Polishing head with alignment gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393668-B2
Application number	US-201213547232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2012
Priority date	Jul 12, 2012
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for driving a body of a polishing head using an alignment gear. That is, an alignment gear, coupled to a housing of the polishing head, can transfer rotational force from the housing to the body responsive to the alignment gear being mated with a channel associated with the body. For example, the housing can supply pressure to the body, resulting in the body and the housing moving towards one another into a mated state. When the body and the housing are in the mated state, the alignment gear can mate with the channel (e.g., the alignment gear can fit within the channel). In this way, the alignment gear can drive the body by transferring rotational force to the body, resulting in the body rotating a semiconductor wafer against a polishing pad to polish the semiconductor wafer, for example.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for driving a rolling seal clamp of a polishing head, comprising:
a body configured to be selectively pressurized; and
a first alignment gear extending from an outer circumference of a housing of the polishing head configured for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the first alignment gear configured to be selectively mated with a first channel of a rolling seal clamp to which the body is attached, the first alignment gear mated with the first channel when the body is in a pressurized state and not mated with the first channel when the body is in a depressurized state.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , the first alignment gear configured to transfer rotational force through the rolling seal clamp to the body to drive the body.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 , the first alignment gear extending from less than all of the outer circumference.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 , the first alignment gear configured to transfer rotational force from the housing to the rolling seal clamp based upon the first alignment gear being mated with the first channel.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 , the first alignment gear and the housing configured as a unibody.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 , the first alignment gear attached to the housing as a separate component.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 , comprising:
a second alignment gear extending from the outer circumference of the housing, the second alignment gear mated with a second channel of the rolling seal clamp when the body is in the pressurized state.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 , comprising:
a pressure tube connected from the housing to the body and configured to supply pressure to the body.

9. The arrangement of claim 1 , the polishing head configured to polish the semiconductor wafer during chemical mechanical polishing.

10. A method for driving a body of a polishing head using an alignment gear, comprising:
pressurizing the body of the polishing head, the pressurizing changing a relative position between a rolling seal clamp to which the body is attached and a housing of the polishing head, wherein a change in the relative position causes the alignment gear, extending from an outer circumference of the housing, to mate with a first channel of the rolling seal clamp;
transferring rotational force from the housing to the body through the alignment gear and the rolling seal clamp while the alignment gear is mated with the first channel of the rolling seal clamp; and
depressurizing the body of the polishing head to un-mate the alignment gear from the first channel of the rolling seal clamp.

11. The method of claim 10 , the transferring rotational force comprising:
driving the body during chemical mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer held by the body.

12. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
applying a force to a semiconductor wafer, held by the body, toward a polishing pad concurrently with the transferring rotational force from the housing to the body.

13. The method of claim 10 , the pressurizing the body comprising:
providing pressure to the body via the housing to mate the alignment gear with the first channel.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alignment gear is in physical contact with a sidewall of the rolling seal clamp while the alignment gear is mated with the first channel.

15. A polishing head for polishing a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
a housing configured to supply pressure to a body of the polishing head through one or more pressure tubes connected from the housing to the body; and
an alignment gear extending from an outer circumference of the housing, the alignment gear configured to be selectively mated with a first channel of a rolling seal clamp to which the body is attached, the alignment gear mated with the first channel when the body is in a pressurized state and not mated with the first channel when the body is in a depressurized state.

16. The polishing head of claim 15 , comprising:
a rolling seal configured to maintain the pressurized state of the body to secure the semiconductor wafer to the body during polishing.

17. The polishing head of claim 15 , the body configured apply a force to the semiconductor wafer toward a polishing pad during polishing.

18. The polishing head of claim 15 , the alignment gear extending from less than all of the outer circumference.

19. The polishing head of claim 15 , comprising:
a retaining ring coupled to the rolling seal clamp, the retaining ring configured to stabilize the semiconductor wafer relative to the polishing head.

20. The polishing head of claim 15 , the alignment gear positioned between a second channel of the housing and the first channel, a first connector situated within the first channel and configured to hold a first end of a pressure tube of the one or more pressure tubes, a second connector situated within the second channel and configured to hold a second end of the pressure tube, the pressure tube configured to supply pressure to the body to secure the semiconductor wafer to the body.

Assignees

• Tang Pei
• Wu Kun-Tai
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg

Inventors

• Tang Pei
• Wu Kun-Tai

Classifications

• B24B37/00

  Lapping machines or devices; Accessories (B24B3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D1/0894

  with other than axial keys, e.g. diametral pins, cotter pins and no other radial clamping · CPC title

• B24B47/22 Primary

  Equipment for exact control of the position of the grinding tool or work at the start of the grinding operation · CPC title

• F16D11/00

  Clutches in which the members have interengaging parts (arrangements for synchronisation F16D23/02) · CPC title

• B24B37/30

  for single side lapping of plane surfaces · CPC title