Apparatus for polishing a wafer and method for fabricating a semiconductor device using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12341015-B2
Application number	US-202217842962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Nov 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a polishing pad which includes a first region and a second region separated from each other by a fence, loading a wafer onto the first region, providing a slurry solution onto the first region, providing an ultrapure water onto the second region, turning the polishing pad to polish a surface of the wafer, and unloading the wafer from the polishing pad after polishing on the surface of the wafer is completed, wherein the fence includes a first fence extending from a center of the polishing pad toward an edge of the polishing pad in a first horizontal direction, and a second fence extending from the center of the polishing pad toward the edge of the polishing pad in a second horizontal direction different from the first horizontal direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for polishing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
a polishing pad which includes a first region to which a slurry solution is provided, and a second region to which an ultrapure water is provided;
a first fence which is disposed on the polishing pad, and extends from a center of the polishing pad toward an edge of the polishing pad in a first horizontal direction;
a second fence which is disposed on the polishing pad, and extends from the center of the polishing pad toward the edge of the polishing pad in a second horizontal direction different from the first horizontal direction; and
a polishing head which is disposed on the first region and onto which a wafer is loaded,
wherein the first and second regions are formed by and separated by the first and second fences, and
wherein the first fence includes:
a first guide frame extending in the first horizontal direction, and
a belt unit disposed on and which moves along and encircles a side wall of the first guide frame,

wherein the side wall connects between a top and bottom of the first guide frame.

2. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first nozzle which is disposed on one side of the first fence on the first region, and provides the slurry solution onto the first region; and
a second nozzle which is disposed on one side of the second fence on the second region, and provides the ultrapure water onto the second region.

3. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a disc which is disposed on the second region and is configured to form a plurality of grooves on an upper surface of the polishing pad,
wherein the disc includes a plurality of contact parts that are in contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad, and to form the plurality of grooves.

4. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 1 , wherein one end of the first fence and one end of the second fence are connected to each other.

5. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 1 , wherein:
the belt unit includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other.

6. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 5 , wherein the second fence includes a second guide frame that extends in the second horizontal direction and is connected to the first guide frame, and
wherein the belt unit moves along the side wall of the first guide frame and a side wall of the second guide frame.

7. An apparatus for polishing a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
a polishing pad which includes a first region and a second region completely separated from the first region;
a fence which is disposed on the polishing pad and separates the first region and the second region;
a first nozzle configured to provide a slurry solution to the first region;
a second nozzle configured to provide an ultrapure water to the second region;
a polishing head which is disposed on the first region and onto which a wafer is loaded; and
a disc which is disposed on the second region and is configured to form a plurality of grooves on an upper surface of the polishing pad,
wherein the fence includes:
a first guide frame extending in a first horizontal direction, and
a belt unit disposed on and which moves along and encircles a side wall of the first guide frame,

wherein the side wall connects between a top and bottom of the first guide frame.

8. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 7 , wherein the fence includes:
a first fence extending from a center of the polishing pad toward an edge of the polishing pad in a the first horizontal direction, and a second fence extending from the center of the polishing pad toward the edge of the polishing pad in a second horizontal direction different from the first horizontal direction.

9. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 8 , wherein the belt unit includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other.

10. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 8 , wherein one end of the first fence and one end of the second fence are connected to each other.

11. The apparatus for polishing the wafer of claim 7 , wherein the disc includes a plurality of contact parts that are in contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad, and that are configured to form the plurality of grooves.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Dong Hoon
• Min Chung Ki
• Yoon Bo Un
• Jang Ki Hoon

Classifications

• H10P52/402 Primary

  of semiconductor materials · CPC title

• H10P90/129

  by polishing · CPC title

• B24B53/017

  Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools · CPC title

• B24B37/10

  for single side lapping · CPC title

• B24B37/042

  operating processes therefor · CPC title