Appeal No. 2005-1011 Page 8
Application No. 09/921,588
Nagahara
Nagahara's invention relates to polishing in general and, more particularly, to a
polishing apparatus for removing, with or without a polishing pad, material from a
substrate (or wafer) surface at dissimilar rates depending on the polish position relative
to the center of the wafer. Figure 1 provides a perspective view of a chemical
mechanical polish (CMP) apparatus 10. Apparatus 10 includes a wetted polishing
surface which can be adapted to bear against a semiconductor wafer 12. CMP
apparatus 10 includes a polishing pad 16. Pad 16 allows a slurry mixture to be pumped
directly through pad 16 according to arrows 18. The direction of fluid flow 18 is chosen
such that it readily extends through pad 16 and impinges on wafer 12 at substantially
perpendicular angles absent scattering as it traverses the pad.
Arranged on the bottom surface of pad 16 is a manifold 22. Manifold 22 contains
a plurality of apertures which permit passage of fluid (i.e., slurry) through the apertures
denoted as reference numerals 24. Apertures 24 receive the polishing fluid, and pass
that fluid through pad 16 to the region between pad 16 and wafer 12.
Figure 2 illustrates in more detail along a cross-section of CMP apparatus 10.
Apparatus 10 carefully and controllably places wafer 12 against pad 16 using a carrier
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