Carrier for double side polishing

Abstract

In a carrier of the invention, a thick ring-shaped support frame is provided at an outer periphery of a carrier body in which a workpiece housing hole for holding a workpiece is opened. An outer periphery of the support frame is provided with a teeth portion for engaging with driving gears for driving the carrier. The support frame is made of a different member from the carrier body. The carrier body is removably attached to the support frame by screws. The carrier body is made of a material suitable for holding a wafer. The support frame is made of a material suitable for engaging with driving gears for moving the carrier.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to a double side polishing carrier suitably used for polishing both sides of a semiconductor wafer as a raw material of a semiconductor device. Specifically, the invention relates to a double side polishing carrier suitably used in a single wafer type double side polisher. [0003] Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-358247, filed Dec. 10, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] A double side polisher having a planetary gear mechanism has frequently been used for double side polishing of semiconductor wafers. The planetary gear type double side polisher is a kind of batch processing apparatus in which both sides of a plurality of wafers are polished simultaneously. In this type of double side polisher, a plurality of carriers are arranged about the rotating center of upper and lower rotating surface pl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] The peripheral support frame may be formed in integrally with the inner carrier body, or may be formed of a different member independent of the inner carrier body. By constructing the support frame as an independent member, the support frame may be made of a material different from the carrier body. For example, if the support frame is made of a material generating no fibrous powder, for example nylon 66 or the like, an adverse effect on polishing caused by the fibrous powder can be avoided.

[0029] The upper level of the carrier body may be coincident with the upper level of the support frame. Alternatively, it may be lower than the upper level of the support frame. In the former constitution, abrasive fluid supplied to the surface of the carrier is smoothly drained to the periphery without being prevented by the support frame surrounding the carrier body. In the latter constitution, abrasive fluid supplied to the surface of the carrier remains on the surface of the carrier body, and a workpiece is polished within the fluid. That is, the latter constitution enables a submerged polishing of the workpiece.

[0032] The double side polishing carrier of the invention is a large sized carrier used in a single carrier type double side polisher by moving the carrier with a compound movement including a radial component. In this carrier, a thick ring-shaped support frame is provided at the outer periphery of the disk-shaped carrier body having workpiece housing hole for holding a workpiece. By this constitution, it is possible to inhibit deformation of a large overhanging portion of the carrier, and therefore, it is possible to avoid failure of the carrier and reduction of the polishing precision accompanying the deformation of the carrier. Accordingly, by using the carrier of the invention, both sides of large sized workpieces can be polished with high precision and low cost.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, running torque applied by the driving gear is accepted by the thick support frame, and deformation of the carrier in the thickness direction is restricted.

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