Method and apparatus for concurrent pad conditioning and wafer buff in chemical mechanical polishing
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United States of America Patent
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May 22, 2001
Grant Date -
N/A
app pub date -
Oct 1, 1997
filing date -
Oct 1, 1997
priority date (Note) -
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Abstract
Provided are an apparatus and method for concurrently pad conditioning and wafer buffing on a single station of a CMP apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a two-sided conditioning/buffing device having a pad conditioner on one side and a buff pad on the other. In operation, the device is inserted between a polishing pad and a polished wafer following CMP. A differential velocity is developed between the pad conditioner and the polishing pad, for example, by contacting the pad conditioner with a rotating or orbiting polishing pad. Concurrently, the polished wafer is contacted with the buff pad on the other side of the device, and a differential velocity is developed between the two, for example, by rotating the wafer, so that the wafer is buffed. Once conditioning and buffing are completed, the finished wafer is removed from the buffing pad and stored or removed from the CMP apparatus, and the conditioning/buffing device is removed and positioned away from the polishing pad, which is now ready to receive and polish another wafer. This concurrent conditioning and buffing allows all stations on a CMP apparatus to be used for polishing, and improves the through-put of the apparatus.
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