US 12,447,580 B2
Apparatus and methods for chemical mechanical polishing
Te-Chien Hou, Kaosiung (TW); Chih Hung Chen, Hsinchu (TW); Kang Huang, Hsinchu (TW); Wen-Pin Liao, Hsinchu (TW); Shich-Chang Suen, Tainan (TW); and Kei-Wei Chen, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on May 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/751,851.
Prior Publication US 2023/0405756 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. B24B 37/04 (2012.01); B24B 7/06 (2006.01); B24B 37/11 (2012.01); B24B 37/30 (2012.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/677 (2006.01)
CPC B24B 37/042 (2013.01) [B24B 7/06 (2013.01); B24B 37/11 (2013.01); B24B 37/30 (2013.01); H01L 21/67057 (2013.01); H01L 21/67703 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
loading a substrate through a factory interface into a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) tool comprising a polishing module, a cleaning module, and a transfer module disposed between the polishing module and the cleaning module;
polishing the substrate in the polishing module;
unloading the substrate from the polishing module and transferring the substrate to a substrate carrier in the transfer module, wherein the substrate carrier comprises:
one or more injection devices connected to the inner volume;
one or more outlets connected to the inner volume;
a conduit connected between the one or more injection devices and the one or more outlets; and
a pump connected to the conduit;
immersing the substrate in a wetting solution retained in the substrate carrier, wherein the substrate carrier has an inner volume for retaining the wetting solution;
transferring the substrate from the substrate carrier to the cleaning module;
cleaning the substrate in the cleaning module; and
unloading the substrate from the CMP tool through the factory interface.