Claims
- 1. A chemical-mechanical planarization apparatus for planarizing an object, the apparatus comprising:
a platen assembly for holding an object having a target surface to be planarized; a polishing pad configured to contact the object during planarization with a contact portion over a contact area which is smaller in area than the target surface, the polishing pad having a noncontact portion which is not in contact with the object during planarization, the polishing pad being movable relative to the object to move the noncontact portion in contact with the object and move the contact portion out of contact with the object; and a conditioner configured to condition the noncontact portion of the polishing pad.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the polishing pad is annular.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the polishing pad has a solid circular surface for contacting the target surface with at least a portion thereof.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the noncontact portion of the polishing pad overhangs the target surface of the object, and the conditioner is disposed against the noncontact portion.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the polishing pad is selected from the group consisting of a pad for use with a loose abrasive, a pad with a fixed abrasive, and a grinding pad.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the polishing pad is rotatable relative to the object to move the noncontact portion in contact with the object and move the contact portion out of contact with the object.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the object is rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the target surface.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conditioner is configured to condition the noncontact portion of the polishing pad during planarization of the object by the polishing pad.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the conditioner is configured to condition the noncontact portion of the polishing pad continuously during planarization of the object by the polishing pad.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conditioner comprises a conditioning plate.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the conditioner comprises a diamond conditioning disk.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the conditioning plate is stationary.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the conditioning plate is rotatable.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the conditioning plate is an annular plate surrounding the target surface of the object.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the annular plate forms a retaining ring around the target surface of the object.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the annular plate includes an annular band adjacent to and surrounding an edge of the target surface, the annular band performing no conditioning on the target surface.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the annular plate is stationary, or is configured to rotate around the object or oscillate in rotation relative to the object.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the polishing pad is movable in translation across the target surface of the object and wherein the conditioning plate moves in translation with the polishing pad.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conditioner comprises a pressurized fluid to be directed to the noncontact portion of the polishing pad.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the pressurized fluid is ultrasonic energized.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the pressurized fluid comprises at least one of deionized water, KOH, and a slurry.
- 22. A method for planarizing an object by chemical mechanical planarization, the method comprising:
placing a contact portion of a polishing pad in contact with a target surface of the object to be planarized over a contact area which is smaller in area than the target surface; conditioning a noncontact portion of the polishing pad which is not in contact with the target surface of the object; and moving the polishing pad relative to the target surface of the object to move the noncontact portion in contact with the target surface of the object and move the contact portion out of contact with the target surface of the object.
- 23. The method of claim 22 wherein conditioning the noncontact portion of the polishing pad comprises dislodging particles from a surface thereof.
- 24. The method of claim 22 wherein conditioning the noncontact portion of the polishing pad comprises placing a conditioning plate in contact with the noncontact portion.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the conditioning plate is an annular plate surrounding the target surface of the object.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the annular plate is stationary, rotates around the object, or oscillates in rotation relative to the object.
- 27. The method of claim 22 wherein the polishing pad is moved in translation across the target surface of the object and the conditioning plate is moved in translation with the polishing pad.
- 28. The method of claim 22 wherein conditioning the noncontact portion of the polishing pad comprises directing a pressurized fluid to the noncontact portion.
- 29. The method of claim 22 wherein the noncontact portion of the polishing pad is conditioned during planarization of the object by the polishing pad.
- 30. The method of claim 22 wherein the noncontact portion of the polishing pad is conditioned continuously during planarization of the object by the polishing pad.
- 31. The method of claim 22 wherein the polishing pad is rotated relative to the object to move the noncontact portion in contact with the target surface of the object and move the contact portion out of contact with the target surface of the object.
- 32. The method of claim 22 wherein the object is rotated around an axis perpendicular to the target surface.
- 33. The method of claim 22 further comprising delivering an abrasive to the contact area between the polishing pad and the target surface of the object.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/164,640, filed Nov. 10, 1999, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17074-002810US), entitled “Quick Pad Release Device for Chemical Mechanical Planarization,” filed Oct. 20, 2000, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60164640 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09709972 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
10374494 |
Feb 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09693040 |
Oct 2000 |
US |
Child |
10374494 |
Feb 2003 |
US |