Chemical mechanical planarization membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11850702-B2
Application number	US-202217685760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2022
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) tool. The CMP tool includes a carrier and a malleable membrane coupled to the carrier and having a lower surface facing away from the carrier. The lower surface of the malleable membrane includes a first malleable material within a central region of the lower surface and a second malleable material within a peripheral region of the lower surface, which surrounds the central region. The first malleable material provides the central region of the lower surface with a first stiffness and the second malleable material provides the peripheral region of the lower surface with a second stiffness that is different than the first stiffness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) tool, comprising:
a carrier;
a malleable membrane coupled to the carrier and having a lower surface facing away from the carrier, wherein the lower surface of the malleable membrane comprises a first malleable material within a central region of the lower surface and a second malleable material within a peripheral region of the lower surface, which surrounds the central region; and
wherein the first malleable material of the lower surface provides the central region of the lower surface with a first stiffness and the second malleable material of the lower surface provides the peripheral region of the lower surface with a second stiffness that is different than the first stiffness.

2. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the second malleable material laterally contacts the first malleable material.

3. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the first malleable material and the second malleable material are different forms of a same substance.

4. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the first malleable material and the second malleable material have substantially equal thicknesses.

5. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the first malleable material and the second malleable material are silicone.

6. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the malleable membrane has a topmost surface opposing the lower surface, the topmost surface being separated from the lower surface by equal distances in the central region and in the peripheral region.

7. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the second malleable material continuously extends in a continuous and unbroken loop surrounding an outermost perimeter of the first malleable material.

8. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the malleable membrane is configured to contact a backside of a substrate during a CMP process, the lower surface of the malleable membrane being configured to contact a part, but not all of the backside of the substrate during the CMP process.

9. The CMP tool of claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the malleable membrane comprises a curved surface facing away from the carrier.

10. A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) tool, comprising:
a carrier configured to laterally surround a substrate;
a malleable membrane coupled to the carrier and having a lower surface facing away from the carrier, wherein the lower surface of the malleable membrane comprises a first malleable material within a central region of the lower surface and a second malleable material within a peripheral region of the lower surface that surrounds the central region; and
wherein the first malleable material of the lower surface has a first malleability that causes an entirety of the first malleable materials to contact the substrate and the second malleable material of the lower surface has a second malleability that is different than the first malleability and that causes a curved surface of the second malleable material to partially contact the substrate.

11. The CMP tool of claim 10 , wherein the first malleable material completely covers an entirety of a side of the second malleable material that faces the first malleable material.

12. The CMP tool of claim 10 , wherein the malleable membrane has a first thickness measured along an outermost sidewall of the malleable membrane and a second thickness measured through a lateral center of the malleable membrane, the first thickness equal to the second thickness.

13. The CMP tool of claim 10 , wherein the curved surface extends over a height that is greater than one-half of a thickness of the malleable membrane.

14. The CMP tool of claim 10 , wherein the first malleable material of the lower surface and the second malleable material of the lower surface form a smooth upper surface and a smooth lower surface of the malleable membrane.

15. A method of forming a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) membrane, comprising:
providing a malleable material within a cavity in a membrane mold, wherein the cavity comprises a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region;
heating the malleable material within the central region of the membrane mold to a first temperature to cause the malleable material to have a first malleability within the central region; and
heating the malleable material within the peripheral region of the membrane mold to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature, wherein heat applied to the malleable material within the peripheral region causes the malleable material of the membrane to have a second malleability within the peripheral region that is greater than the first malleability.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein an entirety of an outermost sidewall of the CMP membrane has the second malleability.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
attaching the CMP membrane to a carrier; and
bringing the CMP membrane into contact with a substrate, wherein an entirety of the malleable material within the central region contacts the substrate and a part, but not all, of the malleable material within the peripheral region contacts the substrate.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
attaching the CMP membrane to a carrier; and
bringing the CMP membrane into contact with a substrate, wherein the CMP membrane comprises a curved surface facing away from the substrate after being brought into contact with the substrate.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the malleable material within the central region and the peripheral region have substantially equal thicknesses.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the malleable material within the peripheral region continuously extends in a continuous and unbroken loop surrounding the malleable material within the central region.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Cheng-Ping
• Lee Ren-Dou
• Peng Sheng-Tai
• Lai Tsung-Lung
• Shieh Tzi-Yi
• Chang Chien-Wei

Classifications

• H10P52/403

  of conductive or resistive materials · CPC title

• B24B37/20

  Lapping pads for working plane surfaces · CPC title

• B24B37/015

  Temperature control · CPC title

• H10W20/062

  by smoothing of conductive parts, e.g. by planarisation · CPC title

• B24B37/32 Primary

  Retaining rings · CPC title