Polishing method and polishing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569381-B2
Application number	US-201615761989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate having a film whose thickness varies along a circumferential direction of the substrate. The polishing method includes: obtaining a film-thickness distribution in a circumferential direction of a substrate (W); determining a first area having a maximum or minimum film thickness based on the film-thickness distribution; rotating a polishing table (3) holding a polishing pad (2); pressing a surface of the substrate (W) against the polishing pad (2) while rotating the substrate by a polishing head (1); and polishing the first area at a removal rate different from that of a second area in the surface of the substrate (W).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing table supporting a polishing pad;
a polishing head configured to press a substrate against the polishing pad;
a head rotating motor configured to rotate the polishing head about a central axis of rotation; and
a head-decentering mechanism configured to decenter the polishing head from the central axis of rotation,
wherein the head-decentering mechanism is configured to decenter the polishing head in a direction in which a distance of a first area in a surface of the substrate from the central axis of rotation of the polishing head increases or decreases such that the polishing head can polish the first area at a removal rate different from that of a second area in the surface of the substrate.

2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first area and the second area are symmetrical with respect to a center of the substrate.

3. A polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing table supporting a polishing pad; and
a polishing head configured to press a substrate against the polishing pad, the polishing head including:
a head body;
an elastic membrane configured to press the substrate against the polishing pad;
a membrane holder holding the elastic membrane;
at least three partition membranes that form at least three actuating chambers between the head body and the membrane holder; and
at least three pressure regulators configured to control pressures in the at least three actuating chambers independently of each other to incline the membrane holder in a desired direction,

wherein the membrane holder is inclined upwardly or downwardly in a direction from a first area toward a second area in a surface of the substrate to enable the polishing head to polish the first area at a removal rate different from that of the second area.

4. The polishing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first area and the second area are symmetrical with respect to a center of the substrate.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Yoshida Hiroshi

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P74/238

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• H10P52/402

  of semiconductor materials · CPC title

• B24B37/34

  Accessories · CPC title