Retaining ring design

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to retaining rings that include tunable chemical, material and structural properties, improved structural and fluid transport configurations and new methods of manufacturing the same. According to one or more embodiments of the disclosure, it has been discovered that a retaining ring with improved properties may be produced by an additive manufacturing process, such as a three-dimensional (3D) printing process. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an advanced retaining ring that has discrete features and geometries, formed from at least two different materials that are formed from one or more polymers. The layers and/or regions of the advanced retaining ring may include a composite material structure, such as a polymer that contains at least one filler, such as metals, semimetal oxides, carbides, nitrides and/or polymer particles.

1 . A retaining ring comprising:
 an annular body formed by additive manufacturing including:
 a top surface; 
 a bottom surface; 
 an outer surface extending from the top surface at an outer top perimeter to the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter; 
 an inner surface extending from the top surface at an inner top perimeter to the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter; and 
 a plurality of concentric portions arranged between the inner and outer surfaces, at least two of the concentric portions comprising a first polymer and at least one of the concentric portions comprising a second polymer, the first polymer having a different hardness from the second polymer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The retaining ring of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the concentric portions comprise an outer portion comprising the outer surface and an inner portion comprising the inner surface are the same. 
     
     
         3 . The retaining ring of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the concentric portions is a central portion disposed between the outer portion and the inner portion, wherein the first polymer comprises a hardness greater than a hardness of the second polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The retaining ring of  claim 3 , wherein the outer portion and inner portion comprise a plurality of first polymer posts comprising the first polymer extending from the bottom surface, wherein the central portion comprises a plurality of second polymer posts comprising the second polymer extending from the bottom surface, wherein each of the plurality of first and second polymer posts are arranged to provide channels extending from the outer surface to the inner surface. 
     
     
         5 . The retaining ring of  claim 4 , wherein each circumferential surface of the plurality of first polymer posts and second polymer posts are lined with the first polymer or the second polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The retaining ring of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of second polymer posts are arranged in at least two concentric rows comprising a gap therebetween, each second polymer post comprising a concave shape, wherein each concave side of each post faces a counterclockwise or a clockwise position, or wherein each concave side of each second polymer post faces radially inward. 
     
     
         7 . The retaining ring of  claim 4 , wherein one or more of the plurality of first polymer posts and/or second polymer posts comprise one or more flexible bristles. 
     
     
         8 . The retaining ring of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface comprises segments separated by channels extending from the outer surface to the inner surface. 
     
     
         9 . The retaining ring of  claim 8 , wherein each channel is oriented at an angle of about 0 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to a radial segment extending through the center of the retaining ring and the channel. 
     
     
         10 . The retaining ring of  claim 8 , further comprising channel guides formed at each channel near each outer surface of the annular body. 
     
     
         11 . The retaining ring of  claim 10 , wherein each channel guide of the channel guides is oriented at an angle of about 10 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to a radial segment extending through the center of the retaining ring and the channel, wherein each channel guide of the channel guides comprises a concave shape, wherein a concave side of each channel guide faces in a same direction or a different direction relative to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The retaining ring of  claim 1 , further comprising a transparent portion configured to receive light therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . The retaining ring of  claim 12 , wherein the transparent portion comprises a polymer formed from one or more of the monomers acrylate, carbonate, propylene, ethylene, combinations thereof, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The retaining ring of  claim 1 , further comprising a metal portion disposed over the top surface of the annular body. 
     
     
         15 . A retaining ring comprising:
 an annular body including:
 a top surface; 
 a bottom surface; 
 an outer surface extending from the top surface at an outer top perimeter to the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter; 
 an inner surface extending from the top surface at an inner top perimeter to the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter; and 
 a plurality of channels formed in the bottom surface, wherein each of the channels extend from the outer surface to the inner surface; and 
 a plurality of channel guide extensions extending from the outer surface of the retaining ring and having a curved shape, wherein the curved shape of at least one channel guide extension is oriented and positioned to direct a fluid positioned outside of the outer surface into a channel of the plurality of channels as the retaining ring is rotated during a polishing process. 
   
     
     
         16 . The retaining ring of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of channels separate adjacent segments of the annular body, each segment comprising a solid core composed of a polymer and shell composed of another polymer. 
     
     
         17 . A retaining ring comprising:
 an annular body including:
 a top surface; 
 a bottom surface; 
 an outer surface extending from the top surface at an outer top perimeter to the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter; 
 an inner surface extending from the top surface at an inner top perimeter to the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter; and 
 a plurality of channels formed in the bottom surface, wherein each of the channels extend from the outer surface to the inner surface; and 
 a plurality of segments extending from the outer surface to the inner surface of the bottom surface, wherein a pair of adjacent segments of the plurality of segments are separated by a channel, wherein at least one of the segments of the plurality of segments comprises:
 a rounded polygonal shape having at least three sides, wherein a first side has a concave shape and a second side has a convex shape. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The retaining ring of  claim 17 , wherein the rounded polygonal shape essentially comprises three sides that are each separated by a rounded vertices. 
     
     
         19 . The retaining ring of  claim 17 , wherein the three sides comprise a first side, a second side, and a convex hypotenuse side, the rounded polygonal shape further comprising:
 a first rounded vertex is disposed between the first side and the second side;   a second rounded vertex disposed between the second side and the convex hypotenuse side; and   a third rounded vertex disposed between the first side and the convex hypotenuse side.   
     
     
         20 . The retaining ring of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of segments comprise alternating first segments and second segments adjacent to the first segments, wherein an outermost radius of the first segment is greater than an outermost radius of the second segment relative to a center of the retaining ring.