US 12,454,036 B2
Substrate handling systems and methods for CMP processing
Jeonghoon Oh, Saratoga, CA (US); Manoj A. Gajendra, Bangalore (IN); John Anthony Garcia, San Jose, CA (US); Chetan Kumar Mylappanahalli Narasingaiah, Bangalore (IN); Sanjay Bhanurao Chavan, Bangalore (IN); Gagan Dobhal, Bangalore (IN); Manoj Balakumar, Bangalore (IN); Jamie Stuart Leighton, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Van H. Nguyen, Milpitas, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/407,062.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/075,607, filed on Sep. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0072682 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B24B 57/02 (2006.01); B24B 37/04 (2012.01); B24B 37/10 (2012.01); B24B 37/30 (2012.01); B24B 37/34 (2012.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01)
CPC B24B 57/02 (2013.01) [B24B 37/042 (2013.01); B24B 37/105 (2013.01); B24B 37/30 (2013.01); B24B 37/34 (2013.01); H01L 21/02013 (2013.01); H01L 21/02016 (2013.01); H01L 21/02019 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate polishing system, comprising:
a substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support a substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
a plurality of polishing stations, each comprising a rotatable polishing platen;
a substrate carrier loading station;
a substrate handler comprising an end effector having a first side and a second side that is opposite of the first side; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising sequentially:
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of the plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate carrier loading station to the substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station; and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing pads.
 
8. A method for processing a substrate, comprising
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using a first side of an end effector, the substrate from a substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position, the substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support the substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station; and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.
 
15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for a substrate processing method, the method comprising:
(a) urging a first surface of a substrate against one of a plurality of polishing pads, wherein the plurality of polishing pads are disposed on corresponding ones of a plurality of rotatable polishing platens;
(b) transferring, using a first side of an end effector, the substrate from a substrate carrier loading station to a substrate alignment station and placing the substrate in the substrate alignment station in a substantially vertical position, the substrate alignment station having a frame, the frame having a bottom and sides, the bottom configured to support the substrate at the edge of the substrate, and the sides configured to support the substrate in an upright and substantially vertical position without gripping the substrate;
(c) transferring, using the first side of the end effector, the substrate from the substrate alignment station to the substrate carrier loading station; and
(d) urging a second surface of the substrate against one of the plurality of polishing platens.