Method for operating a polishing head and method for polishing a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9987720-B2
Application number	US-201615008707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A method for operating a polishing head is provided. The method includes keeping a stator of at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector stationary with respect to a carrier head, and electromagnetically and linearly moving an active cell of the electromagnetism actuated pressure sector with the stator to linearly move the active cell with respect to the carrier head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a polishing head, the method comprising:
keeping a first portion of at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector stationary with respect to a carrier head, wherein the polishing head comprises the carrier head, and the first portion is in the carrier head; and
electromagnetically cooperating second portion of the at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector with the first portion to linearly move the second portion with respect to the carrier head, wherein at least one sector plate is connected to the second portion, and electromagnetically cooperating the second portion with the first portion is performed such that an elastic element connecting the at least one sector plate and the carrier head is elongated when the second portion moves away from the carrier head.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of the at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector is plural, each having the second portion, a number of the at least one sector plate is plural, the sector plates are respectively connected to the second portions of the electromagnetism actuated pressure sectors, and the electromagnetically cooperating comprises:
respectively moving at least two of the sector plates located on the same circumferential line relative to a center axis of the carrier head with respect to the carrier head.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of the at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector is plural, each having the second portion, a number of the at least one sector plate is plural, the sector plates are respectively connected to the second portions of the electromagnetism actuated pressure sectors, and the electromagnetically cooperating comprises:
respectively moving at least two of the sector plates located on the same radial line relative to a center axis of the carrier head with respect to the carrier head.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of the at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector is plural, each having the second portion, a number of the at least one sector plate is plural, the sector plates are respectively connected to the second portions of the electromagnetism actuated pressure sectors, and the electromagnetically cooperating comprises:
respectively moving at least two of the sector plates located on the same row of the carrier head with respect to the carrier head.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a number of the at least one electromagnetism actuated pressure sector is plural, each having the second portion, a number of the at least one sector plate is plural, the sector plates are respectively connected to the second portions of the electromagnetism actuated pressure sectors, and the electromagnetically cooperating comprises:
respectively moving at least two of the sector plates located on the same column substantially perpendicular to the row of the carrier head with respect to the carrier head.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
shortening the elastic element when the second portion moves close to the carrier head.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a movement of the at least one sector plate with respect to the carrier head by an electric current.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a pre-polished process data; and
controlling a movement of the at least one sector plate with respect to the carrier head according to the pre-polished process data.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in-situ controlling a movement of the at least one sector plate with respect to the carrier head.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sensing a displacement of the at least one sector plate; and
calibrating the carrier head according to the sensed displacement of the at least one sector plate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetically cooperating comprises:
cooperating an electromagnetism provided by the second portion and a permanent magnetism provided by the first portion to linearly move the second portion with respect to the first portion.

12. A method for polishing a substrate, the method comprising:
sensing a displacement of at least one sector, wherein the at least one sector is disposed in a carrier head;
calibrating the carrier head according to the sensed displacement of the at least one sector;
supplying slurry onto a polishing pad;
holding the substrate against the polishing pad;
electromagnetically actuating the at least one sector to telescopically move to push the substrate against the polishing pad; and
rotating at least one of the polishing pad and the substrate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a number of the at least one sector is plural, and the electromagnetically actuating the sectors comprises:
individually and electromagnetically actuating at least two of the sectors located on the same circumferential line relative to a center axis of the substrate.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein a number of the at least one sector is plural, and the electromagnetically actuating the sectors comprises:
individually and electromagnetically actuating a plurality of the sectors.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
obtaining a pre-polished process data;
wherein the electromagnetically actuating the at least one sector comprises:
electromagnetically actuating the at least one sector according to the pre-polished process data.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electromagnetically actuating the at least one sector comprises:
electromagnetically actuating the at least one sector when rotating at least one of the polishing pad and the substrate.

17. A method for polishing a substrate, the method comprising:
disposing a polishing pad on a platen;
supplying slurry onto the polishing pad;
holding the substrate against the polishing pad by a polishing head;
actuating a plurality of pressure sectors on the polishing head to telescopically move to apply localized pressures on the substrate against the polishing pad, wherein actuating the pressure sectors is performed such that an elastic element connecting one of the pressure sectors and the polishing head is shortened when said one of the pressure sectors moves close to the polishing head; and
rotating at least one of the platen and the polishing head.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the pressure sectors is electromagnetism actuated.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
sensing displacements of the pressure sectors; and
calibrating the polishing head according to the sensed displacements of the pressure sectors.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein actuating the pressure sectors is performed such that the elastic element is elongated when said one of the pressure sectors moves away from the polishing head.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suen Shich-Chang
• Chan Chin-Hsiang
• Chen Liang-Guang
• Lu Yung-Cheng

Classifications

• B24D9/08

  Circular back-plates for carrying flexible material · CPC title

• B24B49/10

  involving electrical means (B24B49/02, B24B49/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• B24B41/06

  Work supports, e.g. adjustable steadies (B24B37/27 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B37/30

  for single side lapping of plane surfaces · CPC title

• B24B37/04

  designed for working plane surfaces · CPC title