end of the first washing arm 51a can reach at least the center of the first polishing surface 10a, as shown in
Similarly, one of the ends of the second washing arm 51b is connected to the rotational shaft 30 between the second supporting arm 45b and the third supporting arm 45c such that the second washing arm 51b extends radially from the rotational shaft 30. The second washing arm 51b is of sufficient length so that the other end of the second washing arm 51b can reach at least the center of the second polishing surface 10b, as shown in
Similarly, one of the ends of the third washing arm 51c is connected to the rotational shaft 30 between the third supporting arm 45c and the first supporting arm 45a such that the third washing arm 51c extends radially from the rotational shaft 30. The third washing arm 51c is of sufficient length so that the other end of the third washing arm 51c can reach at least the center of the third polishing surface 10c, as shown in
As shown in
In other embodiments, the first, second and third washing arms 51a-51c can be connected to a second rotational shaft (now shown) that is coupled to a second rotational-and-vertical drive mechanism (not shown) instead of being connected to the rotational shaft 30. Thus, the rotational and vertical motions of the second rotational shaft are controlled independently from the first rotational shaft 30. Consequently, the movements of the first, second and third washing arms 51a-51c can be independent from the movements of the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c.
Turning now to
Even though the polishing apparatus 1C is described herein as having three polishing surfaces 10a-10c, three polishing heads 20a-20c, one wafer load-unload station 15a, and two wafer washing station 15b′ and 15c′, the polishing apparatus 1C according different embodiments of the invention can have different numbers of polishing heads, polishing surfaces, wafer load-unload stations and wafer washing stations. In general, the polishing apparatus 1C comprises N polishing heads, N polishing surfaces, one wafer load-unload station and N−1 wafer washing stations, where N is an integer larger than one. Although not shown, the polishing apparatus 1C may further include washing arms, such as the washing arms 51a-51c of the polishing apparatus 1B, to treat the polishing surfaces 10a-10c, the wafer load-unload station 15a, and the washing stations 15b′ and 15c′ with fluid, such as DI water and/or chemicals, in order to remove slurry residue or polishing by-products.
With reference to
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing process is completed, the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are rotationally moved in unison to the first washing station 15b′, the second washing station 15c′ and the first load-unload station 15a, respectively, thereby transferring the first wafer W1 from the first polishing surface 10a to the first washing station 15b′. The first polishing head 20a and the first wafer W1 are then washed at the first washing station 15b′. At the first and second washing stations 15b′ and 15c′, wafers are not unloaded onto the washing stations. The second wafer W2 is also loaded onto the third polishing head 20c from the wafer load-unload station 15a.
The first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are then rotationally moved to the second, third and first polishing surfaces 10b, 10c and 10a, respectively. After the second wafer W2 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a, a third wafer W3 is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying a second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
The second wafer W2 is also polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the third polishing head 20c. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a by the third polishing head 20c, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing processes are completed, the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are rotationally moved to the second washing station 15c′, the first load-unload station 15a and the first washing station 15b′, respectively, thereby transferring the first wafer W1 from the second polishing surface 10b to the second washing station 15c′ and transferring the second wafer W2 from the first polishing surface 10a to the first washing station 15b′. The first polishing head 20a and the first wafer W1 are then washed at the second washing station 15c′. The third polishing head 20c and the second wafer W2 are also washed at the first washing station 15b′. The third wafer W3 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the wafer load-unload station 15a.
The first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are then rotationally moved to the third, first and second polishing surfaces 10c, 10a and 10b, respectively.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the third polishing surface 10c by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the third polishing surface 10c involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the third polishing surface 10c by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the third polishing surface 10c and supplying a third slurry to the third polishing surface 10c.
The second wafer W2 is also polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the third polishing head 20c. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the second polishing surface 10b by the third polishing head 20c, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying the second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
The third wafer W1 is also polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the second polishing head 20b. This polishing process of the third wafer W3 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the third wafer W3 on the first polishing surface 10a by the second polishing head 20b, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing processes are completed, the first, second and third polishing heads 20a-20c are rotationally moved to the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the first washing station 15b′ and the second washing station 15c′, respectively, thereby transferring the first wafer W1 from the third polishing surface 10c to the first wafer load-unload station 15a, transferring the second wafer W2 from the second polishing surface 10b to the second washing station 15c′ and transferring the third wafer W3 from the first polishing surface 10a to the first washing station 15b′.
The first wafer W1 is then unloaded onto the first load-unload station 15a. The first polishing head 20a and the first wafer W1 may be washed at the wafer load-unload station 15a. The first wafer W1 is then removed from the first load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. After the first wafer W1 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a, a fourth wafer W4 is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. The third polishing head 20c and the second wafer W2 are washed at the second washing station 15c′. The second polishing head 20b and the third wafer W3 are also washed at the first washing station 15b′.
During the washing processes at the wafer load-unload station 15a, the first washing station 15b′ and the second washing station 15c′, the polishing surfaces 10a-10c can be simultaneously washed using the washing arms 51a-51c.
In this sequential manner, wafers can be processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a-10c of the polishing apparatus 1C. A first group of wafers are polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using exclusively the first polishing head 20a. Similarly, a second group of wafers are polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using exclusively the third polishing head 20c. Similarly, a third group of the wafers are polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using exclusively the second polishing head 20b. In an embodiment, the first set of wafers includes every third wafer starting from the first wafer, the second set of wafers includes every third wafer starting from the second wafer, and the third set of wafers includes every third wafer starting from the third wafer.
With reference to
The pivoting wafer transfer device 121 includes a wafer load-unload cup 122, which is connected to a rotational shaft 126 through an arm 124. The shaft 126 is coupled to a pivoting-and-vertical drive mechanism 128, which controls pivoting and vertical motions of the wafer load-unload cup 122. The wafer load-unload cup 122 may be similar to the wafer load-unload station 15′.
The pivoting wafer transfer device 121 operates to pivot the wafer load-unload cup 122 between a parking position X and a wafer transfer position Y, as shown in
At the parking position X, the wafer load-unload cup 122 is able to transfer wafers with the wafer transfer device 50, as illustrated in
With reference
At the wafer transfer position Y, the first wafer W1 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the wafer load-unload cup 122 of the pivoting wafer transfer device 121. After the first wafer W1 is removed from the wafer load-unload cup 122, the wafer load-unload cup 122 is pivoted back to the parking position X to receive the next wafer. The first wafer W1 is then transferred from the wafer transfer position Y to the first polishing surface 10a by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a. The first wafer W1 is then further processed in the polishing apparatus 1D in the same manner as in the polishing apparatus 1A. The subsequent wafers are sequentially processed in the same manner as the first wafer W1.
In this sequential manner, wafers are processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using the polishing heads 20a-20c. This sequential manner is similar to the sequential manner of processing wafers in the polishing apparatus 1A except that the wafers that will be polished in the polishing apparatus 1D are supplied to the first polishing head 20a by the wafer load-unload cup 122 at the wafer transfer position Y over the first wafer load-unload station 15a.
With reference to
However, after the polishing process on the polishing surface 10c is completed, each polished wafer is transferred to the wafer transfer position Y over the first wafer load-unload station 15a by rotationally moving the third polishing head 20c. The wafer is then unloaded onto the wafer load-unload cup 122 of the pivoting wafer transfer device 121 at the wafer transfer position Y. The wafer load-unload cup 122 is then pivoted to the parking position X, thereby transferring the wafer to the parking position X. In addition, the third polishing head 20c is rotationally moved back to the third wafer load-unload station 15c to further process the next wafer. The wafer on the wafer load-unload cup 122 is then removed from the wafer load-unload cup 122 at the parking position X by the wafer transfer device 50. Subsequent wafers are sequentially processed in the same manner.
In this sequential manner, wafers are processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using the polishing heads 20a-20c. This sequential manner is similar to the sequential manner of processing wafers in the polishing apparatus 1A except that the wafers polished in the polishing apparatus 1D are removed from the third polishing head 20c to the wafer load-unload cup 122 at the wafer transfer position Y over the first wafer load-unload station 15a.
With reference to
At the wafer transfer position Y, the first wafer W1 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the wafer load-unload cup 122 of the pivoting wafer transfer device 121. After the first wafer W1 is removed from the wafer load-unload cup 122, the wafer load-unload cup 122 is pivoted back to the parking position X to receive the next wafer to be processed. The first wafer W1 is transferred from the wafer transfer position Y to the first polishing surface 10a by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing process is completed, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first polishing head 20a and the first wafer W1 are washed with DI water and/or chemicals at the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first polishing head 20a is then rotationally moved to the second polishing surface 10b. For this third method, the second wafer load-unload station 15b can be replaced with the first wafer washing station 15b′ of the polishing apparatus 1C since wafers do not have to be unloaded and loaded at the second wafer load-unload station 15b.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying a second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
After the polishing process is completed, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved to the third wafer load-unload station 15c. The first polishing head 20a and the first wafer W1 are washed with DI water and/or chemicals at the third wafer load-unload station 15c. The first polishing head 20a is then rotationally moved to the third polishing surface 10c. For this third method, the third wafer load-unload station 15c can be replaced with the second wafer washing station 15c′ of the polishing apparatus 1C since wafers do not have to be unloaded and loaded at the third wafer load-unload station 15c.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the third polishing surface 10c by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the third polishing surface 10c involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the third polishing surface 10c by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the third polishing surface 10c and supplying a third slurry to the third polishing surface 10c.
After the polishing process is completed, the first wafer W1 is transferred to the first wafer load-unload station 15a by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a. The first wafer W1 is then unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a from the first polishing head 20a. The first wafer W1 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. Subsequent wafers are sequentially processed in the same manner as the first wafer W1 using one of the polishing heads 20a-20c on a rotational basis. Thus, the next wafer is processed using the polishing head 20c.
In this sequential manner, wafers are processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using a particular polishing head for each of the wafers. This sequential manner is similar to the sequential manner of processing wafers in the polishing apparatus 1D according to the first method except that the wafers polished in the polishing apparatus 1D are processed by dedicated polishing heads in this third method. A first group of wafers are polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using exclusively the first polishing head 20a. Similarly, a second group of wafers are polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using exclusively the third polishing head 20c. Similarly, a third group of the wafers are polished on the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using exclusively the second polishing head 20b. In an embodiment, the first set of wafers includes every third wafer starting from the first wafer, the second set of wafers includes every third wafer starting from the second wafer, and the third set of wafers includes every third wafer starting from the third wafer.
With reference to
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a. The first wafer W1 is then processed in the same manner as the third method of processing wafers in the polishing apparatus 1D up to and including the polishing process on the third polishing surface 10c.
After the polishing process is completed at the polishing surface 10c, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved to the wafer transfer position Y over the first wafer load-unload station 15a. The wafer load-unload cup 122 is also pivoted to the wafer transfer position Y. The first wafer W1 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a onto the wafer load-unload cup 122 at the wafer transfer position Y. After the first wafer W1 is unloaded onto the wafer load-unload cup 122, the wafer load-unload cup 122 is pivoted to the parking position X, where the first wafer W1 is removed from the wafer load-unload cup 122 by the wafer transfer device 50. Subsequent wafers are sequentially processed in the same manner as the first wafer W1 using one of the polishing heads 20a-20c on a rotational basis.
In this sequential manner, wafers are processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using a particular polishing head for each of the wafers. This sequential manner is similar to the sequential manner of processing wafers in the polishing apparatus 1D according to the second method except that the wafers polished in the polishing apparatus 1D are processed by dedicated polishing heads.
Turning now to
As shown in
With reference to
At the position shown in
Therefore, it is possible to move the polishing heads 20a-20c individually from their respective wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c to the adjacent polishing surfaces 10a-10c such that the polishing heads 20a-20c can start polishing processes on their respective polishing surfaces individually as soon as the polishing heads 20a-20c are ready to do so.
In some embodiments, each wafer can be processed in the polishing apparatus 1E using the polishing heads 20a-20c in a manner similar to the method described above with respect to the polishing apparatus 1A. In other embodiments, each wafer can be processed in the polishing apparatus 1E using one of the polishing heads 20a-20b in a manner similar to the method described above with respect to the polishing apparatus 1C.
With reference to
At the position shown in
Therefore, it is possible to move the polishing heads 20a-20c individually from their respective polishing surfaces 10a-10c to the adjacent wafer load-unload stations 15a-15c such that the unloading or washing processes can be individually initiated at the respective wafer load-unload stations as soon as the polishing processes are finished at the polishing surfaces.
In some embodiments, each wafer can be processed in the polishing apparatus 1E using the polishing heads 20a-20c in a manner similar to the method described above with respect to the polishing apparatus 1A. In other embodiments, each wafer can be processed in the polishing apparatus 1E using one of the polishing heads 20a-20b in a manner similar to the method described above with respect to the polishing apparatus 1C.
Turning now to
In this embodiment, the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b are linearly aligned with the rotational axis 36 of the rotation assembly 12F along the X axis. As an example, the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b are positioned such that the centers of the polishing surfaces and the rotational axis 36 define a straight line 11a parallel to the X axis, as illustrated in
In an alternative embodiment, the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b are positioned such that the line 11b defined by the centers of the wafer load-unload stations and the rotational axis 36 is not parallel to the Y axis, as illustrated in
The polishing apparatus 1A of
With reference to
Initially, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively. A first wafer W1 to be processed is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. The first wafer W1 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a. After the first wafer W1 is loaded onto the first polishing head 20a, the first wafer W1 is transferred from the first wafer load-unload station 15a to the first polishing surface 10a by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a to the first polishing surface 10a. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively, as illustrated in
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing process is completed, the first wafer W1 is transferred from the first polishing surface 10a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a from the first polishing surface 10a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15a, respectively.
The first wafer W1 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a onto the second wafer load-unload station 15b. After the first wafer W1 is unloaded, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved back to the first wafer load-unload station 15a. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively.
The second wafer W2 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the wafer load-unload station 15a. The first wafer W1 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the wafer load-unload station 15b. The second wafer W2 and the first wafer W1 are then transferred to the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b in unison to the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively, as illustrated in
The second wafer W2 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
The first wafer W1 is also polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying a second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
After the polishing processes are completed, the first and second wafers W1 and W2 are transferred to the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15a, respectively.
The second wafer W2 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a onto the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first wafer W1 is also unloaded from the second polishing head 20b onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a. After the first and second wafers W1 and W2 are unloaded, the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are rotationally moved back to the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively.
Next, the first wafer W1 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50 and a third wafer W3 is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. The second and third wafers W2 and W3 are processed further in the polishing apparatus 1F of
In this sequential manner, multiple wafers can be continuously transferred between the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b and the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b of the polishing apparatus 1F, and polished on the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b by the polishing heads 20a and 20b.
With reference to
Initially, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively. A first wafer W1 to be processed is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. The first wafer W1 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a. After the first wafer W1 is loaded onto the first polishing head 20a, the first wafer W1 is transferred from the first wafer load-unload station 15a to the first polishing surface 10a by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a to the first polishing surface 10a. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively, as illustrated in
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing process is completed, the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are rotationally moved in unison to the wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15a, respectively. The first polishing head 20a and the first wafer W1 are then washed with DI water and/or chemicals at the second wafer load-unload station 15b. For this method, the second wafer load-unload station 15b can be replaced with the first wafer washing station 15b′ of the polishing apparatus 1C since wafers do not have to be unloaded and loaded at the second wafer load-unload station 15b. Also, the second wafer W2 is loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the wafer load-unload station 15a.
The first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are then rotationally moved in unison to the polishing surfaces 10b and 10a, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10b and 10a, respectively.
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying a second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
The second wafer W2 is also polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the second polishing head 20b. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a by the second polishing head 20b, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing processes are completed, the first and second wafers W1 and W2 are transferred to the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b in unison. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively.
The second polishing head 20b and the second wafer W2 are then washed with DI water and/or chemicals at the second wafer load-unload station 15b. At the same time, the first wafer W1 is unloaded from the first polishing head 20a onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a. The first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are then rotationally moved to the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively, as illustrated in
After the first polishing head 20a has moved away from the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the first wafer W1 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50 and a third wafer W3 is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50. The second and third wafers W2 and W3 are processed further in the polishing apparatus 1F of
In this sequential manner, wafers are processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b using a particular polishing head for each of the wafers. That is, in this embodiment, wafers are polished in the polishing apparatus 1F by dedicated polishing heads.
In some embodiments, the rotation assembly 12F of the polishing apparatus 1F may include one or more washing arms (not shown), such as the washing arms 51a-51c of the polishing apparatus 1B, to treat the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b and the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b with fluid, such as DI water and/or chemicals, as the rotation assembly 12F is rotated about the rotational axis 36 in order to remove slurry residue or polishing by-products. As an example, the rotation assembly 12B of the polishing apparatus 1F may include two washing arms (not shown) attached to the rotational shaft 30 such that the two washing arms are aligned with the line 11b when the polishing heads 20a and 20b are aligned with the line 11a.
In some embodiments, the wafer load-unload station 15b of the polishing apparatus 1F may be replaced with a wafer washing station, such as the wafer washing stations 15b′ and 15c′ of the polishing apparatus 1C. In these embodiments, each wafer is processed in the polishing apparatus 1F by a dedicated polishing head, either the polishing head 20a or 20b. Furthermore, each wafer is not unloaded onto the wafer station 15b since the same polishing head is used to sequentially polish each wafer on the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b. In these embodiments, the wafer station 15b is used to wash the polishing heads 20a and 20b and the wafers being held by the polishing heads when one of the polishing heads is rotationally moved over the wafer station 15b.
In some embodiments, the rotation assembly 12F of the polishing apparatus 1F may be configured to include head pivoting mechanisms and pivoting arms (not shown), such as the head pivoting mechanisms 27a-27c and pivoting arms 47a-47c of the polishing apparatus 1E, so that each of the polishing heads 20a-20c can be independently pivoted about a respective pivoting axis, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the polishing apparatus 1F may further include a pivoting wafer transfer device (not shown), such as the pivoting wafer transfer device 121 of the polishing apparatus 1D, to load wafers onto the polishing heads 20a and 20b or to unload wafers from the polishing heads at the wafer load-unload station 15a. Thus, the pivoting wafer transfer device of the polishing apparatus 1F is positioned near the wafer load-unload station 15a so that the pivoting wafer transfer device can be pivoted over the wafer load-unload station 15a and also can be pivoted away from the wafer load-unload station 15a. Similar to the pivoting wafer transfer device 121 of the polishing apparatus 1D, the pivoting wafer transfer device of the polishing apparatus 1F may be used to receive wafers to be polished in the polishing apparatus 1F or to receive wafers that have been polished in the polishing apparatus 1F.
Turning now to
The first polishing surface 10a is positioned between the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b. The second polishing surface 10b is positioned between the second and third wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c. The wafer transfer device 50 is situated near the first and third wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15c to access both of the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15c.
In some embodiments, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved exclusively between the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the first polishing surface 10a and the second wafer load-unload station 15b. Similarly, the second polishing head 20b is rotationally moved exclusively between the second wafer load-unload station 15b, the second polishing surface 10b and the third wafer load-unload station 15c. The wafer transfer device 50 operates to provide wafers to be polished to the first wafer load-unload station 15a and to remove polished wafers from the third wafer load-unload station 15c.
With reference to
The first wafer W1 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying a first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
After the polishing process is completed, the first wafer W1 is transferred from the first polishing surface 10a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b by rotationally moving the first polishing head 20a from the first polishing surface 10a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. As a result, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c, respectively.
The first wafer W1 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a to the second wafer load-unload station 15b. After the first wafer W1 is unloaded, the first polishing head 20a is rotationally moved back to the first wafer load-unload station 15a. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively, as illustrated in
The second wafer W2 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the wafer load-unload station 15a. The first wafer W1 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the wafer load-unload station 15b. The first and second wafer W1 and W2 are then transferred to the second and first polishing surfaces 10b and 10a, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b in unison to the first and second polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b, respectively. After the second wafer W2 is removed from the first wafer load-unload station 15a, a third wafer W3 is transferred to and unloaded onto the first wafer load-unload station 15a by the wafer transfer device 50.
The second wafer W2 is then polished on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a. This polishing process of the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a involves rotating and pressing the second wafer W2 on the first polishing surface 10a by the first polishing head 20a, rotating the first polishing surface 10a and supplying the first slurry to the first polishing surface 10a.
The first wafer W1 is also polished on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b. This polishing process of the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b involves rotating and pressing the first wafer W1 on the second polishing surface 10b by the second polishing head 20b, rotating the second polishing surface 10b and supplying a second slurry to the second polishing surface 10b.
After the polishing processes are completed, the second wafer W2 and the first wafer W1 are transferred to the second and third wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c, respectively, by rotationally moving the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b to the second and third wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c, respectively. After this rotational movement, the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15b and 15c, respectively.
The second wafer W2 is then unloaded from the first polishing head 20a onto the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first wafer W1 is also unloaded from the second polishing head 20b onto the third wafer load-unload station 15c. After the first and second wafers W1 and W2 are unloaded, the first and second polishing heads 20a and 20b are rotationally moved back to the first and second wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively. After this movement, the polishing heads 20a and 20b are positioned over the wafer load-unload stations 15a and 15b, respectively, as illustrated in
The third wafer W3 is then loaded onto the first polishing head 20a from the first wafer load-unload station 15a. The second wafer W2 is also loaded onto the second polishing head 20b from the second wafer load-unload station 15b. The first wafer W1 is removed from the third wafer load-unload station 15c by the wafer transfer device 50. The second and third wafers W2 and W3 are then processed further in the polishing apparatus 1G in the same sequential manner as the first wafer W1.
In this sequential manner, multiple wafers can be continuously processed through the polishing surfaces 10a and 10b of the polishing apparatus 1G using the polishing head 20a and 20b.
Turning now to
In this embodiment, the polishing heads 20a-20c, which are part of a rotation assembly 12H, are attached to the rotational shaft 30 such that the polishing heads are not equally spaced to each other around the rotational axis 36. Rather, the polishing heads 20a-20c are attached to the rotational shaft 30 such that the polishing heads 20a-20c can be positioned over the polishing surfaces 10a-10c, respectively, or positioned over three of the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15d.
In this embodiment, the supporting arms 45a-45c, the wafer load-unload stations 15a-15d and the polishing surfaces 10a-10c are arranged such that (1) the first polishing head 20a can be moved exclusively between the first wafer load-unload station 15a, the first polishing surface 20a and the second wafer load-unload station 15b; (2) the second polishing head 20b can be moved exclusively between the second wafer load-unload station 15b, the second polishing surface 20b and the third wafer load-unload station 15b; and (3) the third polishing head 20c can be moved exclusively between the third wafer load-unload station 15c, the third polishing surface 20c and the fourth wafer load-unload station 15d.
With reference to
However, after the polishing process on the polishing surface 10c is completed, the polished first wafer W1 is transferred to the fourth wafer load-unload station 15d by rotationally moving the third polishing head 20c. The first wafer W1 is then unloaded onto the fourth wafer load-unload station 15d from the third polishing head 20c, and then removed from the fourth wafer load-unload station 15d by the wafer transfer device 50. Subsequent wafers are sequentially processed in the same manner.
In this sequential manner, wafers are processed continuously through the polishing surfaces 10a-10c using the polishing heads 20a-20c. This sequential manner is similar to the sequential manner of processing wafers in the polishing apparatus 1A except that the wafers polished in the polishing apparatus 1H are removed from the third polishing head 20c to the fourth wafer load-unload station 15d before being transferred by the wafer transfer device 50.
With reference to a process flow diagram of
With reference to a process flow diagram of
With reference to a process flow diagram of
With reference to a process flow diagram of
With reference to a process flow diagram of
Although the foregoing description sets forth exemplary embodiments and methods of operation of the invention, the scope of the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments or described methods of operation. Many details have been disclosed that are not necessary to practice the invention, but have been included to sufficiently disclose the best mode of operation and manner and process of making and using the invention. Modification may be made to the specific form and design of the invention without departing from its spirit and scope as expressed in the following claims.
This application is entitled to the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60/836,278, filed on Aug. 8, 2006, 60/837,276, filed on Aug. 10, 2006, 60/840,192, filed on Aug. 25, 2006, 60/840,143, filed on Aug. 26, 2006, and 60/844,150, filed on Sep. 12, 2006, which are all incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60836278 | Aug 2006 | US | |
| 60837276 | Aug 2006 | US | |
| 60840192 | Aug 2006 | US | |
| 60840143 | Aug 2006 | US | |
| 60844150 | Sep 2006 | US |
