Method and apparatus for conditioning a semiconductor polishing pad
Patent 5547417 Issued on August 20, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date: 
March 21, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
March 21, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 2826009 Grinding machine Polishing machine for ferrule of optical fiber connector Grinding disc dressing apparatus Polishing pad conditioning apparatus for wafer planarization process Polishing apparatus Patent #: 5384986 InventorsApplicationNo. 210957 filed on 03/21/1994US Classes:451/58, Utilizing mounted rigid abrading tool only451/443DressingExaminersPrimary: Rachuba, Maurina T.Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassB24B 053/00AbstractA method of polishing a thin film formed on a semiconductor substrate. In a method of the present invention a polishing pad is rotated. A substrate is pressed against the rotating polishing pad so that the thin film to be polished is placed in direct contact with the polishing pad. During polishing, the polishing pad is continually conditioned by forming a plurality of grooves into the polishing pad. The grooves are formed by a conditioning block having a substantially planar bottom surface with a plurality of groove generating points extending from the substantially planar surface of the conditioning block. The grooves are generated by sweeping and rotating the conditioning block between an outer radius and an inner radius of the polishing pad. | |
