Polishing method and polishing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9524913-B2
Application number	US-201514602254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 23, 2014
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A polishing method and a polishing apparatus for performing a measurement of a film thickness of a substrate, such as a wafer, if an error has occurred during polishing of the substrate. The polishing method includes polishing a plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of at least one substrate, which has been designated in advance, of the plurality of substrates that have been polished, and if a polishing error has occurred during polishing of any one of the plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of that substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polishing method comprising:
polishing a plurality of substrates including at least one post-measurement substrate designated as a substrate whose film thickness is to be measured after polishing and at least one non-measurement substrate designated as a substrate whose film thickness is not measured;
measuring a film thickness of the at least one post-measurement substrate after polishing of the at least one post-measurement substrate;
detecting that a polishing error has occurred during polishing of the at least one non-measurement substrate;
thereafter, measuring a film thickness of the at least one non-measurement substrate after polishing of the at least one non-measurement substrate; and
determining whether re-polishing is necessary.

2. The polishing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
cleaning the plurality of substrates that have been polished; and
drying the plurality of substrates that have been cleaned.

3. The polishing method according to claim 1 , wherein whether or not the polishing error has occurred is judged after the at least one non-measurement substrate is polished.

4. A polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing unit configured to polish a plurality of substrates, including at least one post-measurement substrate designated as a substrate whose film thickness is to be measured after polishing and at least one non-measurement substrate designated as a substrate whose film thickness is not measured;
a film-thickness measuring device configured to measure a film thickness of the at least one post-measurement substrate that has been polished;
a polishing error detector configured to detect that a polishing error has occurred during polishing of the at least one non-measurement substrate;
a transporting device configured to transport the plurality of substrates successively to the polishing unit, and further transport the at least one post-measurement substrate to the film-thickness measuring device, the transporting device being configured to transport the at least one non-measurement substrate to the film-thickness measuring device after the polishing error detector detects that a polishing error occurred; and
determining whether re-polishing is necessary.

5. The polishing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a cleaning unit configured to clean a substrate; and
a drying unit configured to dry a substrate.

6. The polishing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
designating each one of the plurality of substrates as a pre-measurement substrate, a post-measurement substrate, or a non-measurement substrate, the pre-measurement substrate being a substrate whose film thickness is to be measured before polishing, the post-measurement substrate being a substrate whose film thickness is to be measured after polishing, and the non-measurement substrate being a substrate whose film thickness is not measured.

7. The polishing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a measured value of the film thickness of the at least one post-measurement substrate is valid or not.

8. The polishing method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
if the measured value is not valid, measuring the film thickness of the at least one post-measurement substrate again.

9. The polishing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a measured value of the film thickness of the at least one non-measurement substrate is valid or not.

10. The polishing method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
if the measured value is not valid, measuring the film thickness of the at least one non-measurement substrate again.

11. The polishing method according to claim 1 , wherein the polishing error includes at least one of an abnormal load of pressing the at least one non-measurement substrate against a polishing pad, an abnormal flow rate of a polishing liquid supplied onto the polishing pad, and a detection failure of a polishing end point of the at least one non-measurement substrate.

12. The polishing method according to claim 4 , wherein the polishing error includes at least one of an abnormal load of pressing the at least one non-measurement substrate against a polishing pad, an abnormal flow rate of a polishing liquid supplied onto the polishing pad, and a detection failure of a polishing end point of the at least one non-measurement substrate.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Torikoshi Tsuneo
• Otaki Hirofumi

Classifications

• H10P52/402

  of semiconductor materials · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0472

  comprising at least one polishing chamber · CPC title

• H10P74/203 Primary

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

• B24B37/042 Primary

  operating processes therefor · CPC title