Claims
- 1. A system for uniformly distributing an applied low force during processing the workpiece surface using an electrochemical mechanical process with a solution applied to the workpiece surface and a potential difference between an electrode and the workpiece surface, the system comprising:
a workpiece carrier for holding the workpiece in position during the electochemical mechanical processing; and a workpiece-surface-influencing-device (WSID) for uniformly distributing the applied low force to the conductive top surface of the workpiece, the WSID including a compressible material adapted to cause a top surface of the WSID to conform to the conductive top surface of the workpiece when contact and relative motion occurs between the top surface of the WSID and the conductive top surface of the workpiece.
- 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the WSID includes
a flexible top layer as the top surface; a rigid bottom layer; and a compressible intermediate layer containing the compressible material disposed in between the flexible top layer and the rigid bottom layer.
- 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the workpiece carrier is adapted to rotate the workpiece during processing.
- 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the workpiece carrier is adapted to laterally move the workpiece during processing and the applied low force is less than about one pound per square inch.
- 5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the flexible top layer comprises a single layer.
- 6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the flexible top layer comprises a composite layer.
- 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the composite layer includes an upper layer and a lower layer, and wherein the upper layer includes an abrasive disposed therein.
- 8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the thickness of the composite layer is less than 0.5 mm.
- 9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the rigid bottom layer supports the flexible top layer and the compressible intermediate layer.
- 10. The system according to claim 2, wherein the rigid bottom layer, the compressible layer, and the flexible top layer each include a plurality of openings through which the solution can pass.
- 11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of openings in the compressible layer form a plurality of channels.
- 12. The system according to claim 11 wherein at least some of the plurality of channels are parallel to each other.
- 13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the flexible top layer further includes another plurality of channels in which at least some of the plurality of channels intersect with at least some of the another plurality of channels in a cross hatch configuration.
- 14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein
the flexible top layer includes a top film and a bottom film, with the top film including an abrasive disposed therein; the another plurality of channels are formed in the top film; and the plurality of channels are formed in the bottom film.
- 15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the another plurality of channels in the bottom film and the another plurality of channels in the compressible layer are substantially aligned.
- 16. The system according to claim 2, wherein the rigid bottom layer comprises the electrode.
- 17. The system according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the flexible top layer is less than 0.5 mm.
- 18. The system according to claim 2, wherein the flexible top layer includes abrasive particles disposed therein.
- 19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the size of the abrasive particles is about 0.05-5.0 microns.
- 20. The system according to claim 2, wherein the compressible material comprises a foam or a gel.
- 21. The system according to claim 2, wherein the compressible material is selected from polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, ethyl vinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene propylene diene methyl, or combinations thereof.
- 22. The system according to claim 2, wherein the compressible intermediate layer includes open pore networks that allow the solution to pass therethrough.
- 23. The system according to claim 2, wherein the compressible intermediate layer is selected such that it would compress about 25% when a testing force of 1-10 pounds per square inch is applied.
- 24. The system according to claim 2, wherein the compressible intermediate layer is adapted to compress less than 2 mm.
- 25. The system according to claim 2, wherein the flexible top layer comprises a top film and a bottom film attached to each other.
- 26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the top film includes abrasive particles therein.
- 27. The system according to claim 25, wherein the thickness of the top film is in the range of 0.05-5.0 mm.
- 28. The system according to claim 25, wherein the thickness of the top film is in the range of 0.1-1.0 mm.
- 29. The system according to claim 25, wherein the top film contains a plurality of channels and the bottom film contains another plurality of channels such that the plurality of channels and the another plurality of channels intersect e each other in a cross hatch configuration.
- 30. The system according to claim 1 wherein the WSID includes:
at least two compressible layers, with at least one of the compressible layers containing the compressible material; a least one rigid support layer disposed in between the at least two compressible layers; and a flexible layer attached to one compressible layer, wherein the flexible layer makes contact with the workpiece surface.
- 31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the rigid support layer supports the flexible top layer and the compressible intermediate layers and wherein the applied low force is less than about one pound per square inch.
- 32. The system according to claim 30, wherein the rigid support layer, the at least two compressible layers, and the flexible layer each includes openings through which the solution can pass.
- 33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the flexible layer includes abrasive particles disposed therein.
- 34. The system according to claim 30, wherein the compressible intermediate layers include open pore networks through which the solution can pass.
- 35. The system according to claim 30, wherein the flexible top layer and at least one of the compressible intermediate layers each include a plurality of channels arranged in a cross hatch configuration and the other compressible layer and the rigid support layer contain openings of some type through which solution can pass.
- 36. The system according to claim 1, wherein the solution comprises an electroplating solution, an electro-etching solution or an electro-polishing solution.
- 37. The system according to claim 1, wherein the applied force is less than about 1 pound per square inch.
- 38 The system according to claim 1, wherein the applied force is less than 0.5 pounds per square inch.
- 39. The system according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece carrier includes a coil mechanism.
- 40. The system according to claim 1, wherein the WSID includes at least a compressible layer containing the compressible material attached to a rigid layer and the applied force is less than 0.5 pounds per square inch.
- 41. The system according to claim 40, wherein the rigid layer supports the compressible layer and a flexible top layer disposed on the compressible layer.
- 42. The system according to claim 1 wherein the top surface of the WSID has a surface area that substantially covers the entire workpiece except for an edge region.
- 43. The system according to claim 1 wherein the top surface of the WSID has a surface area that is substantially smaller than a surface area of the top conductive surface of the workpiece, and further including a mechanism for moving the WSID across the entire top conductive surface of the workpiece.
- 44. A workpiece-surface-influencing-device (WSID) for uniformly distributing an applied force to a top conductive surface of a workpiece, comprising:
a flexible layer adapted to conform to the top conductive surface of the workpiece as contact and relative movement between the top conductive surface of the workpiece and the flexible layer occurs; a compressible layer adapted to absorb the applied force and assist in providing uniformity in the applied force to the entire top conductive surface of the workpiece that is contacted by the flexible layer; and a rigid layer adapted to support the flexible and compressible layers, wherein each of the flexible layer, the compressible layer, and the rigid layer provide a unitary structure that uniformly distributes the applied force to the top conductive surface of the workpiece.
- 45. The WSID according to claim 44, wherein the flexible layer comprises a composite layer including an upper layer and a lower layer, with the upper layer including an abrasive disposed therein.
- 46. The WSID according to claim 45, wherein the upper layer and the lower layer each contain a plurality of channels arranged in a cross hatch configuration.
- 47. The WSID according to claim 44, wherein the compressible layer, the flexible layer, and the rigid layer each includes openings that allow a solution to pass therethrough.
- 48. The WSID according to claim 47 wherein the plurality of openings in the compressible layer form a plurality of channels.
- 49. The WSID according to claim 48 wherein at least some of the plurality of channels are parallel to each other.
- 50. The WSID according to claim 49 wherein the flexible layer further includes another plurality of channels in which at least some of the plurality of channels intersect with at least some of the another plurality of channels in a cross-hatch configuration.
- 51. The WSID according to claim 50 wherein
the flexible layer includes a top film and bottom film, with the top film including an abrasive disposed therein; the another plurality of channels are formed in the top film; and the plurality of channels are also formed in the bottom film.
- 52. The WSID according to claim 44, wherein the rigid layer comprises an electrode.
- 53. The WSID according to claim 44, wherein the flexible layer includes abrasive particles disposed therein.
- 54. The WSID according to claim 44 wherein the compressible layer includes a plurality of compressible layers.
- 55. The WSID according to claim 54 wherein the flexible layer includes a plurality of flexible films.
- 56. The WSID according to claim 55 wherein the rigid layer includes a plurality of rigid layers.
- 57. The WSID according to claim 54 wherein the rigid layer includes a plurality of rigid layers.
- 58. The WSID according to claim 44 wherein the compressible layer includes open pore networks that allow a solution to pass therethrough.
- 59. The WSID according to claim 44 wherein the compressible layer is adapted to compress about 25% when a testing force of 1-10 pounds per square inch is applied.
- 60. The WSID according to claim 44, wherein the compressible layer is adapted to compress less than 2 mm.
- 61. The WSID according to claim 51, wherein the top film and the bottom film are attached to each other in a cross hatch configuration.
- 62. A method for uniformly distributing an applied low force to a workpiece having a top conductive surface using a workpiece carrier and a workpiece-surface-influencing-device (WSID) during processing of the top conductive surface of the workpiece, the method comprising:
supporting the workpiece on the workpiece carrier so that the top conductive surface can be processed; during processing, causing the workpiece carrier and the WSID to move in relation to each other and the top conductive surface of the workpiece and a top surface of the WSID to contact; and while the step of causing is occurring, applying the applied low force on the top conductive surface of the workpiece using the WSID, such that the top surface of the WSID conforms to the top conductive surface of the workpiece.
- 63. The method according to claim 62 further comprising flowing a solution to the workpiece surface through the WSID.
- 64. The method according to claim 63, wherein the solution comprises an electro-plating solution, an electro-etching solution or an electro-polishing solution.
- 65. The method according to claim 62, wherein the applied low force is used to compress the WSID about 25%.
- 66. The method according to claim 62 wherein the applied low force is less than about one pound per square inch.
- 67. The method according to claim 62 wherein the applied low force is less than about 0.5 pounds per square inch.
- 68. A workpiece-surface-influencing-device (WSID) for distributing solution to a workpiece surface of a workpiece while the WSID and the workpiece surface move relative to each other, the WSID comprising:
a bottom portion having a plurality of channels that are substantially parallel to each other; a top portion having another plurality of channels that are substantially parallel to each other, such that the plurality of channels and the another plurality of channels intersect in a cross-hatch configuration to cause distribution of the solution to the workpiece surface to occur more uniformly.
- 69. The WSID according to claim 68 wherein the top portion is thinner than the bottom portion.
- 70. The WSID according to claim 69 wherein the top portion and the bottom portion are separate top and bottom layers, respectively.
- 71. The WSID according to claim 70 wherein the bottom layer contains a compressible material so that the bottom layer is compressible and will allow the WSID to conform to the workpiece surface.
- 72. The WSID according to claim 71 wherein the bottom portion further includes another flexible layer disposed between the bottom layer and the top layer, and the another flexible layer contains a further plurality of channels that are aligned with the plurality of channels.
- 73. The WSID according to claim 69 wherein the top and the bottom layers are adhered to one another.
- 74. The WSID according to claim 69 wherein the top and the bottom layers are not adhered to one another.
- 75. The WSID according to claim 69 wherein the top layer includes an abrasive disposed therein.
- 76. The WSID according to claim 69 wherein the
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/326,087 filed Sep. 28, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60326087 |
Sep 2001 |
US |