IP Library › Granted Patent US 12673397
Granted Patent B2
US 12673397 · App. 16/691,061 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Wafer backside cleaning apparatus and method of cleaning wafer backside

Inventors: Ching-Hai Yang (Taipei City, TW); Yao-Hwan Kao (Hsinchu County, TW); Huang-Sheng Liu (New Taipei City, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
B24D11/00B24B7/228
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12673397
App. No.
16/691,061
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wafer cleaning and polishing pad includes a pad having a polishing surface, wherein the polishing surface includes a first material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80 and a static coefficient of friction ranging from 0.01 to 0.6. The first material is a fluoropolymer. The pad includes a middle layer and/or a base under the polishing surface. The base includes a second material and the middle layer includes a third material having a lower surface hardness and a higher coefficient of friction than the first material. The polishing surface includes a plurality of grooves with varying groove depth from center of the pad to an edge of the pad.

Claims (46)

1 . A wafer cleaning and polishing pad, comprising:

a pad layer having a polishing surface and a back surface;

a middle layer disposed on the back surface of the pad layer; and

a base layer disposed over the middle layer, wherein:

the polishing surface comprises a first material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80,

the wafer cleaning and polishing pad includes a radius beginning at a center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad and extending to an edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad, the polishing surface is continuous from the center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad, the wafer cleaning and polishing pad has a gradient of increasing thickness beginning at the center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad and continuing across the polishing surface to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad, wherein an increase of the thickness of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad from the center to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad is in a range from 0.1 mm to 4.0 mm,

the polishing surface includes a plurality of grooves having groove depths that decrease from the center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad,

the first material is a fluoropolymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylenedifluoride, perfluoroalkoxy polymer, fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene, polyethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene, and a mixture thereof,

the base layer comprises a second material, and

the middle layer comprises a third material different from the first material and having a lower surface hardness.

2 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein the third material is a polyvinyl alcohol or a polyurethane.

3 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 2 , wherein the second material is a polyvinyl chloride.

4 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein third material is a polyvinyl alcohol.

5 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein the third material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 10 to 50.

6 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein the second material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80.

7 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein the base layer has a larger diameter than the pad layer.

8 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein the second material is a polyvinyl chloride.

9 . A method of cleaning and polishing a wafer, comprising:

providing a first wafer surface;

providing a pad including a pad layer having a polishing surface and a back surface, wherein:

the pad includes a radius beginning at a center of the pad and extending to an edge of the pad, the polishing surface is continuous from the center of the pad to the edge of the pad, the pad has a gradient of increasing thickness beginning at the center of the pad and continuing across the polishing surface to the edge of the pad, wherein an increase of the thickness of the pad from the center to the edge of the pad is in a range from 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm,

the polishing surface includes a plurality of grooves having groove depths that decrease from the center of the pad to the edge of the pad,

the pad includes a middle layer disposed on the back surface of the pad layer and a base layer disposed over the middle layer,

the base layer comprises a second material,

the polishing surface comprises a first material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80 selected from the group consisting of polyethylenedifluoride, perfluoroalkoxy polymer, fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene, polyethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene, and a mixture thereof, and

the middle layer comprises a third material different from the first material and having a lower surface hardness; and

contacting the first wafer surface with the polishing surface of the pad.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the second material is a polyvinyl chloride and the third material is a polyvinyl alcohol or a polyurethane.

11 . The method of cleaning and polishing a wafer of claim 9 , wherein the base layer has a larger diameter than the pad layer.

12 . The method of cleaning and polishing a wafer of claim 9 , wherein the second material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80.

13 . The method of cleaning and polishing a wafer of claim 9 , wherein the third material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 10 to 50.

14 . A wafer cleaning and polishing pad, comprising:

a pad layer having a polishing surface and a back surface;

a middle layer disposed on the back surface of the pad layer; and

a base layer disposed over the middle layer, wherein:

the polishing surface comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of polyethylenedifluoride, perfluoroalkoxy polymer, fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer, polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene, polyethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene, and a mixture thereof,

the wafer cleaning and polishing pad includes a radius beginning at a center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad and extending to an edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad, the polishing surface is continuous from the center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad, the wafer cleaning and polishing pad has a gradient of increasing thickness beginning at the center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad and continuing across the polishing surface to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad,

the polishing surface includes a plurality of grooves having groove depths that decrease from the center of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad to the edge of the wafer cleaning and polishing pad,

the base layer comprises a second material, and

the middle layer comprises a third material different from the first material and having a lower surface hardness.

15 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 14 , wherein the third material is a polyvinyl alcohol.

16 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 15 , wherein the second material is a polyvinyl chloride.

17 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 14 , wherein the base layer has a larger diameter than the pad layer.

18 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 14 , wherein the first material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80.

19 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 14 , wherein the second material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 80.

20 . The wafer cleaning and polishing pad of claim 14 , wherein the third material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 10 to 50.