Chemical-mechanical polishing platform

Abstract

A chemical-mechanical polishing platform that comprises a polishing table, a wafer carrier, a polishing pad, a slurry supplier, a conditioner, and a means for cleaning the polishing pad. With respect to in-situ or ex-situ chemical-mechanical polishing, the wafer carrier, conditioner, and means for cleaning the polishing pad are adequately disposed above the polishing pad. The chemical-mechanical polishing is performed by rotation of the polishing pad; the region of the polishing pad that has polished the wafer then passes sequentially through the conditioner, the means for cleaning that removes diamond particles that may drop on the polishing pad, and through the slurry supplier that provides adequate slurry such that the polishing process can be repeated without scraping damage of the wafer. The means for cleaning of the present invention can have any shapes adapted to remove diamond particles on the polishing pad, such as circular or cylindrical brush sweeper.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A chemical-mechanical polishing platform that is suitable to be used for in-situ chemical-mechanical polishing of a wafer, the chemical-mechanical polishing platform comprising: 
 a polishing table that has a polishing pad located thereon, wherein the polishing table rotates in a first direction to polish the wafer;    a wafer carrier that is directed to maintain the wafer to be polished against the polishing pad;    a conditioner having a plurality of diamond particles, wherein the diamond particles are in contact with the polishing pad, such that an adequate roughness of the polishing pad is maintained when the polishing table rotates; and    a means for cleaning mounted above the polishing pad, wherein the means for cleaning rotates such that diamond particle residues dropping on the polishing pad can be removed.    
     
     
         2 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 1 , further comprising a slurry supplier arranged above the polishing pad and between the wafer carrier and means for cleaning.  
     
     
         3 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 2 , wherein the slurry supplier further comprises: 
 a supply tube that supplies the polishing pad with slurry; and    a pump that conducts the slurry to the supply tube.    
     
     
         4 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 1 , wherein the means for cleaning is round-shaped, and performs a rotation movement according to a direction identical to the rotation of the polishing table.  
     
     
         5 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 1 , wherein the means for cleaning is cylindrical-shaped and performs a rotation movement.  
     
     
         6 . A chemical-mechanical polishing platform that is suitable to be used for ex-situ chemical-mechanical polishing of a wafer, the chemical-mechanical polishing platform comprising: 
 a polishing table that has a polishing pad located thereon, wherein the polishing table rotates in a first direction to polish the wafer;    a wafer carrier that is directed to maintain the wafer to be polished against the polishing pad;    a conditioner having a plurality of diamond particles, wherein the diamond particles are in contact with the polishing pad, such that an adequate roughness of the polishing pad is maintained when the polishing table rotates; and    a means for cleaning mounted above the polishing pad, wherein the means for cleaning rotates such that diamond particle residue dropping on the polishing pad can be removed.    
     
     
         7 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 6 , further comprising a slurry supplier arranged along the first direction of rotation of the polishing pad between the means for cleaning and wafer carrier.  
     
     
         8 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 6 , wherein the slurry supplier further comprises: 
 a supply tube that supplies the polishing pad with slurry; and    a pump that conducts the slurry to the supply tube.    
     
     
         9 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 6 , wherein the means for cleaning is round-shaped, and performs a rotation movement according to a direction identical to the rotation of the polishing table.  
     
     
         10 . The chemical-mechanical polishing platform of  claim 6 , wherein the means for cleaning is cylindrical-shaped and performs a rotation movement.  
     
     
         11 . A method for performing a chemical-mechanical polishing on a wafer using a polishing pad that can prevent damages of the wafer by diamond particles dropped on the polishing pad, the method comprising: 
 providing the polishing pad with a slurry;    rotating the polishing pad to polish the wafer;    scraping the polishing pad to maintain an adequate roughness thereof; and    cleaning away diamond particles that may drop on the polishing pad.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein in an in-situ chemical-mechanical polishing, the step of cleaning away diamond particles is performed simultaneously with the polishing of the wafer by rotating the polishing pad.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein in an ex-situ chemical-mechanical polishing, the step of cleaning away diamond particles is alternately performed with the polishing of the wafer.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning of the polishing pad is performed via a substantially rounded brush sweeper.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning of the polishing pad is performed via a substantially cylindrical brush sweeper.