Patent ID: 9604339
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B24B

Claim:
1. An abrasive polishing wafer carrier apparatus comprising: a) a movable carrier housing attached to a rotatable shaft having a rotatable shaft axis of rotation; b) a flexible membrane attached to the movable carrier housing, the flexible membrane having a top surface, a nominally-circular and nominally-flat bottom surface, a flexible membrane thickness, and a rotation center nominally-concentric with the movable carrier housing rotatable axis of rotation, wherein the flexible membrane nominally-flat bottom surface has recessed vacuum grooves therein; c) a vacuum source fluid-coupled to the flexible membrane recessed vacuum grooves; and d) a pressure source fluid-coupled to a sealed pressure chamber formed by the flexible membrane and the movable carrier housing; and e) a flexible membrane flexible annular support ring attached to the flexible membrane wherein the flexible annular support ring has an annular width and a flexible support ring thickness that is positioned within the sealed pressure chamber.