US 12,214,469 B2
Polishing head retaining ring tilting moment control
Andrew Nagengast, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Steven M. Zuniga, Soquel, CA (US); and Jay Gurusamy, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/501,687.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/091,710, filed on Oct. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0111484 A1, Apr. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. B24B 37/32 (2012.01); B24B 37/005 (2012.01); B24B 49/16 (2006.01); H01L 21/306 (2006.01)
CPC B24B 37/32 (2013.01) [B24B 37/005 (2013.01); B24B 49/16 (2013.01); H01L 21/30625 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate carrier for polishing a surface of a substrate, comprising:
a retaining ring configured to surround a substrate during a polishing process, the retaining ring comprising:
a first surface that is configured to contact a surface of a polishing pad during the polishing process;
a second surface that is on a side of the retaining ring that is opposite to the first surface; and
an array of recesses formed in the second surface; and
a plurality of load bearing pins, wherein
each load bearing pin of the plurality of load bearing pins comprises a body that has a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of the body having a contact shoulder that has a larger thickness than the rest of the body, the upper end being coupled to a base element that has a larger thickness than the body,
the lower end of the body of each load bearing pin of the plurality of load bearing pins is disposed within each recess of the array of recesses, and
the contact shoulder of each load bearing pin of the plurality of load bearing pins is positionable relative to a surface of the recess in which it is disposed during the polishing process.