Patent ID: 6139428
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: B24B

Abstract:
A conditioning carrier ring adapted for use with a chemical-mechanical polishing machine for polishing semiconductor wafers in a semiconductor device fabrication process, said conditioning carrier ring having an inner radius surface with a diameter, said diameter of said inner radius surface sized to accept a semiconductor wafer, said inner radius surface adapted to accept a second conditioning ring concentrically within said inner radius surface, an outer radius surface opposite said inner radius surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface opposite said upper surface, wherein said lower surface is a conditioning surface adapted to frictionally contact a polishing pad in a chemical-mechanical polishing machine, said conditioning surface adapted to condition said polishing pad as said chemical-mechanical semiconductor wafer polishing machine moves said conditioning surface with respect to said polishing pad while polishing said semiconductor wafer, the conditioning carrier ring having a substantially flat upper surface to accept a downforce from the chemical mechanical polishing machine onto the upper surface of the conditioning carrier ring to depress the surface of the polishing pad, wherein the downforce is independent of a downforce directed to the semiconductor wafer such that the conditioning carrier ring is vertically movable independent of the semiconductor wafer.