Polishing apparatus and controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10016871-B2
Application number	US-201514977518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A polishing apparatus according to one embodiment includes: a turn table on which a polishing pad for polishing a substrate is provided; a turn table rotation mechanism configured to rotate the turn table; a dresser configured to dress the polishing pad by cutting a surface of the polishing pad; a pressing mechanism configured to press the dresser onto the polishing pad; a dresser rotation mechanism configured to rotate the dresser; a swinging mechanism configured to swing the dresser on the polishing pad; and a controller configured to control the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism based on a position and a swinging direction of the dresser.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polishing apparatus comprising:
a turn table on which a polishing pad for polishing a substrate is provided;
a turn table rotation mechanism configured to rotate the turn table;
a dresser configured to dress the polishing pad by cutting a surface of the polishing pad;
a pressing mechanism configured to press the dresser onto the polishing pad;
a dresser rotation mechanism configured to rotate the dresser;
a swinging mechanism configured to swing the dresser on the polishing pad; and
a controller configured to control the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism based on a position and a swinging direction of the dresser.

2. The polishing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism so that a force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad becomes a target value.

3. The polishing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism taking into consideration that a ratio between a force of the dresser to press the polishing pad and the force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad depends on the swinging direction of the dresser.

4. The polishing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller
controls the pressing mechanism to adjust a force of the dresser to press the polishing pad,
controls the turn table rotation mechanism to adjust a rotation speed of the turn table, or
controls the dresser rotation mechanism to adjust a rotation speed of the dresser.

5. The polishing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the swinging mechanism swings the dresser between a center of the polishing pad and an edge thereof, and
the controller controls the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism based on whether the swinging direction is a direction from the center to the edge or a direction from the edge to the center.

6. The polishing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the controller comprises a table in which a control signal is determined, the control signal being a signal to set a force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad to become a target value for each position and swinging direction of the dresser, the controller outputting the control signal depending on the position and the swinging direction of the dresser, and
controls the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism based on the control signal.

7. The polishing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller comprises a determiner configured to determine whether or not the control signal in the table is appropriate based on an actual force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad and the target value.

8. The polishing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the determiner comprises a memory configured to store the position and the swinging direction of the dresser associated with a determination result.

9. The polishing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller calculate the actual force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad:
from a driving current supplied to a turn table motor in the turn table rotation mechanism and the position of the dresser;
from a distortion of a rotation axis of the turn table and the position of the dresser;
from a force applied on a support member to support a rotation axis of the dresser; or
from a force applied on a support member to support a support axis of the dresser.

10. A method of controlling a polishing apparatus,
the polishing apparatus comprising:
a turn table on which a polishing pad for polishing a substrate is provided;
a turn table rotation mechanism configured to rotate the turn table;
a dresser configured to dress the polishing pad by cutting a surface of the polishing pad;
a pressing mechanism configured to press the dresser onto the polishing pad;
a dresser rotation mechanism configured to rotate the dresser; and
a swinging mechanism configured to swing the dresser on the polishing pad,
the method comprising:
detecting a position and a swinging direction of the dresser; and
controlling the pressing mechanism, the turn table rotation mechanism or the dresser rotation mechanism based on the position and the swinging direction of the dresser.

11. A dressing method for cutting a surface of a polishing pad on a turn table, said method comprising:
rotating the turn table and a dresser;
cutting the surface of the polishing pad by pressing and oscillating the dresser against the polishing pad;
detecting a position and a oscillating direction of the dresser on the polishing pad; and
adjusting a pressing force of the dresser, a rotating speed of the turn table or a rotating speed of the dresser based on said detecting.

12. The dressing method of claim 11 , wherein the pressing force of the dresser, the rotating speed of the turn table or the rotating speed of the dresser is adjusted so that a force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad becomes a target value.

13. The dressing method of claim 11 , wherein the pressing force of the dresser, the rotating speed of the turn table or the rotating speed of the dresser is adjusted taking into consideration that a ratio between a force of the dresser to press the polishing pad and a force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad depends on the oscillating direction of the dresser.

14. The dressing method of claim 11 , wherein
the pressing force of the dresser is adjusted by controlling a pressing mechanism which is configured to press the dresser onto the polishing pad;
the rotating speed of the turn table is adjusted by controlling a turn table rotation mechanism which is configured to rotate the turn table; or
the rotating speed of the dresser is adjusted by controlling a dresser rotation mechanism which is configured to rotate the dresser.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dresser is oscillated between a center of the polishing pad and an edge thereof, and
whether the oscillating direction of the dresser is a direction from the center to the edge or a direction from the edge to the center is detected.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising outputting a control signal depending on the position and the oscillating direction of the dresser using a table in which the control signal is determined, the control signal being a signal to set a force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad to become a target value for each position and oscillating direction of the dresser,
wherein the pressing force of the dresser, the rotating speed of the turn table or the rotating speed of the dresser is adjusted based on the control signal.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining whether or not the control signal in the table is appropriate based on an actual force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad and the target value.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising storing the position and the oscillating direction of the dresser associated with a determination result.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the actual force of the dresser to cut the surface of the polishing pad is calculated:
from the position of the dresser and a driving current supplied to a turn table motor in a turn table rotation mechanism which is configured to rotate the turn table;
from a

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Shinozaki Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B24B37/005 Primary

  Control means for lapping machines or devices · CPC title

• B24B53/017 Primary

  Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools · CPC title

• B24B49/16

  taking regard of the load · CPC title

• B24B49/10

  involving electrical means (B24B49/02, B24B49/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• B24B57/02

  for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents · CPC title