Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11541502-B2
Application number	US-202017041734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2019
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing section and a transport section. The polishing section has a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport mechanism. The first polishing unit has a first polishing apparatus and a second polishing apparatus. The second polishing unit has a third polishing apparatus and a fourth polishing apparatus. Each of the first to fourth polishing apparatuses has a polishing table to which a polishing pad is mounted, a top ring, and auxiliary units that perform a process on the polishing pad during polishing. Around the polishing table, a pair of auxiliary unit mounting units for mounting the respective auxiliary units in a left-right switchable manner with respect to a straight line connecting a swing center of the top ring and a center of rotation of the polishing table is provided at respective positions symmetrical with respect to the straight line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a polishing section that polishes a substrate; and
a transport section that transports a substrate before polishing to the polishing section, wherein
the polishing section has
a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit, and
a polishing section transport mechanism disposed so as to be adjacent to each of the transport section, the first polishing unit, and the second polishing unit,
the polishing section transport mechanism has
a first transport unit that transports a substrate to the first polishing unit,
a second transport unit that transports a substrate to the second polishing unit, and
a transport robot disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit, the transport robot performing a transfer of a substrate between the transport section, and the first transport unit and the second transport unit,
the first polishing unit has a first polishing apparatus and a second polishing apparatus,
the second polishing unit has a third polishing apparatus and a fourth polishing apparatus,
each of the first polishing apparatus, the second polishing apparatus, the third polishing apparatus and the fourth polishing apparatus has
a polishing table to which a polishing pad having a polishing face is mounted,
a top ring that polishes a wafer while holding the wafer and pressing the wafer against the polishing pad on the polishing table, and
auxiliary units that perform a process on the polishing pad during polishing, and
a pair of auxiliary unit mounting units for mounting the respective auxiliary units in a left-right switchable manner with respect to a straight line connecting a swing center of the top ring and a center of rotation of the polishing table is provided at respective positions symmetrical with respect to the straight line around the polishing table.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first polishing apparatus, the second polishing apparatus, the third polishing apparatus and the fourth polishing apparatus are disposed in a line,
a distance between a swing center of a top ring of the first polishing apparatus and a swing center of a top ring of the second polishing apparatus is shorter than a distance between a center of rotation of a polishing table of the first polishing apparatus and a center of rotation of a polishing table of the second polishing apparatus, and
a distance between a swing center of a top ring of the third polishing apparatus and a swing center of a top ring of the fourth polishing apparatus is shorter than a distance between a center of rotation of a polishing table of the third polishing apparatus and a center of rotation of a polishing table of the fourth polishing apparatus.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary units are one or more of a polishing liquid supply nozzle that supplies a polishing liquid or dressing liquid to a polishing pad, a dressing device that dresses a polishing face of the polishing pad, an atomizer that atomizes a mixed gas of a liquid and a gas, or a liquid to spray the atomized mixed gas or the atomized liquid onto a polishing face, and a polishing pad temperature control slider that adjust a surface temperature of the polishing pad.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary unit mounting units each include a hole, opened in a base, through which a swing shaft or a column of each of the auxiliary units passes, or a pedestal, provided on the base, to which the swing shaft or the column of each of the auxiliary units is mounted.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
unit cleaning mechanisms that clean the respective auxiliary units are provided around the polishing table at respective positions symmetrical with respect to the straight line.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
with respect to the polishing table, first end point detection sensor mounting holes each for mounting a first end point detection sensor are formed at a position away from a center of rotation of the polishing table by a first distance, and second end point detection sensor mounting holes each for mounting a second end point detection sensor are formed at a position away from the center of rotation of the polishing table by a second distance different from the first distance, and
the first end point detection sensor mounting holes are formed one by one at respective positions symmetrical with respect to one reference line, on the polishing table, that passes through a center of rotation defined on the polishing table, and the second end point detection sensor mounting holes are formed one by one at respective positions symmetrical with respect to the one reference line on the polishing table.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the first end point detection sensor and the second end point detection sensor is an optical end point detection sensor or an eddy current end point detection sensor.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
with respect to the polishing table, first end point detection sensor mounting holes each for mounting a first end point detection sensor are formed at a position away from a center of rotation of the polishing table by a first distance, and a second end point detection sensor mounting hole for mounting a second end point detection sensor is formed at a position away from the center of rotation of the polishing table by a second distance different from the first distance, and
the first end point detection sensor mounting holes are formed one by one at respective positions symmetrical with respect to one reference line, on the polishing table, that passes through a center of rotation defined on the polishing table, and the second end point detection sensor mounting hole is formed on the one reference line on the polishing table.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
each of the first end point detection sensor and the second end point detection sensor is an optical end point detection sensor or an eddy current end point detection sensor.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Kuniaki
• Shimomoto Hiroshi
• Isobe Soichi
• Maeda Koji
• Shinkai Kenji
• Isokawa Hidetatsu
• Yoshinari Dai
• Tamura Masayuki
• Xu Haiyang
• Ehara Shun
• Asano Kentaro

Classifications

• B24B37/00

  Lapping machines or devices; Accessories (B24B3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B41/06

  Work supports, e.g. adjustable steadies (B24B37/27 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B37/015 Primary

  Temperature control · CPC title

• B24B57/02

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

• B24B53/017

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