WAFER HEAD TEMPLATE FOR CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING AND A METHOD FOR ITS USE

1 . A planar template for a CMP tool polishing head possessing a means of securing a wafer in CMP polishing wherein the back surface of the said template is held to the polishing head by retaining means.

2 . A planar template according to claim 1 wherein the size and shape of the template are the same as the size and shape of the wafer backing film.

3 . A planar template according to claims 1 wherein the size of the template is larger than the size of the wafer backing film.

4 . A planar template according to claim 1 wherein the means of holding the wafer to the template comprises a wafer backing film.

5 . A planar template according to claims 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 wherein the material from which the template is made is hard, flat, smooth plastic sheet.

6 . A planar template according to claims 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 wherein the material from which the template is made is polycarbonate sheet.

7 . A planar template according to claim 1 wherein the retaining means holding the template to the polishing head is vacuum.

8 . A planar template according to claim 1 wherein in addition to the wafer retaining means a retaining ring is affixed around the edge of the said template on the face toward the polishing head to hold the template in place.

9 . A planar template according to claim 1 wherein the size and shape of the template are the same as the size and shape of the wafer backing film, the means of securing the wafer to the template comprises a wafer backing sheet, the material from which the template is made is polycarbonate sheet, and the retaining means is vacuum and a retaining ring affixed on the face toward the polishing head to hold the template in place.

10 . A planar template according to claim 1 wherein the size of the template is larger than the size of the wafer backing film, the means of holding the wafer comprises a wafer backing film, the material from which the template is made is polycarbonate sheet, the retaining means is a vacuum, and a retaining ring is also affixed around the edge of the said template on the face toward the polishing ring to secure the template in place.

11 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template for a CMP tool polishing head possessing a means of securing a wafer in CMP polishing wherein the back surface of the said template is held to the polishing head by retaining means using a planar template with a means of securing a wafer in CMP polishing wherein the back surface of the said template is held to the polishing head by retaining means.

12 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the size and shape of the template are the same as the size and shape of the wafer backing film.

13 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the size of the template is larger than the size of the wafer backing film.

14 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the means of holding the wafer comprises a wafer backing film.

15 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claims 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 wherein the material from which the template is made is a hard, flat, smooth plastic sheet.

16 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claims 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 wherein the material from which the template is made is polycarbonate sheet.

17 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the retaining means is vacuum.

18 . A method for CMP polishing using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein in addition to the wafer securing means a retaining ring is affixed around the edge of the said template on the face toward the polishing head to hold the template in place.

19 . A method for using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the size and shape of the template are the same as the size and shape of the wafer backing film, the means of securing the wafer comprises a wafer backing film, the material from which the template is made is polycarbonate sheet, the retaining means is vacuum and a retaining ring is affixed around the edge of the said template on the face toward the polishing head to hold the template in place.

20 . A method for using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the size of the template is larger than the size of the wafer, the means of securing the wafer comprises a wafer backing film, the material from which the template is made is polycarbonate sheet, the retaining means is vacuum and a retaining ring is affixed around the edge of the said template on the face toward the polishing head to hold the template in place.

21 . A method for using a planar template according to claim 11 wherein the diameter of the wafer is half or less than that of the template and two or more wafers may be attached to the same time to the same template and polished.