IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,459,011
Granted Patent B2
US 12,459,011 · App. 18/665,882 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Steam treatment stations for chemical mechanical polishing system

Inventors: Haosheng Wu (San Jose, CA); Jianshe Tang (San Jose, CA); Hari Soundararajan (Sunnyvale, CA); Shou-Sung Chang (Mountain View, CA); Hui Chen (San Jose, CA); Chih Chung Chou (San Jose, CA); Alexander John Fisher (Santa Clara, CA); Paul D. Butterfield (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
B08B3/106B24B37/34H01L21/67051H01L21/67248B08B2203/007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,459,011
App. No.
18/665,882
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for steam treatment of a conditioner head and/or conditioner disk in a chemical mechanical polishing system includes a conditioner cleaning cup, a boiler to generate steam, one or more nozzles positioned to direct steam inwardly into a cavity defined by the load cup, and a supply line running from the boiler to the one or more nozzles to supply steam to the one or more nozzles.

Claims (18)

1 . A method of steam treatment of a carrier head or a substrate in a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:

receiving a carrier head and/or substrate in a substrate loading cup of the chemical mechanical polishing system; and

directing steam onto the carrier head and/or substrate in the loading cup to clean and/or preheat the carrier head and/or substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising rotating the carrier head at the loading cup while directing the steam onto the carrier head and/or substrate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising directing steam onto an outer surface of the carrier head at the loading cup.

4 . The method of claim 1 , comprising directing steam onto a bottom surface of the substrate while the substrate is held on the carrier head at the loading cup.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising directing steam onto a top surface of the substrate while the substrate is supported on a pedestal of the loading cup.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising directing steam onto a bottom surface of the substrate while the substrate is supported on a pedestal of the loading cup.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising monitoring a temperature of the carrier head and/or substrate, and halting a flow of steam when the carrier head and/or substrate reaches a target temperature.

8 . The method of claim 1 , comprising starting a timer when the steam begins to flow onto the carrier head and/or substrate and halting the flow of steam when the timer expires.

9 . A method of steam treatment of a conditioner head and/or conditioner disk in a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:

receiving a conditioner head in a conditioner cleaning cup of the a chemical mechanical polishing system; and

directing steam onto the conditioner head and/or conditioner disk in the cleaning cup to clean and/or preheat the conditioner head and/or conditioner disk.

10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising rotating the conditioner head in the conditioner cleaning cup while directing the steam onto the conditioner head and/or conditioner disk.

11 . The method of claim 9 , comprising directing steam onto an outer surface of the conditioner head in the cleaning cup.

12 . The method of claim 9 , comprising directing steam onto a bottom surface of the conditioner disk in the cleaning cup.

13 . The method of claim 9 , comprising monitoring a temperature of the conditioner head and/or conditioner disk, and halting a flow of steam when the conditioner head and/or conditioner disk reaches a target temperature.

14 . The method of claim 9 , comprising starting a timer when the steam begins to flow onto the conditioner head and/or conditioner disk and halting the flow of steam when the timer expires.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2024
From: WU, HAOSHENG; TANG, JIANSHE; SOUNDARARAJAN, HARI; CHANG, SHOU-SUNG; CHEN, HUI; CHOU, CHIH CHUNG; FISHER, ALEXANDER JOHN; BUTTERFIELD, PAUL D.
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067470/0804 →
Continuity (4)
Division 17889330 · Aug 16, 2022
Division 16886571 · May 28, 2020
Provisional Application 62854305 · May 29, 2019
Related Publication 20240307928A1 · Sep 19, 2024
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