Pad conditioner auto disk change

Abstract

A method and apparatus for replacing a polishing pad conditioning disk is a chemical mechanical polishing system is provided. The apparatus comprises a disk load/unload station for unloading used conditioning disks from a pad conditioning assembly and loading unused conditioning disks onto the pad conditioning assembly, on or more disk storage stations for storing both used and unused conditioning disks, and a central robot having a range of motion sufficient for transferring both used an unused conditioning disks between the disk load/unload station and the one or more disk storage stations. Embodiments described herein reduce the length of system interruption by eliminating the need to safety lock out the system for the replacement of polishing pad conditioning disks.

1 . An apparatus for replacing a polishing pad conditioning disk in a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
 a disk load/unload station for unloading used conditioning disks from a pad conditioning assembly and loading unused conditioning disks onto the pad conditioning assembly;   one or more disk storage stations for storing both used and unused conditioning disks; and   a central robot having a range of motion sufficient for transferring both used and unused conditioning disks between the disk load/unload station and the one or more disk storage stations.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disk load/unload station comprises:
 a pedestal body;   a magnetic element coupled with the pedestal body; and   a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the magnetic element.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more disk storage stations comprises:
 a frame; and   a plurality of storage shelves supported by the frame, wherein the plurality of storage shelves are spaced vertically apart and parallel to define a plurality of conditioning disk storage spaces supported by the frame.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the central robot comprises:
 a shuffling robot body; and   an end effector assembly coupled with the shuffling robot body.   
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the end effector assembly comprises one or more blades comprising a conditioning disk receiving surface adapted to retain a conditioning disk positioned on the blade. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more blades have two opposing conditioning disk supporting sides. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a shuffling robot positioned adjacent to the central robot and the one or more disk storage stations, wherein the shuffling robot has a range of motion sufficient to retrieve conditioning disks from and deliver conditioning disks to the one or more disk storage stations. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the central robot is positioned in between the disk load/unload station and the one or more disk storage stations. 
   
   
       9 . A system for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate, comprising:
 a platen assembly;   a polishing surface supported on the platen assembly;   one or more polishing heads on which substrates are retained while polishing;   a pad conditioning assembly for dressing the polishing surface by removing polishing debris and opening the pores of the polishing surface; and   an auto disk changer module for replacing a polishing pad conditioning disk.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the auto disk changer module comprises:
 a disk load/unload station for unloading used conditioning disks from a pad conditioning assembly and loading unused conditioning disks onto the pad conditioning assembly;   one or more disk storage stations for storing both used and unused conditioning disks; and   a central robot for transferring both used and unused conditioning disks between the disk load/unload station and the one or more disk storage stations.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the disk load/unload station comprises:
 a pedestal body;   a magnetic element coupled with the pedestal body; and   a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the magnetic element.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more disk storage stations comprises:
 a frame; and   a plurality of storage shelves supported by the frame, wherein the plurality of storage shelves are spaced vertically apart and parallel to define a plurality of conditioning disk storage spaces supported by the frame.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the central robot comprises:
 a shuffling robot body; and   an end effector assembly coupled with the shuffling robot body.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the end effector assembly comprises one or more blades comprising a conditioning disk receiving surface adapted to retain a conditioning disk positioned on the blade. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more polishing heads are coupled to an overhead circular track that allows the one or more polishing heads to be selectively positioned over the polishing surface. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the pad conditioning assembly, comprises:
 a support assembly;   a conditioning head supported by a support assembly;   a support arm coupling the support assembly with the conditioning head;   a conditioning disk coupled with the conditioning head, wherein the support assembly has sufficient range of motion to position the conditioning disk in contact with the polishing surface, and is further adapted to provide a relative motion therebetween.   
   
   
       17 . A method for replacing a polishing pad conditioning disk in a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising:
 unloading a used conditioning disk from a pad conditioning assembly at a disk load/unload station;   retrieving the used conditioning disk with a central robot;   transferring the used conditioning disk using the central robot from the disk load/unload station to one or more disk storage stations;   unloading the used conditioning disk;   retrieving an unused conditioning disk from the one or more disk storage stations;   transferring the unused conditioning disk using the central robot to the load/unload station; and   loading the unused conditioning disk onto the pad conditioning assembly.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein unloading the used conditioning disk from a pad conditioning assembly comprises selectively energizing a magnetic element to create a bias force to remove the conditioning disk from the pad conditioning assembly. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the unloading the used conditioning disk, comprises transferring the used conditioning disk to a shuffling robot, wherein the shuffling robot positions the used disk in the one or more disk storage stations. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein retrieving an unused conditioning disk from the one or more disk storage stations comprises retrieving an unused conditioning disk from the one or more disk storage stations using the shuffling robot.