PAUL DAVID JACKSON
Pilots at 55 St, Scottsdale, AZ

6068549, May 30, 2000

Jul 28, 1999

9/363980

Paul Jackson - Paradise Valley AZ

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation - Tokyo

B24B 500, B24B 4702

451398

The invention provides a polishing machine and a three-chambered polishing head structure and method that improves the polishing uniformity of a substrate across the entire surface of the substrate, particularly near the edge of the substrate that is particularly beneficial to improve the uniformity of semiconductor wafers during Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP). In one aspect, the invention provides a method of controlling the polishing pressure over annular regions of the substrate, such as a wafer, in a semiconductor wafer polishing machine. The method includes controlling a first pressure exerted on the wafer against a polishing pad to affect the material removed from the wafer; controlling a second pressure exerted on a retaining ring, disposed concentric with the wafer, directly against the polishing pad, to affect the manner in which the polishing pad contacts the wafer at a peripheral edge of the wafer; and controlling a third pressure exerted within a predetermined annular region proximate an inner annular region of the retaining ring and an outer annular edge of the wafer to affect a change to the first and second pressure only proximate the annular region. Each of the first, second, and third pressures being independently controllable of the other pressures.

5643061, Jul 1, 1997

Jul 20, 1995

8/504686

Paul David Jackson - Scottsdale AZ
Stephen Charles Schultz - Gilbert AZ

Integrated Process Equipment Corporation - Phoenix AZ

B24B 3704

451289

A polishing head for chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes a carrier plate having concentric, integral, cylindrical walls, an annular piston fitting within the outer of the cylindrical walls and a second piston fitting within the inner cylindrical wall and engaging the annular piston. Each piston defines a chamber with the carrier plate and the chambers are isolated from each other by a seal. Pneumatic fittings supply air or vacuum to each chamber. The second piston includes a cylindrical side wall and an integral bottom plate. The bottom plate is thicker in the center than at the side wall and the underside of the plate is covered with a wafer adhering layer. A retaining ring is attached to the lower edge of the annular piston. The retaining ring includes a peripheral groove for separating an outwardly extending flange from the main body of the ring. The underside of the ring includes one or more spiral grooves for circulating slurry about a wafer during polishing.

6241591, Jun 5, 2001

Oct 15, 1999

9/418819

Paul D. Jackson - Paradise Valley AZ
E. Terry Lisi - Scottsdale AZ
Lee A. Reeves - Gilbert AZ

Prodeo Technologies, Inc. - Tempe AZ

B24B 500, B24B 2900

451287

In one embodiment, a polishing apparatus (10) includes a retaining ring (12), a pressure ring (16), a first seal (18), and a second seal (20). The retaining ring (12) is movably attached to the pressure ring (16) to create a uniform pressure distribution across the retaining ring (12). In addition a positive fluid pressure is applied to the first seal (18) and the second seal (20) to create the uniform pressure distribution across the retaining ring (12). The uniform pressure distribution across the retaining ring (16) allows a semiconductor substrate (51), polished with the polishing apparatus (10), to have a reduced edge exclusion, and thus increased die yield.

5423558, Jun 13, 1995

Mar 24, 1994

8/216848

Joe E. Koeth - Mesa AZ
Melvin J. Hoffman - Scottsdale AZ
Paul D. Jackson - Scottsdale AZ

IPEC/Westech Systems, Inc. - Phoenix AZ

B25D 1100

279 3

An improved semiconductor wafer carrier provides gimballing motion of the wafer to dynamically align the wafer to a polishing platen. This gimballing motion is achieved by providing a conical receptacle which has a spring friction fit with a spherical button. A torque plate with spring fingers provides the spring friction fit between the conical receptacle on the rotating shaft and the spherical button on the drive plate of the wafer carrier.

5456627, Oct 10, 1995

Dec 20, 1993

8/148906

Paul D. Jackson - Scottsdale AZ
Stephen C. Schultz - Gilbert AZ
James E. Sanford - Mesa AZ
Glen Ong - Tempe AZ
Richard B. Rice - Chandler AZ
Parag S. Modi - Phoenix AZ
John G. Baca - Tempe AZ

Westech Systems, Inc. - Phoenix AZ

B24B 4918, B24B 5302

451 11

An axially rotating circular polishing pad is conditioned by a rotating end effector that has an abrasion disc in contact with a polishing surface of the pad. The end effector moves along a radius of the polishing pad surface at a velocity that varies to compensate for locations on the polishing pad surface having linear velocities that are directly related to their respective radii. A desired contact force is maintained between the end effector and the polishing pad surface.

5814561, Sep 29, 1998

Feb 14, 1997

8/799871

Paul D. Jackson - Paradise Valley AZ

H01L 2144

438680

A structure for chemical vapor deposition processing includes a substrate carrier (10) having a streamlined shape. When placed in a mainstream flow (21), the substrate carrier (10) maintains a laminar boundary layer over a substrate (17) under high gas flow rate conditions. In a further embodiment, the substrate carrier (10) includes a device (27) for directly injecting a reactant gas stream (33) into the boundary layer.

5944904, Aug 31, 1999

Jun 10, 1998

9/095191

Paul D. Jackson - Paradise Valley AZ

C23C 1600

118728

A structure for chemical vapor deposition processing includes a substrate carrier (10) having a streamlined shape. When placed in a mainstream flow (21), the substrate carrier (10) maintains a laminar boundary layer over a substrate (17) under high gas flow rate conditions. In a further embodiment, the substrate carrier (10) includes a device (27) for directly injecting a reactant gas stream (33) into the boundary layer.