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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7314402 | Method and apparatus for controlling slurry distribution A method and apparatus for ‘through-the-pad’ delivery of slurry polishing agents directly to the land areas of a polishing pad is disclosed. The present invention further provides for improved control of the chemical composition of the slurry to address loss of ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7083501 | Methods and apparatus for the chemical mechanical planarization of electronic devices Method and apparatus for chemically and mechanically planarizing the surface of a silicon wafer which includes a compressible non-cellualar lapping surface and a slurry disposed between the wafer and the lapping surface. ... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7083515 | Clean room facility and construction method A vibration-inhibiting flooring structure for use in a facility housing vibration sensitive equipment includes a perforated bearing floor which includes a number of openings configured to inhibit the propagation of vibrations across the floor. Such a flooring struct... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7033464 | Apparatus for electrochemically depositing a material onto a workpiece surface A multi-process workpiece apparatus is disclosed. The multi-process workpiece apparatus includes an electrochemical deposition apparatus which has a wafer contacting surface having at least one electrical conductor disposed therein. The multi-process workpiece appar... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7025664 | Work piece carrier with adjustable pressure zones and barriers and a method of planarizing a work piece An apparatus for planarizing a work piece includes an easily assembled work carrier. The carrier includes a carrier insert having a work piece bladder clamped to a carrier backing plate with a plurality of clamps to form a plurality of web plenums. The outer edge of... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6974525 | Method and apparatus for electrochemical planarization of a workpiece An electrochemical planarization apparatus for planarizing a metallized surface on a workpiece includes a polishing pad and a platen. The platen is formed of conductive material, is disposed proximate to the polishing pad and is configured to have a negative charge ... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6960115 | Multiprobe detection system for chemical-mechanical planarization tool The invention is a method and apparatus for planarizing a wafer. Discrete measurements are taken across the surface of the wafer at a desired spatial density. The measurements may be generated using a flash lamp to reflect a light signal off the surface of the wafer... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6913528 | Low amplitude, high speed polisher and method A method and apparatus for improving uniformity of the rate of removal of material from the surface of a workpiece, such as semiconductor substrate, by polishing. In accordance with the invention, the workpiece is subjected to a vibratory polishing method, and optio... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6818604 | System and method for cleaning workpieces The invention relates generally to a system and method for improved cleaning of workpieces and workpiece cleaning tools. More specifically, the invention provides systems and methods for cleaning workpieces and sponges by manipulating the surface charge of one or mo... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6805613 | Multiprobe detection system for chemical-mechanical planarization tool The invention is a method and apparatus for planarizing a wafer. Discrete measurements are taken across the surface of the wafer at a desired spatial density. The measurements may be generated using a flash lamp to reflect a light signal off the surface of the wafer... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6796887 | Wear ring assembly A wear ring assembly is provided for use in a workpiece (e.g. a semiconductor wafer) polishing apparatus. The wear ring assembly comprises a wear element and a backing ring. The backing ring includes a fulcrum and is configured to transfer a component of pressure ap... | 09/28/2004 |
| 6793565 | Orbiting indexable belt polishing station for chemical mechanical polishing An apparatus for planarizing a workpiece has a web with a face which is positioned adjacent the workpiece during planarization. At least one tension assembly is configured to maintain tension of the web. An orbiting assembly is configured to orbit the web relative t... | 09/21/2004 |
| 6752442 | Workpiece handling end-effector and a method for processing workpieces using a workpiece handling end-effector A two sided wafer handling end-effector provides for the efficient loading and unloading of wafers into and out of a wafer processing apparatus. Each side of the end-effector includes spaced apart rotatable catch mechanisms between which a wafer is firmly grasped. W... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6736713 | Workpiece carrier retaining element A wafer carrier retaining ring includes a first annular surface that contacts a polishing surface during a polishing process and an inner diameter surface adjoining the first annular surface thereby forming a first annular corner. The first annular corner has a radi... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6736952 | Method and apparatus for electrochemical planarization of a workpiece An electrochemical planarization apparatus for planarizing a metallized surface on a workpiece includes a polishing pad and a platen. The platen is formed of conductive material, is disposed proximate to the polishing pad and is configured to have a negative charge ... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6702866 | Homogeneous fixed abrasive polishing pad A homogeneous fixed abrasive polishing article, or pad, including a matrix of a cured resin coated soft filler material having at least one working surface and an abrasive uniformly distributed throughout the filler material. A method for manufacturing th... | 03/09/2004 |
| 6685537 | Polishing pad window for a chemical mechanical polishing tool The present invention is an apparatus and method for manufacturing a window into a polishing pad used during a planarization process of a front surface of a wafer. A hole is created in the polishing pad at a location where a window is desired. A first rel... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6678911 | Multiple vertical wafer cleaner A multiple wafer cleaning apparatus comprising a first module (12), having a first spaced-apart brush assembly having an inner brush (21a) and an outer brush (22a), each brush having a brush pad (102) and a platen (103), and a second module (14) having a ... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6676482 | Learning method and apparatus for predictive determination of endpoint during chemical mechanical planarization using sparse sampling A method and apparatus to generate an endpoint signal to control the polishing of thin films on a semiconductor wafer surface includes a through-bore in a polish pad assembly, a light source, a fiber optic cable, a light sensor, and a computer. The light ... | 01/13/2004 |
| 6659850 | Work piece carrier with adjustable pressure zones and barriers and a method of planarizing a work piece An apparatus for planarizing a work piece includes an easily assembled work carrier. The carrier includes a carrier insert having a work piece bladder clamped to a carrier backing plate with a plurality of clamps to form a plurality of web plenums. The ou... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6641462 | Method and apparatus for distributing fluid to a polishing surface during chemical mechanical polishing A fluid delivery system is provided for delivering a fluid to a polishing surface of a chemical mechanical polishing tool. The system includes a platen, manifold and slurry delivery conduit. The platen has a plurality of conduits for allowing a fluid to p... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6618130 | Method and apparatus for optical endpoint detection during chemical mechanical polishing A method for detecting during a planarization process the removal of a first layer of material overlying a workpiece is provided. Relative motion is effected between the first layer and a working surface to remove the first layer. A light having a spectru... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6612084 | Clean room and method A clean room which avoids the problems attendant with the raised floor found in prior art clean rooms uses a perforated floor upon which equipment can be directly placed. The perforated floor includes a regular array of openings through which air can pass... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6586337 | Method and apparatus for endpoint detection during chemical mechanical polishing An apparatus for in situ CMP endpoint detection is presented which includes a probe member for emitting and receiving light signals, a transparent plug mounted over the end of the probe, and a support member located about, and slidably engaged with, the o... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6582277 | Method for controlling a process in a multi-zonal apparatus A method for controlling a process in a multi-zonal processing apparatus and specifically for determining the optimum values to set for processing parameters J(Zi) in each of the zones of that apparatus includes processing a test work piece in ... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6575816 | Dual purpose handoff station for workpiece polishing machine The present invention provides a dual purpose workpiece handoff station for intermediately staging a semiconductor wafer, or other workpiece, being transferred between processing stations in, for example, a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) machine.... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6574937 | Clean room and method A clean room which uses a perforated floor upon which equipment can be directly placed is presented. The perforated floor includes a regular array of openings through which air can pass to an underlying facility room. The openings are covered by a grate t... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6572755 | Method and apparatus for electrochemically depositing a material onto a workpiece surface An electrochemical deposition apparatus and method for depositing a material onto a surface of a workpiece and for polishing the material are disclosed. The apparatus includes a platen and a polishing surface, including a conductive material and conductor... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6549279 | Method and apparatus for optical endpoint calibration in CMP The invention provides calibrated spectrometers in a multi-spectrometer system, where chemical mechanical polishing endpoint detection is an issue. In one aspect of the invention, a spectrometer is calibrated by selecting a filter slide having a predeterm... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6520839 | Load and unload station for semiconductor wafers An integral machine for polishing, cleaning, rinsing and drying workpieces such as semiconductor wafers. A load/unload station has a plurality of platforms for receiving cassettes of wafers to be processed. A dry end-effector of a robot retrieves wafers f... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6521537 | Modification to fill layers for inlaying semiconductor patterns The invention provides a method of fabricating semiconductor chips that includes modifying physical properties of selected deposit fill layers over patterns having up-features and down-features, with fill to be retained in down-features. The modification ... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6515493 | Method and apparatus for in-situ endpoint detection using electrical sensors A method and apparatus for determining the endpoint of a planarization process during chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and more specifically for determining endpoint of a planarization process for a thin metal film deposited on a wafer's surface an... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6508694 | Multi-zone pressure control carrier A multi-zoned carrier for a chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing device includes a center cell, a middle cell, and an outer cell. Each of the cells are in fluid communication with each other through multiple conduits equipped with flow restri... | 01/21/2003 |
| 6502271 | Method and apparatus for cleaning workpieces with uniform relative velocity A method and apparatus for cleaning a wafer in a dual brush cleaning system is disclosed. Two brushes, preferably made of PVA and wetted by cleaning fluids, are positioned opposite one another and spaced apart enough to allow a portion of a wafer to be in... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6503767 | Process for monitoring a process, planarizing a surface, and for quantifying the results of a planarization process A process for quantifying the results of a planarization process provides metrics that can be applied to process parameters that affect the planarization results at various localized regions on a surface being planarized. A surface of a work piece is plan... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6500055 | Oscillating orbital polisher and method A method and apparatus for improving uniformity of the rate of removal of material from the surface of a semiconductor substrate by chemical mechanical polishing. In accordance with the invention, the semiconductor substrate is subjected to a combination ... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6497613 | Methods and apparatus for chemical mechanical planarization using a microreplicated surface An apparatus for chemically and mechanically planarizing a workpiece surface employs a polishing slurry and a microreplicated pad having a surface for planarizing the workpiece surface in the presence of the slurry. The surface of the microreplicated pad ... | 12/24/2002 |
| 6491569 | Method and apparatus for using optical reflection data to obtain a continuous predictive signal during CMP A method and apparatus to generate an endpoint signal to control the polishing of thin films on a semiconductor wafer surface includes a through-bore in a polish pad assembly, a light source, a fiber optic cable, a light sensor, and a computer. The light ... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6468131 | Method to mathematically characterize a multizone carrier In a method for mathematically characterizing a multizone CMP carrier, alternating zones are pressurized to a first pressure and the remaining zones are pressurized to a second lower pressure. A first wafer may then be polished using this combination of p... | 10/22/2002 |
| 6466642 | Methods and apparatus for the in-situ measurement of CMP process endpoint A method and apparatus for the in-process measurement of the thickness and composition of a material layer on a workpiece during chemical mechanical polishing are disclosed. The chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen having a polishing ... | 10/15/2002 |
