Patent ID: 6846224
Filing Date: 2005-01-25
Classification: B24B

Abstract:
1. Surface planarization equipment for use in planarizing a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a loading cassette configured to store a plurality of wafers awaiting surface planarization; an index table disposed downstream of said loading cassette in the equipment so as to receive wafers from the loading cassette, said index table including a rotary turntable, a plurality of first wafer vacuum chucks supported by said turntable so as to be rotatable to relative said turntable, and a respective first driving motor operatively connected to each of said first wafer vacuum chucks so as to rotate the chucks; at least one grinding head disposed above said index table, and supported so as to be movable up and down and so as to be rotatable to perform a grinding process on a wafer adhered to one of said first wafer vacuum chucks, whereby the wafers are planarized; an unloading wafer cassette configured to store a plurality of the wafers and disposed downstream of said index table so as to receive the wafers after the wafers are planarized by said at least one grinding bead; and a position detector including position sensors operatively associated with said first wafer vacuum chucks, respectively, and operative to sense when each of said chucks has been rotated to a predetermined position, and a controller operatively connected to said sensors and to said first drive motors so as to stop the rotation of said first wafer vacuum chucks when the first wafer vacuum chucks reach a predetermined relative position after the wafers supported thereon have been planarized by said at least one grinding head.