Polishing pad configuration and chemical mechanical polishing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016016282-A1
Application number	US-201414464633-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A polishing pad includes and upper portion and one or more lower portions. The upper portion has an upper surface for attachment to a pad carrier and a first lateral dimension. The one or more lower portions project downward from the upper portion. A bottom surface of the one or more lower portions provide a contact surface to contact a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing. Each lower portion has a second lateral dimension that is less than the first lateral dimension. A total surface area of the contact surface from the one or more lower portions is no more than 10% of a surface area of the upper surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
a substrate support configured to hold a substrate during a polishing operation; a polishing pad support; a polishing pad held by the pad support, the polishing pad having an upper portion secured to the polishing pad support and a lower portion projecting downward from the upper portion, wherein an upper surface of the upper portion abuts the polishing pad support, a bottom surface of the lower portion provides a contact surface to contact a top surface of the substrate during polishing, the contact surface being smaller than the top surface of the substrate, and the upper portion has a first lateral dimension and the lower portion has a second lateral dimension that is less than the first lateral dimension; and a drive system configured to generate relative motion between the substrate support and the polishing pad support.

2 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the polishing pad support comprises a plate having a surface that spans the polishing pad, and substantially all of an upper surface of the upper portion of the polishing pad abuts the surface of the plate.

3 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 2 , further comprising an adhesive holding the polishing pad on the pad support.

4 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the polishing pad support comprises an annular member, a perimeter portion of an upper surface of the upper portion of the polishing pad abuts the annular member, and a remainder of the upper surface within the perimeter portion does not contact the polishing pad support.

5 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 4 , further comprising one or more clamps holding a perimeter section of the polishing pad on the pad support.

6 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 4 , wherein the upper portion of the polishing pad includes a flexing section having a greater flexibility than a section of the polishing pad above the contact surface.

7 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 6 , wherein the upper portion of the polishing pad comprises a polyethylene terephthalate sheet.

8 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of grooves for slurry transport on the contact surface of the lower portion of the polishing pad.

9 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of grooves have a depth less than a thickness of the lower portion.

10 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the plurality of groove extend entirely across the lower portion of the polishing pad.

11 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure chamber formed by an interior chamber of the polishing pad support, the chamber having a substrate-facing opening, and the opening being sealed by a coupling of the polishing pad to the polishing pad support.

12 . The chemical mechanical polishing system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of apertures in the upper surface of the polishing pad, and a plurality of projections from the polishing pad support that fit into the plurality of apertures to align the lower portion relative to the polishing pad support.

13 . A polishing pad, comprising:
an upper portion having an upper surface for attachment to a pad carrier, the upper portion having a first lateral dimension; and one or more lower portions projecting downward from the upper portion, a bottom surface of the one or more lower portions providing a contact surface to contact a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing, each lower portion having a second lateral dimension that is less than the first lateral dimension, and wherein a total surface area of the contact surface from the one or more lower portions is no more than 10% of a surface area of the upper surface.

14 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , wherein at least the lower portion is a polymer body of substantially uniform composition and having a plurality of pores distributed therein.

15 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , comprising a polishing layer, wherein the lower portion projecting downward is formed in the polishing layer.

16 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , wherein the pad includes a backing layer that is softer than the polishing layer

17 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , further comprising grooving for slurry transport on the bottom surface of the one or more lower portions.

18 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , wherein the one or more lower portion consist of a single projection

19 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , wherein the polishing layer includes a flexible lateral section that is thinner than the lateral section which makes up the polishing area.

20 . The polishing pad of claim 13 , wherein the lower portion is a microporous polyurethane.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Chen Hung Chih

Classifications

• B24B37/30

  for single side lapping of plane surfaces · CPC title

• B24B37/24

  characterised by the composition or properties of the pad materials · CPC title

• B24B37/11

  Lapping tools · CPC title

• B24B37/22

  characterised by a multi-layered structure · CPC title

• B24B37/10

  for single side lapping · CPC title