公开(公告)号：US12194591B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US17684285

申请日：2022-03-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Ekaterina A. Mikhaylichenko ,  Fred C. Redeker ,  Brian J. Brown ,  Chirantha Rodrigo ,  Steven M. Zuniga ,  Jay Gurusamy

IPC: B24B37/04 ,  B24B37/11

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a support configured to receive and hold a substrate in a plane, a polishing pad affixed to a cylindrical surface of a rotary drum, a first actuator to rotate the drum about a first axis parallel to the plane, a second actuator to bring the polishing pad on the rotary drum into contact with the substrate, and a port for dispensing a polishing liquid to an interface between the polishing pad and the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US12128524B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-29

申请号：US18363162

申请日：2023-08-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Steven M. Zuniga ,  Jay Gurusamy

IPC: B24B37/32

CPC classification number: B24B37/32

Abstract: A membrane for a CMP carrier head includes a circular lower portion that provides a substrate mounting surface for a central region of a substrate, a first plurality of flaps that extend upward from the circular lower portion to form a plurality of inner chambers, an annular upper portion that provides a lower surface for applying pressure to an annular outer region of the substrate, and a second plurality of flaps that extend upward from the annular upper portion to form a plurality of independently pressurizable outer chambers. The annular upper portion surrounds the circular lower portion and is vertically offset from the circular lower portion such that the lower surface is positioned above a plane defined by the circular lower portion, and the annular upper portion is coupled to an outermost flap of the first plurality of flaps.

公开(公告)号：US20240139906A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-02

申请号：US18494632

申请日：2023-10-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jeonghoon Oh ,  Steven M. Zuniga ,  Christopher Heung-Gyun Lee ,  Ekaterina A. Mikhaylichenko ,  Ghunbong Cheung ,  Huanbo Zhang ,  Jay Gurusamy ,  David J. Lischka

IPC: B24B49/02 ,  B24B37/07 ,  B24B37/12 ,  B24B49/08

CPC classification number: B24B49/02 ,  B24B37/07 ,  B24B37/12 ,  B24B49/08

Abstract: A controller of a chemical mechanical polishing system is configured to cause a carrier head to sweep across a polishing pad in accord with a sweep profile. The controller is also configured to select values for a plurality of control parameters to minimize a difference between a target removal profile and an expected removal profile. The plurality of control parameters include a plurality of dwell time parameters. A relationship between the plurality of control parameters and a removal rate is stored in a data structure representing a first matrix which includes a plurality of columns including a column for each dwell time parameter and a row for each position on the substrate represented in the expected removal profile, and the controller is configured to, as part of selection of the values, calculate the expected removal profile by multiplying the first matrix by a second matrix representing control parameter values.

公开(公告)号：US11904429B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-20

申请号：US17495679

申请日：2021-10-06

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Steven M. Zuniga ,  Andrew Nagengast ,  Jay Gurusamy

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/12 ,  B24B37/20 ,  B24B37/02

CPC classification number: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/02 ,  B24B37/12 ,  B24B37/20

Abstract: An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a substrate is described herein. The apparatus includes an extension disposed between a retaining ring and a chucking membrane. The extension is disposed radially outward from the edge of the substrate and is configured to contact the retaining ring during substrate processing. The extension provides a repeatable and controlled point of contact between the retaining ring and the chucking membrane. The extension may have multiple configurations, such that the contact point between the retaining ring and the chucking membrane is set at a pre-determined location or such that the contact point is moveable by an adjustable stop.

公开(公告)号：US11623321B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-11

申请号：US17087941

申请日：2020-11-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Andrew Nagengast ,  Steven M. Zuniga ,  Jay Gurusamy

IPC: B24B37/32 ,  B24B49/16 ,  B24B37/005 ,  H01L21/306

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a polishing module, a retaining ring, wherein the retaining ring includes a protrusion on a radially outward edge, and a plurality of load pins disposed through the retaining ring.

公开(公告)号：US20220324081A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-13

申请号：US17634534

申请日：2020-08-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jay Gurusamy ,  Steven M. Zuniga

IPC: B24B37/34 ,  B24B37/32 ,  B24B53/017

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing touch-up tool includes a pedestal configured to support a substrate, a plurality of jaws configured to center the substrate on the pedestal, a loading ring to apply pressure to an annular region on a back side of the substrate on the pedestal, a polishing ring to bring a polishing material into contact with an annular region on a front side of the substrate that is aligned with the annular region on the back side of the substrate, and a polishing ring actuator to rotate the polishing ring to cause relative motion between the polishing ring and the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20210402549A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-30

申请号：US17359419

申请日：2021-06-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Steven M. Zuniga ,  Jay Gurusamy ,  Andrew J. Nagengast ,  Vladimir Galburt

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/32

Abstract: A carrier head for a polishing system includes a housing, a flexible membrane, a first plurality of pressure supply lines, a second plurality of pressure supply lines, and a valve assembly. The flexible membrane defines a multiplicity of independently pressurizable chambers. The valve assembly has a multiplicity of valves with each respective valve of the multiplicity of valves coupled to a respective pressure chamber from the multiplicity of independently pressurizable chambers. Each respective valve is configured to selectively couple the respective pressure chamber to one pressure supply line from a pair of pressure supply lines that include a pressure supply line from the first plurality of pressure supply lines and a pressure supply line from the second plurality of pressure supply lines.

公开(公告)号：US10786885B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-29

申请号：US15875867

申请日：2018-01-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Robert D. Tolles ,  Gregory E. Menk ,  Eric Davey ,  You Wang ,  Huyen Karen Tran ,  Fred C. Redeker ,  Veera Raghava Reddy Kakireddy ,  Ekaterina Mikhaylichenko ,  Jay Gurusamy

IPC: B24D11/00 ,  H01L21/306 ,  C09K3/14 ,  B24D3/22 ,  B24B37/26 ,  B24B37/20

Abstract: A method and apparatus for polishing a substrate that includes a polishing article comprising a polymeric sheet having a raised surface texture, which is formed on the surface of the polymeric sheet is provided. According to one or more implementations of the present disclosure, an advanced polishing article has been developed, which does not require abrasive pad conditioning. In some implementations of the present disclosure, the advanced polishing article comprises a polymeric sheet having a polishing surface with a raised surface texture or “micro-features” and/or a plurality of grooves or “macro-features” formed in the polishing surface. In some implementations, the raised surface texture is embossed, etched, machined or otherwise formed in the polishing surface prior to installing and using the advanced polishing article in a polishing system. In one implementation, the raised features have a height within one order of magnitude of the features removed from the substrate during polishing.

公开(公告)号：US20250114896A1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-10

申请号：US18481513

申请日：2023-10-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Lau ,  Jeonghoon Oh ,  Ekaterina A. Mikhaylichenko ,  Andrew J. Nagengast ,  Takashi Fujikawa ,  Kuen-Hsiang Chen ,  Jay Gurusamy ,  Steven M. Zuniga ,  Huanbo Zhang

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/10 ,  B24B37/20

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes: an inner platen to support an inner polishing pad; an annular outer platen to support an outer polishing pad; a carrier head to hold a substrate; one or more motors to rotate the inner platen about a vertical axis at a first rotation rate and to rotate the outer platen about the vertical axis at a second rotation rate; and a controller configured to select values for multiple control parameters to minimize a difference between a target removal profile and an expected removal profile, the multiple control parameters including a first parameter representing a difference in rotational speeds between the inner and outer platens. The outer polishing pad can coaxially surround the inner platen, and an outer edge of the inner platen and an inner edge of the outer platen can be separated by a gap.

公开(公告)号：US20250108473A1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-03

申请号：US18376282

申请日：2023-10-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Andrew J. Nagengast ,  Jeonghoon Oh ,  Kuen-Hsiang Chen ,  Steven M. Zuniga ,  Takashi Fujikawa ,  Jay Gurusamy ,  Ekaterina A. Mikhaylichenko ,  Eric Lau ,  Huanbo Zhang ,  Welarumage Ravin Fernando

IPC: B24B37/005 ,  B24B37/04 ,  B24B37/24 ,  B24B49/16

Abstract: Chemical mechanical polishing system and method include a substrate is loaded into a carrier head having a housing having an upper carrier body and a lower carrier body, and a membrane assembly beneath the lower carrier body. A space between the lower carrier body and the membrane assembly defines a pressurizable chamber, a distance from a sensor in the lower carrier body to the membrane assembly is measured, and pressure in the pressurizable chamber is controlled based on the measured distances to maintain a consistent total downforce on the membrane assembly as the distance between the sensor and the membrane assembly changes.