Retaining ring for lower wafer defects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016271750-A1
Application number	US-201615074089-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A retaining ring and a chemical mechanical planarization system (CMP) are disclosed. In one embodiment, a retaining ring for a polishing system includes a ring-shaped body having a polished inner diameter. The body has a bottom surface having grooves formed therein, an outer diameter wall, and an inner diameter wall, wherein the inner diameter wall is polished to a roughness average (R a ) of less than about 30 microinches (μin).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A retaining ring for a polishing system, the retaining ring comprising:
a ring-shaped body having:
a bottom surface having grooves formed therein,
an outer diameter wall; and
an inner diameter wall having a diameter selected to accommodate a semiconductor substrate, wherein the inner diameter wall is polished to a roughness average (R a ) of less than about 30 microinches (μin).

2 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the ring-shaped body further comprises:
a lower portion having a polished lower inner diameter and the grooves formed therein; and an upper portion having a polished upper inner diameter, the upper portion coupled concentrically to the lower portion.

3 . The retaining ring of claim 2 , wherein the roughness average for the lower polished inner diameter is between about 2 μin and about 10 μin.

4 . The retaining ring of claim 3 , wherein the roughness average for the lower polished inner diameter is about 4 μin.

5 . The retaining ring of claim 2 , wherein the upper portion is comprised of a metal and the lower portion is comprised of a plastic.

6 . The retaining ring of claim 2 , wherein the roughness average for the upper polished inner diameter is between about 2 μin and about 10 μin.

7 . The retaining ring of claim 6 , wherein the roughness average for the upper polished inner diameter is about 4 μin.

8 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter wall is configured to receive a semiconductor substrate having a diameter of 200 mm, 300 mm or 450 mm.

9 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter is polished to a roughness averaged of less than about 30 μin.

10 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the second portion is fabricated from a material having a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first portion.

11 . A CMP system comprising:
rotatable platen configured to support a polishing pad; a polishing head configured to urge a substrate against the polishing pad during polishing; and a retaining ring comprising:
a ring-shaped body having:
a bottom surface having grooves formed therein,
an outer diameter wall; and

an inner diameter wall, wherein the inner diameter wall is polished to a roughness average (R a ) of less than about 30 microinches (μin).

12 . The CMP system of claim 11 , wherein the ring-shaped body further comprises:
a lower portion having a polished lower inner diameter and the grooves formed therein; and an upper portion having a polished upper inner diameter, the upper portion coupled concentrically to the lower portion.

13 . The CMP system of claim 12 , wherein the roughness average for the lower polished inner diameter is between about 2 μin and about 10 μin.

14 . The CMP system of claim 13 , wherein the roughness average for the lower polished inner diameter is about 4 μin.

15 . The CMP system of claim 12 , wherein the upper portion is comprised of a metal and the lower portion is comprised of a plastic.

16 . The CMP system of claim 12 , wherein the roughness average for the upper polished inner diameter is between about 2 μin and about 10 μin.

17 . The CMP system of claim 16 , wherein the roughness average for the upper polished inner diameter is about 4 μin.

18 . The CMP system of claim 11 , wherein the inner diameter wall is configured to receive a semiconductor substrate having a diameter of 200 mm, 300 mm or 450 mm.

19 . The CMP system of claim 11 , wherein the outer diameter is polished to a roughness averaged of less than about 30 μin.

20 . The CMP system of claim 11 , wherein the second portion is fabricated from a material having a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first portion.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Hu Yongqi
• Yavelberg Simon
• Sheelavant Gangadhar
• Narendrnath Kadthala R

Classifications

• B24B37/32 Primary

  Retaining rings · CPC title