CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING HEAD HAVING FLOATING WAFER RETAINING RING AND WAFER CARRIER WITH MULTI-ZONE POLISHING PRESSURE CONTROL

摘要

In one aspect the invention provides a polishing apparatus (101) including a housing (120) a carrier (160) for mounting a substrate (113) to be polished, a retaining ring (134) circumscribing the carrier (113) for retaining the substrate (113), a first coupling (162) attaching the retaining ring (134) to the carrier (160) such that the retaining ring (134) may move relative to the carrier (160), a second coupling (145) attaching the carrier (160) to the housing (120) the housing (120) and the first coupling (162) defining a first pressure chamber (131) to exert a pressure force against the retaining ring (134), and the housing (120) and the second coupling (145) defining a second pressure chamber (132) to exert a pressure force against the subcarrier (160). In one embodiment, the couplings are diaphragms. In another embodiment, the invention includes a single- or multiple-chambered wafer carrier or subcarrier capable of modifying a differential polishing pressure across the surface of the wafer or other substrate.