Substrate handling systems and methods for CMP processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454036-B2
Application number	US-202117407062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Sep 8, 2020
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for sequential single-sided CMP processing of opposite facing surfaces of a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate are disclosed. A method includes urging a first surface of a substrate against one of plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens. The method includes transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station. The method includes transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to a substrate carrier loading station. The method includes urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate polishing system, comprising:
a substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support a substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
a plurality of polishing stations, each comprising a rotatable polishing platen;
a substrate carrier loading station;
a substrate handler comprising an end effector having a first side and a second side that is opposite of the first side; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising sequentially:
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of the plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to the substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station; and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing pads.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate handler further comprises an arm movable along an overhead track between the substrate alignment station and a substrate cassette disposed in a substrate holding area, and wherein the end effector is rotatably coupled to the arm.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the overhead track is aligned with a first longitudinal axis of a basin defining the substrate holding area, and wherein the end effector is rotatable about a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein (b) transferring the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to the substrate alignment station comprises engaging the end effector with the second surface of the substrate, and wherein (c) transferring the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station comprises:
rotating the end effector about the second axis by about 180 degrees; and
after rotating, engaging the first side of the end effector to the first surface of the substrate.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the substrate handler further comprises a wrist assembly configured to rotate the end effector about the second axis relative to the arm.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein rotating the end effector about the second axis by about 180 degrees reverses an orientation of the end effector first and second sides.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate carrier loading station comprises a load cup, the method further comprising:
transferring the substrate from one of the plurality of polishing stations to the load cup, wherein the first surface of the substrate is in a face down orientation with respect to the load cup after the transferring; and
transferring, the substrate from the load cup to one of the plurality of polishing stations, wherein the second surface of the substrate is in a face down orientation with respect to the load cup before the transferring.

8. A method for processing a substrate, comprising
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using a first side of an end effector, the substrate from a substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position, the substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support the substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station; and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the end effector is rotatably coupled to an arm, the method further comprising moving the arm along an overhead track between the substrate alignment station and a substrate cassette.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the arm moves along a first axis of the overhead track, the method further comprising rotating the end effector about a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein (b) transferring the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to the substrate alignment station comprises engaging the end effector with the second surface of the substrate, and wherein (c) transferring the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station comprises:
rotating the end effector about the second axis by about 180 degrees; and
after rotating, engaging the first side of the end effector to the first surface of the substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the end effector is rotatably coupled to the arm by a wrist assembly, and wherein rotating the end effector about the second axis comprises rotating the wrist assembly relative to the arm.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the end effector has a second side that is opposite of the first side, and wherein rotating the end effector about the second axis by about 180 degrees reverses an orientation of the end effector first and second sides.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate carrier loading station comprises a load cup, the method further comprising:
transferring the substrate from one of a plurality of polishing stations to the load cup, wherein the first surface of the substrate is in a face down orientation with respect to the load cup after the transferring; and
transferring, the substrate from the load cup to one of the plurality of polishing stations, wherein the second surface of the substrate is in a face down orientation with respect to the load cup before the transferring.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising:
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using a first side of an end effector, the substrate from a substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position, the substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support the substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station; and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Oh Jeonghoon
• Gajendra Manoj A
• Garcia John Anthony
• Mylappanahalli Narasingaiah Chetan Kumar
• Chavan Sanjay Bhanurao
• Dobhal Gagan
• Balakumar Manoj
• Leighton Jamie Stuart
• Nguyen Van H

Classifications

• H10P90/126

  by chemical etching · CPC title

• H10P90/124

  by processing the backside of the wafers · CPC title

• H10P90/123

  by grinding or lapping · CPC title

• H10P90/129

  by polishing · CPC title

• B24B37/30

  for single side lapping of plane surfaces · CPC title