Claims
- 1. A method of polishing comprising:
- positioning a substrate between a polishing surface and a substrate receiving surface provided by a surface of a flexible membrane, the flexible membrane connected to a housing to define a chamber;
- increasing the pressure in the chamber so that the flexible membrane presses the substrate against the polishing surface;
- creating relative motion between the polishing surface and the substrate; and
- evacuating the chamber to pull the flexible membrane away from the polishing surface, wherein a rigid member extending inside the chamber limits motion of the flexible membrane away from the polishing surface.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a retaining the substrate below the substrate receiving surface with a retainer.
- 3. A carrier for a polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a biasing member to press a substrate against a polishing surface, the biasing member including a pressurizable chamber and a flexible membrane that defines at least a lower boundary of the chamber, a lower surface of the flexible membrane providing a substrate receiving surface; and
- a plate positioned inside the chamber above the substrate receiving surface to limit upward motion of the flexible membrane.
- 4. The carrier of claim 3 further comprising a retainer projecting below the substrate receiving surface to form a substrate receiving recess.
- 5. The carrier of claim 3 wherein the biasing member includes a housing and wherein the flexible membrane extends across an opening in a bottom side of the housing.
- 6. The carrier of claim 5 wherein the housing includes an upper portion connectable to a drive shaft and a generally cylindrical wall extending downwardly from the upper portion.
- 7. The carrier of claim 5 wherein the plate is rigidly connected to an inner wall of the housing.
- 8. The carrier of claim 5 wherein the plate includes a plurality of tabs which extend into a plurality of recesses in an inner wall of the housing.
- 9. The carrier of claim 5, wherein the plate is fixed relative to the housing.
- 10. The carrier of claim 3 wherein the flexible membrane comprises a bladder.
- 11. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the flexible membrane extends substantially around the chamber.
- 12. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the flexible membrane is more elastic than the plate.
- 13. A carrier for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a pressurizable chamber closed at one end by a flexible membrane that forms a substrate receiving surface, a pressure within the chamber being adjustable to load a substrate against a polishing surface;
- a plate positioned inside the pressurizable chamber to limit motion of the flexible membrane away from the polishing surface; and
- a retainer projecting below the substrate receiving surface to form a substrate receiving recess to receive the substrate and to position the substrate against the polishing surface.
- 14. A carrier head comprising:
- a housing;
- a flexible membrane connected to the housing to define a chamber, a surface of the flexible membrane providing a substrate receiving surface; and
- a rigid member inside the chamber above the substrate receiving surface to limit upward motion of the flexible membrane.
- 15. The carrier head of claim 14 further comprising a retainer projecting below the substrate receiving surface to form a substrate receiving recess.
- 16. The carrier head of claim 14 wherein the rigid member is connected to the housing.
- 17. The carrier head claim 16 wherein the rigid member includes a plurality of tabs which extend into a plurality of recesses in an inner wall of the housing.
- 18. The carrier head of claim 15 wherein the flexible membrane comprises a bladder.
- 19. A carrier head for a polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a chamber having at least a lower boundary defined by an inner surface of a flexible membrane, an outer surface of the flexible membrane providing a substrate receiving surface, the flexible membrane being deflectable towards a polishing surface when a pressure in the chamber is increased and away from the polishing surface when a pressure in the chamber is decreased; and
- a rigid member inside the chamber to limit motion of the flexible membrane away from the polishing surface.
Parent Case Info
This is division of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/835,070, filed Apr. 4, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,718, continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/205,276, filed Mar. 2, 1994 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,053, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/173,846, filed Dec. 27, 1993 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,534.
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
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835070 |
Apr 1997 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
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Mar 1994 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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173846 |
Dec 1993 |
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