Chemical mechanical polish pad conditioner with multiple disks

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provided for a pad conditioner with multiple disks for chemical mechanical polishing. The pad conditioner includes a bearing ring connected to a lower portion of a shaft, an outer disk assembly connected to the lower portion of the shaft, the outer disk assembly, an outer disk flexure, a plurality of outer disks disposed on a bottom surface of the outer disk, and an inner disk assembly. Alternatively, the outer disk assembly includes a plurality of outer disk holders, an outer disk connector connecting the plurality of outer disk holders, and a plurality of outer disks disposed on a bottom surface of the outer disk holders. The inner disk assembly includes a flexure connected to the outer disk assembly, the inner disk assembly, and the shaft. The pad conditioner may include a spherical bearing assembly coupled to a lower portion of the shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pad conditioner, comprising:
 a shaft;   a bearing ring connected to a lower portion of the shaft, the bearing ring contacting a rolling element;   an outer disk assembly connected to the lower portion of the shaft, the outer disk assembly comprising:
 an outer disk main body; 
 an outer disk flexure connected to the outer disk main body and the lower portion of the shaft; and 
 a plurality of outer disks disposed on a bottom surface of the outer disk main body; and 
   an inner disk assembly connected to the lower portion of the shaft concentrically to the outer disk assembly, the inner disk assembly comprising:
 an inner disk main body; 
 an inner disk flexure connected to the inner disk main body; and 
 a plurality of inner disks disposed on a bottom surface of the inner disk main body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pad conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outer disk main body has a toroidal shape and the inner disk main body has a circular shape. 
     
     
         3 . The pad conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outer disk main body comprises a plurality of outer disk holders connected to each other by an outer disk connector, and wherein the inner disk main body has a circular shape with recesses to accommodate each of the outer disk holders. 
     
     
         4 . The pad conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outer disk main body comprises a first plurality of prongs, each of the first plurality of prongs comprising at least one of the plurality of outer disks, and wherein the inner disk main body comprises a second plurality of prongs, each of the second plurality of prongs comprising at least one of the plurality of inner disks. 
     
     
         5 . The pad conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of outer disks and the at least one of the plurality of inner disks are equidistant from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The pad conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outer disk flexure and the inner disk flexure have an s-shape. 
     
     
         7 . The pad conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the outer disk flexure contacts a first stop on the shaft and the inner disk flexure contacts a second stop on the shaft, the first stop and the second stop being offset from each other along the shaft. 
     
     
         8 . A pad conditioner, comprising:
 a shaft;   a bearing ring connected to a lower portion of the shaft, the bearing ring contacting a rolling element;   an outer disk assembly connected to the lower portion of the shaft, the outer disk assembly comprising:
 a plurality of outer disk holders; 
 an outer disk connector connecting the plurality of outer disk holders; and 
 a plurality of outer disks disposed on a bottom surface of the outer disk holders; and 
   an inner disk assembly connected to the lower portion concentrically to the outer disk assembly, the inner disk assembly comprising:
 a plurality of inner prongs; and 
 a plurality of inner disks disposed on a bottom surface of the inner prongs; and 
   a flexure connected to the outer disk assembly, the inner disk assembly, and the shaft.   
     
     
         9 . The pad conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the inner disk assembly is directly connected to the flexure. 
     
     
         10 . The pad conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the outer disk assembly and the inner disk assembly are configured to deform the flexure independently of each other. 
     
     
         11 . The pad conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of outer disks and the plurality of inner disks are radially equidistant from each other. 
     
     
         12 . The pad conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the outer disk assembly and the inner disk assembly are coplanar. 
     
     
         13 . The pad conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein the flexure comprises flexure prongs, the flexure prongs connected to the plurality of outer disk holders and to the plurality of inner prongs. 
     
     
         14 . The pad conditioner of  claim 13 , wherein the each of the flexure prongs is connected to only one of either the plurality of outer disk holders or one of the plurality of inner prongs. 
     
     
         15 . A pad conditioner, comprising:
 a shaft;   a spherical bearing assembly coupled to a lower portion of the shaft;   an outer disk assembly connected to the lower portion of the shaft, the outer disk assembly comprising:
 an outer disk main body; and 
 a plurality of outer disks disposed on a bottom surface of the outer disk main body; and 
   an inner disk assembly connected to the lower portion concentrically to the outer disk assembly, the inner disk assembly comprising:
 an inner disk main body; and 
 a plurality of inner disks disposed on a bottom surface of the inner disk main body; and 
   a flexure connected to the outer disk assembly and the shaft.   
     
     
         16 . The pad conditioner of  claim 15 , the spherical bearing assembly comprising a single spherical bearing configured to contact an inner side of the outer disk assembly and an inner side of the inner disk assembly simultaneously. 
     
     
         17 . The pad conditioner of  claim 15 , the spherical bearing assembly comprising an outer spherical bearing and an inner spherical bearing wherein the outer spherical bearing configured to contact the outer disk assembly and wherein the inner spherical bearing configured to contact the inner disk assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The pad conditioner of  claim 17 , wherein the flexure is connected to the inner disk assembly directly. 
     
     
         19 . The pad conditioner of  claim 17 , wherein the lower portion of the shaft comprises a cam assembly, the cam assembly comprising a cam mounted on a rod, wherein the rod is connected to a shaft support extending from the shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The pad conditioner of  claim 19 , wherein the outer spherical bearing comprises an outer bearing protrusion and the inner spherical bearing comprises an inner bearing protrusion, the outer bearing protrusion and inner bearing protrusion configured to interact with opposing sides of the cam such that the cam rotates about the rod.