A substrate grinding tool is configured to remove material from a semiconductor substrate in a grinding operation. In the grinding operation, the substrate grinding tool uses a combination of mechanical grinding and a chemical etchant to remove material from the semiconductor substrate. The chemical etchant may be heated to a high temperature, which may increase the etch rate of the chemical etchant. The use of the combination of mechanical grinding and the chemical etchant may increase the grinding rate of the substrate grinding tool for grinding semiconductor substrates, may reduce surface roughness for semiconductor substrates that are processed by the substrate grinding tool, and/or may reduce surface damage for semiconductor substrates that are processed by the substrate grinding tool, among other examples.

A substrate grinding tool is configured to remove material from a semiconductor substrate in a grinding operation. In the grinding operation, the substrate grinding tool uses a combination of mechanical grinding and a chemical etchant to remove material from the semiconductor substrate. The chemical etchant may be heated to a high temperature, which may increase the etch rate of the chemical etchant. The use of the combination of mechanical grinding and the chemical etchant may increase the grinding rate of the substrate grinding tool for grinding semiconductor substrates, may reduce surface roughness for semiconductor substrates that are processed by the substrate grinding tool, and/or may reduce surface damage for semiconductor substrates that are processed by the substrate grinding tool, among other examples.

In an embodiment, a system includes: a pad comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side is configured to receive a wafer during chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), and a platen adjacent the pad along the second side, wherein the platen comprises a suction opening that interfaces with the second side; a pump configured to produce suction at the suction opening to adhere the second side to the platen; and a sensor configured to collect sensor data characterizing a uniformity of adherence between the pad and the platen, wherein the pump is configured to produce the suction at the suction opening based on the sensor data.

The present disclosure involves a method of making a lapping plate by coating a platen with solid resin powder, abrasive particles, and an aqueous carrier followed by evaporating the aqueous carrier and curing the solid resin powder to form an abrasive coating. The present disclosure also involves related lapping plates.

The present disclosure involves a method of making a lapping plate by coating a platen with solid resin powder, abrasive particles, and an aqueous carrier followed by evaporating the aqueous carrier and curing the solid resin powder to form an abrasive coating. The present disclosure also involves related lapping plates.

In a wafer chuck design featuring pins or mesas making up the support surface, engineering the pins to have an annular shape, or to contain holes or pits, minimizes sticking of the wafer, and improves wafer settling. In another aspect of the invention is a tool and method for imparting or restoring flatness and roughness to a surface, such as the support surface of a wafer chuck. The tool is shaped such that the contact to the surface being treated is a circle or annulus. The treatment method may take place in a dedicated apparatus, or in-situ in semiconductor fabrication apparatus. The tool is smaller than the diameter of the wafer pin chuck, and may be approximate to the spatial frequency of the high spots to be lapped. The movement of the tool relative to the support surface is such that all areas of the support surface may be processed by the tool, or only those areas needing correction.

In a wafer chuck design featuring pins or mesas making up the support surface, engineering the pins to have an annular shape, or to contain holes or pits, minimizes sticking of the wafer, and improves wafer settling. In another aspect of the invention is a tool and method for imparting or restoring flatness and roughness to a surface, such as the support surface of a wafer chuck. The tool is shaped such that the contact to the surface being treated is a circle or annulus. The treatment method may take place in a dedicated apparatus, or in-situ in semiconductor fabrication apparatus. The tool is smaller than the diameter of the wafer pin chuck, and may be approximate to the spatial frequency of the high spots to be lapped. The movement of the tool relative to the support surface is such that all areas of the support surface may be processed by the tool, or only those areas needing correction.

A polishing system includes a support to hold a substrate having a substrate surface to be polished, a conditioning system for conditioning a polishing pad, the conditioning system comprising one or more conditioning heads, a movable support structure, and a carrier to hold a polishing pad. The carrier is suspended from the movable support structure, and the support structure is configured to move the carrier between the support to hold the substrate and the conditioning system.

Disclosed is a surface plate cleaning apparatus which cleans the surfaces of surface plates having grooves. The surface plate cleaning apparatus includes an injection unit including an injection head, and at least one first injection nozzle and at least one second injection nozzle, and a moving unit configured to move the injection unit, the at least one first injection nozzle includes a first injection hole to inject a first cleaning solution, the at least one second injection nozzle includes a second injection hole to inject a second cleaning solution, a first separation distance from the upper surface of the injection head to the first injection hole and a second separation distance from the upper surface of the injection head to the second injection hole are different, and a first injection angle of the first cleaning solution and a second injection angle of the second cleaning solution are different.

Disclosed is a surface plate cleaning apparatus which cleans the surfaces of surface plates having grooves. The surface plate cleaning apparatus includes an injection unit including an injection head, and at least one first injection nozzle and at least one second injection nozzle, and a moving unit configured to move the injection unit, the at least one first injection nozzle includes a first injection hole to inject a first cleaning solution, the at least one second injection nozzle includes a second injection hole to inject a second cleaning solution, a first separation distance from the upper surface of the injection head to the first injection hole and a second separation distance from the upper surface of the injection head to the second injection hole are different, and a first injection angle of the first cleaning solution and a second injection angle of the second cleaning solution are different.