초록 ▼

A pad refurbisher that provides in situ, real-time conditioning and/or cleaning of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer and other microelectronic substrates. The pad refurbisher has a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a

A pad refurbisher that provides in situ, real-time conditioning and/or cleaning of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer and other microelectronic substrates. The pad refurbisher has a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a chemical-mechanical polishing machine, and a refurbishing element connected to the body. The body has a distal face positioned proximate to a perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and facing generally toward the polishing surface of the polishing pad. The body travels with the wafer carrier as the wafer carrier moves over the polishing pad. The refurbishing element is connected to the distal face of the body so that the refurbishing element can operatively engage the polishing surface substantially adjacent to the perimeter of the wafer carrier. The refurbishing element is a pad conditioning device and/or a pad cleaning device that conditions and/or cleans the polishing surface of the pad to remove waste particles from the polishing surface of the polishing pad and place the pad in a desired polishing condition. In operation, the refurbishing element travels with the wafer carrier and is selectively engaged with the polishing surface while the wafer carrier presses the wafer against the polishing surface to selectively condition and/or clean generally only the deteriorated areas on the pad.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time refurbishing of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a chemical-mechanical polishing machine with the body havin

[ We claim:] [1.] A pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time refurbishing of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a chemical-mechanical polishing machine with the body having a face positioned proximate to a perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and facing the polishing surface of the polishing pad, the body being adapted to travel with the wafer carrier as the wafer carrier moves over the polishing pad wherein the body is movably attached to the wafer carrier; anda refurbishing element connected to the face of the body, the refurbishing element being adapted to engage the polishing surface substantially adjacent to the perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and traveling with the wafer carrier while the wafer carrier moves the wafer over the polishing surface.