1. A method of completing a well having a casing hanger set in a subsea wellhead housing, comprising:
(a) providing a tubular bridging hanger with a lower exterior portion and an upper exterior portion having a larger outer diameter than the lower exterior portion;
(b) attaching a metal-to-metal inner seal to the lower exterior portion;
(c) lowering the bridging hanger on a running tool and running string into the wellhead housing, inserting the lower exterior portion into an interior of the casing hanger and by applying weight of the running string, setting the inner seal between the interior of the casing hanger and the lower exterior portion of the bridging hanger.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
while the running tool is still inserted into the wellhead housing, setting a metal-to-metal outer seal between the upper exterior portion of the bridging hanger and the wellhead housing.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises locking the inner seal to the interior of the casing hanger.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the casing hanger has a profile in its interior and step (c) further comprises deflecting a portion of the inner seal into the profile to prevent axial movement of the inner seal relative to the casing hanger.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises wedging the inner seal between surfaces on the bridging hanger and casing hanger that incline relative to each other at an angle greater than a locking taper angle.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising after step (d), attaching a string of tubing to a tubing hanger assembly, lowering the tubing through the bridging hanger and sealing a lower portion of the tubing hanger assembly to a seal surface in the interior of the bridging hanger.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interior of the casing hanger has a conventional seal area, and wherein step (c) comprises setting the inner seal in a place other than the conventional seal area.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bridging hanger has a minimum inner diameter that is substantially equal to a minimum inner diameter of the casing hanger
9. A method of completing a well having a casing hanger set in a subsea wellhead housing, comprising:
(a) attaching a running tool to a tubular bridging hanger, the bridging hanger having a seal profile in its interior, a lower exterior portion and an upper exterior portion having a larger outer diameter than the lower exterior portion;
(b) attaching a metal-to-metal inner seal to the lower exterior portion of the bridging hanger and engaging a metal-to-metal outer seal with the running tool;
(c) lowering the bridging hanger and running tool on a running string into the wellhead housing, inserting the lower exterior portion into an interior of the casing hanger and wedging the inner seal between the interior of the casing hanger and the bridging hanger in response to weight of the running string; and
(d) while still attached to the bridging hanger, actuating the running tool to set the outer seal between the upper exterior portion of the bridging hanger and the wellhead housing.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:
the interior of the casing hanger has a reaction shoulder;
step (b) further comprises providing the inner seal with a deflectable lock portion; and
step (c) further comprises deflecting the lock portion into engagement with the reaction shoulder in response to the weight of the running string.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the interior of the casing hanger has a conventional seal area, and wherein step (c) comprises setting the inner seal above the conventional seal area.
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein step (c) comprises wedging the inner seal between surfaces on the bridging hanger and casing hanger that incline relative to each other at an angle greater than a locking taper angle.
13. A subsea well assembly, comprising:
a wellhead housing having a bore;
a casing hanger landed in the wellhead housing, the casing hanger having an annular recess with a downward facing shoulder on an upper edge and a tapered surface on a lower edge;
a bridging hanger having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion being inserted into the casing hanger and having a smaller outer diameter than the upper portion;
a metal ring having a lower portion that wedges in metal-to-metal sealing engagement between the lower tapered portion of the annular recess and an exterior portion of the bridging hanger to define the inner seal; and
the metal ring having an upper portion that is deflected outward into the recess below the downward facing shoulder to lock the metal ring to the casing hanger.
14. The assembly according to claim 13, further comprising:
a metal-to-metal outer seal between the upper portion of the bridging hanger and the bore of the wellhead housing.
15. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the bridging hanger has a minimum inner diameter that is substantially the same as a minimum inner diameter of the casing hanger.
16. The assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a tubing hanger assembly sealed in an interior portion of the bridging hanger.
17. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the inner seal has inner and outer seal surfaces that taper relative to each other.
18. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the inner and outer seal surfaces of the inner seal taper at an angle greater than a locking taper angle.
19. The assembly according to claim 13, further comprising:
a cam surface on the bridging hanger that deflects the upper portion of the metal ring outward in response to downward movement of the bridging hanger after the after the lower portion of the metal ring is wedged between the annular recess and exterior portion of the bridging hanger.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A load cup for transferring a substrate in a processing system, comprising:
a pedestal assembly having a substrate support; and
a de-chucking nozzle positioned to flow a fluid between the polishing head and a back side of a substrate during transfer of the substrate from the polishing head to the substrate support.
2. The load cup of claim 1, wherein the de-chucking nozzle is disposed in the pedestal assembly.
3. The load cup of claim 1, wherein the pedestal assembly further comprises:
a main section having a recessed outer diameter surface; and
a lip extending upwards from the outer diameter.
4. The load cup of claim 3, wherein the de-chucking nozzle is disposed in the lip.
5. The load cup of claim 1, further comprising:
a sensor adapted to detect the presence of a substrate on the substrate support.
6. The load cup of claim 5, wherein the de-chucking nozzle is radially aligned with the sensor.
7. The load cup of claim 6, wherein the sensor has a sensing portion oriented towards the de-chucking nozzle.
8. The load cup of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of de-chucking nozzles disposed about the perimeter of the pedestal assembly and facing radially inwards; and
a plurality of sensors adapted to detect the presence of a substrate on the substrate support, the sensors having a sensing portion aligned with and oriented towards the de-chucking nozzles.
9. The load cup of claim 1, further comprising:
a gripper assembly adapted to engage a back side of the substrate to retain the substrate in the load cup.
10. The load cup of claim 9, wherein the gripper assembly further comprises:
a gripper; and
an actuator adapted to move the gripper in a direction towards and away from a center of the pedestal assembly.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the gripper further comprises:
a plurality of gripper fingers.
12. The load cup of claim 10, wherein the gripper assembly further comprises:
a concave inner edge formed on an edge of the gripper facing the center of the pedestal assembly.
13. The load cup of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of gripper assemblies coupled to and spaced around an outer perimeter of the pedestal assembly, the gripper assemblies adapted to selectively engage a back side of the substrate.
14. The load cup of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of substrate guides adapted to align the substrate on the substrate support.
15. The load cup of claim 14, wherein the substrate guides have a radiused upper surface.
16. A load cup for transferring a substrate, comprising:
a pedestal assembly having a substrate support and a lip extending upwards from an outer diameter of the pedestal assembly;
a plurality of de-chucking nozzles formed in the lip and positioned to flow a fluid between the polishing head and the back side of a substrate during transfer of the substrate from the polishing head to the substrate support;
a plurality of sensors coupled to the pedestal assembly and adapted to detect the presence of a substrate on the substrate support, the sensors having a sensing portion aligned with and oriented towards the de-chucking nozzles;
a plurality of gripper assemblies coupled to the pedestal assembly and adapted to selectively engage a back side of the substrate to retain the substrate in the load cup; and
a plurality of substrate guides adapted to align the substrate with the substrate support.
17. A polishing system, comprising:
a polishing head;
a polishing station;
a load cup; and
a de-chucking mechanism coupled to the load cup and adapted for engaging a back side of the substrate during de-chucking of a face down substrate between the polishing head and load cup.
18. The polishing system of claim 17, wherein the de-chucking mechanism further comprises a nozzle positioned to flow a fluid between the polishing head and the back side of a substrate during transfer of the substrate from the polishing head to the substrate support.
19. The polishing system of claim 17, wherein the de-chucking mechanism further comprises a plurality of gripper assemblies coupled to the pedestal assembly and adapted to selectively engage a back side of the substrate to retain the substrate in the load cup.
20. A method of transferring a substrate between a polishing head and a load cup in a chemical mechanical polishing system, the method comprising:
engaging a polishing head having a face down substrate disposed therein with a load cup;
activating the load cup to engage the back side of the substrate; and
transferring the substrate face down into the load cup.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of activating further comprises:
flowing a fluid from a nozzle between the back side of the substrate and the polishing head.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
cleaning a substrate sensor disposed in the load cup by flowing a fluid from the nozzle to contact the sensor.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of activating further comprises:
moving a gripper between the back side of the substrate and the polishing head.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of activating further comprises:
flowing a fluid between the back side of the substrate and the polishing head.
25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
cleaning a substrate sensor disposed in the load cup by flowing a fluid from the nozzle to contact the sensor.
26. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of activating further comprises:
applying a de-chucking force from the load cup to the back side of the substrate.