Patent ID: 6143123
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: B24B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A planarizing machine for removing material from a semiconductor wafer having a backside and a front face, comprising:a platen mounted to a support structure;a polishing pad non-slidably disposed on the platen and having a polishing surface facing away from the platen;a wafer carrier assembly having a chuck with a mounting cavity for holding the backside of the wafer, the wafer carrier assembly being adapted to position the chuck over the polishing pad and to engage the front face of the wafer with the planarizing surface of the polishing pad, wherein at least one of the platen and the chuck moves with respect to the other to move the wafer relative to the polishing pad along a planarizing path; anda pressure sensor embedded in the polishing pad at a site along the planarizing path and configured to measure pressure at a plurality of areas across the front face of the wafer as the at least one of the platen and the chuck moves and while the wafer engages the planarizing surface of the polishing pads, the pressure sensor generating a signal in response to the measured pressure across the wafer that corresponds to a contour of the wafer.