Claims
- 1. A carrier head for positioning a substrate on a polishing surface of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a housing forming a recess;
- a flexible membrane defining an enclosed volume in said recess, said membrane having a mounting surface for said substrate; and
- a conformable viscoelastic material disposed within said enclosed volume.
- 2. The carrier head of claim 1 further comprising a backing member to which said membrane is attached.
- 3. The carrier head of claim 2 further comprising a flexible connector connecting said backing member to said housing.
- 4. The carrier head of claim 1 wherein said membrane is rubber.
- 5. The carrier head of claim 1 wherein said conformable viscoelastic material is selected from the group consisting of silicone and gelatin.
- 6. The carrier head of claim 1 wherein said membrane encapsulates said conformable viscoelastic material to form said enclosed volume.
- 7. The carrier head of claim 1 further comprising a retaining ring, said retaining ring forming at least a portion of said recess.
- 8. The carrier head of claim 1 further comprising a source connected to said enclosed volume to supply the conformable viscoelastic material thereto.
- 9. A carrier for positioning a substrate on a polishing surface of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having a recess;
- a first flexible membrane portion defining a first enclosed volume in said recess;
- a second flexible membrane portion defining a second enclosed volume in said recess;
- a first conformable material having a first viscosity disposed in said first enclosed volume; and
- a second conformable material having a second viscosity different from said first viscosity and disposed in said second enclosed volume.
- 10. A carrier for positioning a substrate on a polishing surface of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a backing member which is vertically movable relative to said housing;
- a flexible connector connecting said backing member to said housing for controlling the vertical position of said backing member;
- a flexible membrane defining an enclosed volume beneath said backing member, said membrane having a mounting surface for said substrate; and
- a conformable viscoelastic material disposed in said enclosed volume.
- 11. The carrier head of claim 10 wherein said flexible connector defines a pressure chamber between said housing and said backing member.
- 12. The carrier head of claim 11 further comprising a source connected to said enclosed volume to supply the material to said enclosed volume.
- 13. The carrier head of claim 12 further comprising a flexible conduit disposed in said pressure chamber to connect said source to said enclosed volume.
Parent Case Info
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/205,276, filed on Mar. 2, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,053 by Norman Shendon, entitled Chemical Mechanical Polishing Apparatus with Improved Polishing Control, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/173,846, filed on Dec. 27, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,534 by Norman Shendon, entitled Chemical Mechanical Polishing Apparatus. Both applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
205276 |
Mar 1994 |
|
Parent |
173846 |
Dec 1993 |
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