Retaining Ring Having Inner Surfaces with Features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016346897-A1
Application number	US-201614992763-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some implementations of a retaining ring has an inner surface having a first portion formed of multiple planar facets and a second portion that adjoins the first portion along a boundary and includes a frustoconical surface that is sloped downwardly from outside in. Some implementations of the retaining ring have a crenellated or serpentine inner surface, and/or an inner surface with alternating region of different surface properties or different tilt angles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A retaining ring comprising:
an annular body including
a top surface configured to be secured to a carrier head;
a bottom surface configured to contact a polishing surface;
an outer surface extending from the top surface at an outer top perimeter to the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter; and
an inner surface extending from the top surface at an inner top perimeter to the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter, the inner surface comprising a first portion adjacent the bottom surface and a second portion adjoining the first portion along a boundary, wherein the first portion comprises seven or more planar facets, adjacent planar facets being connected at a straight side edge, and the inner bottom perimeter defined by straight bottom edges of the planar facets, and wherein the second portion comprises a frustoconical surface that is sloped downwardly from outside in.

2 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein, the boundary comprises a plurality of curved edges, and each curved edge for a facet has a lowest point at a horizontal center of the facet.

3 . The retaining ring of claim 2 , wherein the annular body includes an upper portion and a lower portion of a different material than the upper portion.

4 . The retaining ring of claim 3 , wherein a lowest point on each curved edge is aligned to a boundary between the upper portion and the lower portion.

5 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface comprises channels extending from the outer surface to the inner surface.

6 . The retaining ring of claim 5 , wherein each channel comprises an end open to the inner surface of the body at a straight side edge.

7 . The retaining ring of claim 6 , wherein the inner surface comprises a first number of facets and the bottom surface comprises a second number of channels, and wherein the first number is a whole number times the second number.

8 . The retaining ring of claim 7 , wherein the whole number is three, four or five.

9 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface comprises between 10 and 150 facets.

10 . The retaining ring of claim 9 , wherein the inner surface comprises between 60 and 80 facets.

11 . The retaining ring of claim 10 , wherein the inner surface comprises a total of 72 facets.

12 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein the inner bottom perimeter is a regular polygon.

13 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , each planar facet intersects the frustoconical surface along a hyperbolic curve.

14 . The retaining ring of claim 1 , wherein each planar facet is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface.

15 . A method of forming a retaining ring, comprising:
joining an upper portion of the retaining ring having a frustoconical inner surface to a lower portion of the retaining ring having a cylindrical inner surface; and machining the inner surface of the lower portion and the inner surface of the upper portion to form a plurality of flat facets that intersect the frustoconical surface at a plurality of curved edges.

16 . The method of claim 15 , comprising machining the inner surface of the lower ring and the inner surface of the upper portion such that a lowest point on each curved edge is aligned to a boundary between the upper portion and the lower portion.

17 . The method of claim 15 , comprising machining the inner surface of the lower ring and the inner surface of the upper portion such that a lowest point on each curved edge is above a boundary between the upper portion and the lower portion.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein joining comprises one or more of adhering with an adhesive, connecting with a mechanical fastener, or fixing with a dovetail joint.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Reedy Steven Mark
• Yavelberg Simon
• Oh Jeonghoon
• Zuniga Steven M
• Nagengast Andrew J
• Hsu Samuel Chu-Chiang
• Dandavate Gautam Shashank

Classifications

• H10P72/7606

  characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring · CPC title

• B24B37/32 Primary

  Retaining rings · CPC title

• H01L21/30625

  Electricity · mapped topic