Polishing apparatus having substrate holding apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9149903-B2
Application number	US-201414563383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Sep 8, 2010
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A polishing is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, a substrate holding apparatus configured to hold the substrate and to press the substrate against the polishing surface, and a controller. The substrate holding apparatus includes an elastic membrane configured to forma substrate holding surface which is brought into contact with the substrate, a carrier provided above the elastic membrane, at least one pressure chamber formed between the elastic membrane and the carrier, and an infrared light detector configured to measure thermal energy from the elastic membrane. The controller calculates an estimate value of a temperature of the elastic membrane using a measured value of the infrared light detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing table having a polishing surface;
a substrate holding apparatus configured to hold the substrate and to press the substrate against said polishing surface; and
a controller,
wherein said substrate holding apparatus comprises:
an elastic membrane configured to form a substrate holding surface which is brought into contact with the substrate;
a carrier provided above said elastic membrane;
at least one pressure chamber formed between said elastic membrane and said carrier; and
a first passage communicating with said pressure chamber,

wherein said first passage is connected to a pressure regulating mechanism configured to regulate a pressure of a pressurized fluid to be supplied to said pressure chamber, a vacuum source configured to produce a vacuum in said pressure chamber, and a gas source configured to supply a dry gas to said pressure chamber,
wherein said first passage is connected to said pressure regulating mechanism through a first valve, said vacuum source through a second valve, and said gas source through a third valve,
wherein said controller performs control to close said first valve and said third valve and to open said second valve so that the vacuum is produced in said pressure chamber to hold the substrate under vacuum, when said substrate holding apparatus holds the substrate, and
wherein said controller performs control to close said first valve and said second valve and open said third valve so that said first passage is connected only to said gas source and said pressure chamber, when the substrate starts to be polished or is removed from said substrate holding apparatus.

2. A polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dry gas comprises one of a gas having a dew-point temperature under atmospheric pressure that is not more than 20° C., an inert gas, and air subjected to a water content removing process.

3. A polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the dry gas has an atmospheric pressure.

4. A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing table having a polishing surface; and
a substrate holding apparatus configured to hold the substrate and to press the substrate against said polishing surface,
wherein said substrate holding apparatus comprises:
an elastic membrane configured to form a substrate holding surface which is brought into contact with the substrate;
a carrier provided above said elastic membrane;
at least one pressure chamber formed between said elastic membrane and said carrier; and
a first passage communicating with said pressure chamber, and

wherein said first passage is capable of being connected to a vacuum source configured to produce a vacuum in said pressure chamber, and a gas source configured to supply a dry gas to said pressure chamber, and
wherein only the dry gas is supplied to said pressure chamber from said gas source by said first passage when a pressure of said pressure chamber is increased from the vacuum.

5. A polishing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the dry gas is a gas whose dew-point temperature under atmospheric pressure is not more than 20° C.

6. A polishing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the dry gas is an inert gas.

7. A polishing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the dry gas is air subjected to a water content removing process.

8. A polishing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a controller,
wherein said first passage is connected to a pressure regulating mechanism configured to regulate a pressure of a pressurized fluid to be supplied to said pressure chamber,
wherein said first passage is connected to said pressure regulating mechanism through a first valve, said vacuum source through a second valve, and said gas source through a third valve,
wherein said controller performs control to close said first valve and said third valve and to open said second valve so that the vacuum is produced in said pressure chamber to hold the substrate under vacuum, when said substrate holding apparatus holds the substrate, and
wherein said controller performs control to close said first valve and said second valve and open said third valve so that said first passage is connected only to said gas source and said pressure chamber, when the substrate starts to be polished or is removed from said substrate holding apparatus.

9. A polishing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the dry gas has an atmospheric pressure.

10. A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing table having a polishing surface;
a substrate holding apparatus configured to hold the substrate and to press the substrate against said polishing surface; and
a container to which a dry gas is supplied,
wherein said substrate holding apparatus comprises:
an elastic membrane configured to form a substrate holding surface which is brought into contact with the substrate;
a carrier provided above said elastic membrane;
at least one pressure chamber formed between said elastic membrane and said carrier; and
a first passage communicating with said pressure chamber,

wherein said first passage is capable of communicating with said container and being connected to a vacuum source configured to produce a vacuum in said pressure chamber, and
wherein only the dry gas is supplied to said pressure chamber from said container by said first passage when a pressure in said pressure chamber is increased from the vacuum.

11. A polishing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the dry gas comprises one of a gas having a dew-point temperature under atmospheric pressure that is not more than 20° C., an inert gas, and air subjected to a water content removing process.

12. A polishing apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a controller,
wherein said first passage is connected to a pressure regulating mechanism configured to regulate a pressure of a pressurized fluid to be supplied to said pressure chamber,
wherein said first passage is connected to said pressure regulating mechanism through a first valve, said vacuum source through a second valve, and said container through a third valve,
wherein said controller performs control to close said first valve and said third valve and to open said second valve so that the vacuum is produced in said pressure chamber to hold the substrate under vacuum, when said substrate holding apparatus holds the substrate, and
wherein said controller performs control to close said first valve and said second valve and open said third valve so that said first passage is connected only to said container and said pressure chamber, when the substrate starts to be polished or is removed from said substrate holding apparatus.

13. A polishing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the dry gas has an atmospheric pressure.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Fukushima Makoto
• Watanabe Katsuhide
• Yasuda Hozumi
• Yamaki Satoru

Classifications

• B24B37/10

  for single side lapping · CPC title

• B24B37/30

  for single side lapping of plane surfaces · CPC title

• B24B37/015

  Temperature control · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title