Appeal No. 2001-2184
Application 09/005,364
a semiconductor wafer. Claim 17 is illustrative:
17. A method for planarizing a first surface of a
semiconductor wafer using chemical mechanical polishing, the
method comprising:
holding the semiconductor wafer over a chemical mechanical
polishing pad;
applying a non-uniform pressure distribution directly over a
second surface of the semiconductor wafer, said non-uniform
pressure distribution comprising a plurality of different
positive pressures and at least one negative pressure applied
simultaneously at different positions over the second surface of
the semiconductor wafer; and
polishing the first surface of the semiconductor wafer using
the chemical mechanical polishing pad, wherein the non-uniform
pressure distribution is applied directly over the second surface
of the semiconductor wafer while the first surface of the
semiconductor wafer is polished.
THE REFERENCES
Nakashiba et al. (Nakashiba) 5,762,539 Jun. 9, 1998
(filed Feb. 27, 1997)
Tanaka et al. (Tanaka) 5,797,789 Aug. 25, 1998
(filed May 5, 1997)
THE REJECTION
Claims 17, 19 and 21-23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as being unpatentable over the combined teachings of Nakashiba
and Tanaka.
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