IP Library › Granted Patent US 12686099
Granted Patent B2
US 12686099 · App. 17/458,767 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Apparatus for polishing a wafer

Inventor: Yu-Hsiang Chao (Taipei City, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
B24B37/32B24B37/20H10P52/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686099
App. No.
17/458,767
Filed
Aug 27, 2021
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3723
USPC
451/285
Abstract

An apparatus for polishing a wafer is provided. The apparatus includes a wafer carrier assembly including a head body and a retainer arrangement. The retainer arrangement includes a first retainer segment coupled to an underside of the head body and adjacent an outer sidewall of the wafer carrier and a second retainer segment, separate from the first retainer segment, coupled to the underside of the head body and adjacent the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier. Undersides of the first retainer segment and the second retainer segment are below an underside of the wafer carrier.

Claims (64)

1 . An apparatus for polishing a wafer, comprising:

a head body;

a wafer carrier under the head body for holding the wafer during polishing, wherein the wafer carrier has a uniform thickness measured across the wafer carrier from a first location along an outer sidewall of the wafer carrier to a second location along the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier diametrically opposite the first location;

a base under the wafer carrier, wherein the base comprises interior side surfaces defining an aperture through the base;

a polishing pad platen to support a wafer polishing pad for polishing the wafer;

a first rotational axle through the aperture and coupled to the polishing pad platen; and

a retainer arrangement comprising:

a first retainer segment coupled to a bottommost surface of the head body such that a topmost surface of the first retainer segment is below the bottommost surface of the head body and in direct contact with the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier, wherein an underside of the first retainer segment is below an underside of the wafer carrier;

a second retainer segment separate from the first retainer segment and coupled to the bottommost surface of the head body and adjacent the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier, wherein an underside of the second retainer segment is below the underside of the wafer carrier; and

a first spring in direct contact with the bottommost surface of the head body and in direct contact with the first retainer segment, wherein:

the first retainer segment and the second retainer segment are segments of a set of retainer segments formed as an ellipse around the wafer carrier,

a void separates the second retainer segment from the first retainer segment, and

at least one of the first retainer segment or the second retainer segment has a non-circular elliptical cross-section in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an underside of the head body.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a second rotational axle extending through the head body and contacting the wafer carrier.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein merely the first spring is between the topmost surface of the first retainer segment and the bottommost surface of the head body.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first retainer segment is separated from the second retainer segment by a first distance along an inside edge of the first retainer segment and an inside edge of the second retainer segment,

the first retainer segment is separated from the second retainer segment by a second distance along an outer edge of the first retainer segment and an outer edge of the second retainer segment, and

the second distance is greater than the first distance.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a number of retainer segments comprised in the retainer arrangement, including the first retainer segment and the second retainer segment, is at least 100.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first spring exerts a force on the first retainer segment in a range of 50-500 Newtons.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the void is less than 20 millimeters in length.

8 . An apparatus for polishing a wafer, comprising:

a head body;

a wafer carrier under the head body for holding the wafer during polishing, wherein the wafer carrier has a uniform thickness measured across the wafer carrier from a first location along an outer sidewall of the wafer carrier to a second location along the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier diametrically opposite the first location;

a base under the wafer carrier, wherein the base comprises interior side surfaces defining an aperture through the base;

a polishing pad platen to support a wafer polishing pad for polishing the wafer;

a first rotational axle through the aperture and coupled to the polishing pad platen; and

a retainer arrangement comprising:

a first retainer segment coupled to a bottommost surface of the head body such that a topmost surface of the first retainer segment is below the bottommost surface of the head body and in direct contact with the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier, wherein an underside of the first retainer segment is below an underside of the wafer carrier;

a second retainer segment separate from the first retainer segment and coupled to the bottommost surface of the head body and adjacent the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier, wherein an underside of the second retainer segment is below the underside of the wafer carrier;

a third retainer segment, wherein:

the third retainer segment has a first end coupled to the bottommost surface of the head body by a first spring and a second end distal from the first end,

the second retainer segment has a first end coupled to the bottommost surface of the head body by a second spring and a second end distal from the first end, and

the second end of the third retainer segment is connected with the second end of the second retainer segment; and

a third spring in direct contact with the bottommost surface of the head body and in direct contact with the first retainer segment, wherein:

the first retainer segment and the second retainer segment are segments of a set of retainer segments formed as an ellipse around the wafer carrier, and

a void separates the second retainer segment from the first retainer segment.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , comprising a second rotational axle extending through the head body and contacting the wafer carrier.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a retainer segment sidewall of the first retainer segment is planar from the topmost surface of the first retainer segment to a bottommost surface of the first retainer segment.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein merely the third spring is between the topmost surface of the first retainer segment and the bottommost surface of the head body.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the first retainer segment is separated from the second retainer segment by a first distance along an inside edge of the first retainer segment and an inside edge of the second retainer segment,

the first retainer segment is separated from the second retainer segment by a second distance along an outer edge of the first retainer segment and an outer edge of the second retainer segment, and

the second distance is greater than the first distance.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second end of the third retainer segment is integrally connected with the second end of the second retainer segment.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the third spring exerts a force on the first retainer segment in a range of 50-500 Newtons.

15 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the void is less than 20 millimeters in length.

16 . An apparatus for polishing a wafer, comprising:

a head body;

a wafer carrier under the head body for holding the wafer during polishing, wherein the wafer carrier has a uniform thickness measured across the wafer carrier from a first location along an outer sidewall of the wafer carrier to a second location along the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier diametrically opposite the first location;

a base under the wafer carrier, wherein the base comprises interior side surfaces defining an aperture through the base;

a polishing pad platen to support a wafer polishing pad for polishing the wafer; and

a retainer arrangement comprising:

a first retainer segment coupled to a bottommost surface of the head body such that a topmost surface of the first retainer segment is below the bottommost surface of the head body and in direct contact with the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier, wherein an underside of the first retainer segment is below an underside of the wafer carrier;

a second retainer segment separate from the first retainer segment and coupled to the bottommost surface of the head body and adjacent the outer sidewall of the wafer carrier, wherein an underside of the second retainer segment is below the underside of the wafer carrier; and

a first spring in direct contact with the bottommost surface of the head body and in direct contact with the first retainer segment, wherein:

the first retainer segment and the second retainer segment are segments of a set of retainer segments formed as an ellipse around the wafer carrier,

a void separates the second retainer segment from the first retainer segment, and

at least one of the first retainer segment or the second retainer segment has a non-circular elliptical cross-section in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an underside of the head body.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , comprising a first rotational axle extending through the head body and contacting the wafer carrier.

18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein merely the first spring is between the topmost surface of the first retainer segment and the bottommost surface of the head body.

19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first spring exerts a force on the first retainer segment in a range of 50-500 Newtons.

20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the void is less than 20 millimeters in length.