Chemical mechanical polishing platform architecture

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide polishing systems for increasing production efficiency, maximizing substrate throughput, and reducing production costs. The polishing systems generally include one or more polishing stations for performing a CMP process and one or more cleaning stations at which post-polishing cleaning is performed. The number of cleaning stations and polishing heads present may be increased depending on the desired substrate throughput or processing time at each polishing station. The number of polishing stations or cleaning stations can also be reduced in order to reduce the footprint of the polishing system. The polishing pads at each polishing station can be adjusted in size to accommodate one or more polishing heads simultaneously depending on substrate throughput and system footprint. Additionally, the polishing pads may be replaced with a fixed abrasive pad, or adapted to polish 450 millimeter substrates.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A polishing system, comprising:
 a polishing module, having:
 a plurality of polishing stations; 
 a circular track disposed above the plurality of polishing stations; and 
 a plurality of polishing heads coupled to the circular track; and 
   a cleaning module in operable communication with the polishing module, the cleaning module having two cleaning stations, and a central transfer area disposed between the two cleaning stations in operable communication with a factory interface, wherein each of the two cleaning stations include one or more cleaning units and are separated from the central transfer area by a wall.   
     
     
         2 . The polishing system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the polishing stations includes a fixed abrasive pad. 
     
     
         3 . The polishing system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of polishing heads is eight polishing heads. 
     
     
         4 . The polishing system of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning module is in operable communication with the factory interface through one or more L-shaped doors. 
     
     
         5 . The polishing system of  claim 1 , wherein the central transfer area includes two buffer stations and two transfer platforms. 
     
     
         6 . The polishing system of  claim 5 , wherein the buffer stations are adapted to contain a liquid therein. 
     
     
         7 . The polishing system of  claim 6 , wherein the buffer stations are adapted to contain a plurality of substrates positioned in a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         8 . A polishing system, comprising:
 a polishing module, having:
 a plurality of polishing stations, each polishing station having a polishing pad adapted to polish one substrate thereon; and 
 a circular track disposed over the plurality of polishing stations; and 
   a cleaning module having a central transfer area and a cleaning station, wherein the central transfer area is separated from the cleaning station by a wall.   
     
     
         9 . The polishing system of  claim 8 , wherein the cleaning station is in operable communication with a factory interface through an L-shaped door. 
     
     
         10 . The polishing system of  claim 9 , further comprising a robot disposed within the factory interface, the robot adapted to transfer substrates to or receive substrates from the cleaning station via the L-shaped door, a transform platform located within the central transfer area, and one or more cassettes coupled to the factory interface. 
     
     
         11 . The polishing system of  claim 8 , wherein each polishing pad has a diameter of about 30 inches or greater and is adapted to polish a substrate having a diameter of 450 millimeters or greater. 
     
     
         12 . The polishing system of  claim 11 , further comprising a robot disposed within the central transfer area and adapted to receive substrates from a transfer platform located within the central transfer area and transfer the substrates to one or more cups positioned within the polishing module. 
     
     
         13 . The polishing system of  claim 12 , further comprising a buffer station located within the central transfer area. 
     
     
         14 . The polishing system of  claim 13 , wherein the buffer station is adapted to contain a plurality of substrates in a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         15 . The polishing system of  claim 14 , wherein the buffer station is adapted to contain a fluid therein. 
     
     
         16 . The polishing system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least three polishing stations is four polishing stations, five polishing stations, or six polishing stations. 
     
     
         17 . A polishing system, comprising:
 a polishing module, having:
 a plurality of polishing stations; 
 a plurality of polishing heads; and 
 at least one load cup; 
   a cleaning module, having:
 at least one cleaning station, the at least one cleaning station including one or more cleaning units and a dryer; 
 a transfer area coupled to the cleaning station; 
 at least one buffer station located within the transfer area; and 
 a first robot disposed within the transfer area, the robot adapted to transfer substrates from the at least one buffer station to the at least one load cup; and 
   a factory interface having a second robot the therein, the second robot adapted to transfer substrates from a substrate storage cassette coupled to the factory interface to the at least one buffer station.   
     
     
         18 . The polishing system of  claim 17 , wherein the cleaning module further comprises a second cleaning station, and wherein the transfer area is positioned between the cleaning stations and separated therefrom by a wall. 
     
     
         19 . The polishing system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one buffer station is adapted to contain a plurality of substrates in a vertical orientation, and the second robot is adapted to remove the substrates from the at least one buffer station in the vertical orientation. 
     
     
         20 . The polishing system of  claim 18 , wherein each cleaning module comprises two robots disposed therein and adapted to transfer substrates therethrough.