Method and apparatus for polishing a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969046-B2
Application number	US-201514696908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	Jul 19, 2011
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A polishing apparatus polishes a surface of a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table. The polishing apparatus is configured to control a temperature of the polishing surface of the polishing pad by blowing a gas on the polishing pad during polishing. The polishing apparatus includes a pad temperature control mechanism having at least one gas ejection nozzle for ejecting a gas toward the polishing pad and configured to blow the gas onto the polishing pad to control a temperature of the polishing pad, and an atomizer having at least one nozzle for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a gas and a liquid and configured to blow the liquid or the mixed fluid onto the polishing pad to remove foreign matters on the polishing pad. The pad temperature control mechanism and the atomizer are formed into an integral unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a polishing table having a polishing pad thereon;
a polishing head configured to hold the substrate and to press the substrate against the polishing pad; and
a pad temperature control device configured to control a temperature of the polishing pad, the pad temperature control device comprising:
at least one gas ejection nozzle for ejecting a gas toward the polishing pad and configured to blow the gas onto the polishing pad to control a temperature of the polishing pad; and
an atomizer having at least one nozzle for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a gas and a liquid and configured to blow the liquid or the mixed fluid onto the polishing pad to remove foreign matter from the polishing pad,

wherein the at least one gas ejection nozzle and the atomizer are integrated with each other.

2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pad temperature control device further comprises a fluid supply passage for supplying the gas to the at least one gas ejection nozzle.

3. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the atomizer comprises a fluid supply passage for supplying the liquid or the mixed fluid to the at least one nozzle.

4. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a gas ejection direction of the at least one gas ejection nozzle is not perpendicular to a surface of the polishing pad, but is inclined toward a rotational direction side of the polishing pad.

5. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a concentric circle which passes through a point located immediately below the at least one gas ejection nozzle and is centered around a rotation center of the polishing pad is assumed and a tangential direction from the point on the concentric circle is defined as a tangential direction of rotation of the polishing pad, and a gas ejection direction of the at least one gas ejection nozzle is inclined toward a rotation center side of the polishing pad with respect to the tangential direction of rotation of the polishing pad.

6. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an ejection direction of the liquid or the mixed fluid from the at least one nozzle of the atomizer is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the polishing pad.

7. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas ejection nozzle and the atomizer are provided on a beam-shaped member which is disposed above the polishing pad and extends along a substantially radial direction of the polishing pad from an outer circumferential portion to a central portion of the polishing pad.

8. A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate as an object to be polished by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a pad temperature control mechanism having at least one gas ejection nozzle for ejecting a gas toward the polishing pad and configured to blow the gas onto the polishing pad to control a temperature of the polishing pad; and
an atomizer having at least one nozzle for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a gas and a liquid and configured to blow the liquid or the mixed fluid onto the polishing pad to remove foreign matter from the polishing pad,
wherein the pad temperature control mechanism and the atomizer are formed into an integral unit,
wherein the pad temperature control mechanism and the atomizer are provided on a beam-shaped member which is disposed above the polishing pad and extends along a substantially radial direction of the polishing pad from an outer circumferential portion to a central portion of the polishing pad, and
wherein a gas ejection nozzle cover is provided at a gas ejection direction side of the at least one gas ejection nozzle on the beam-shaped member.

9. The polishing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the gas ejection nozzle cover is inclined with respect to a surface of the polishing pad such that the gas ejection nozzle cover becomes closer to the surface of the polishing pad as the gas ejection nozzle cover becomes more distant from the beam-shaped member.

10. The polishing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein at least one gas direction adjustment plate for controlling a flow direction of the gas ejected from the at least one gas ejection nozzle is provided inside the gas ejection nozzle cover, and the gas direction adjustment plate comprises a plate-shaped member extending from the gas ejection nozzle cover toward the polishing pad.

11. The polishing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a concentric circle which passes through a point located immediately below the at least one gas direction adjustment plate and is centered around a rotation center of the polishing pad is assumed and a tangential direction from the point on the concentric circle is defined as a tangential direction of rotation of the polishing pad, and the at least one gas direction adjustment plate is inclined toward a rotation center side of the polishing pad with respect to the tangential direction of rotation of the polishing pad.

12. The polishing apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising one of a mechanism for adjusting a direction of the gas ejection nozzle cover and a mechanism for adjusting a direction of at least one gas direction adjustment plate for controlling a flow direction of the gas ejected from the at least one gas ejection nozzle provided inside the gas ejection nozzle cover, the gas direction adjustment plate comprising a plate-shaped member extending from the gas ejection nozzle cover toward the polishing pad.

13. The polishing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a scattering-prevention cover for the atomizer is provided at an opposite side of the gas ejection nozzle cover on the beam-shaped member.

14. A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate as an object to be polished by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a pad temperature control mechanism having at least one gas ejection nozzle for ejecting a gas toward the polishing pad and configured to blow the gas onto the polishing pad to control a temperature of the polishing pad; and
an atomizer having at least one nozzle for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a gas and a liquid and configured to blow the liquid or the mixed fluid onto the polishing pad to remove foreign matter from the polishing pad;
a control valve configured to control a flow rate of the gas ejected from the at least one gas ejection nozzle;
a thermometer configured to detect a temperature of the polishing pad; and
a controller configured to control the flow rate of the gas ejected from the at least one gas ejection nozzle by comparing a preset temperature as a control target temperature of the polishing pad and the temperature of the polishing pad detected by the thermometer and by adjusting a ratio of valve opening of the control valve,
wherein the pad temperature control mechanism and the atomizer are formed into an integral unit.

15. A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate as an object to be polished by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table, the polishing apparatus comprising:
at least one gas ejection nozzle configured to eject a gas toward the polishing pad; and
a gas supply unit configured to hold the at least one gas ejection nozzle and supply the gas to the at least one gas ejection nozzle,
wherein a concentric circle which passes through a point loca

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Motoshima Yasuyuki
• Maruyama Toru
• Matsuo Hisanori

Classifications

• B24B53/017

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

• B24B49/14

  taking regard of the temperature during grinding · CPC title

• B24B37/34

  Accessories · CPC title

• B24B55/02

  Equipment for cooling the grinding surfaces, e.g. devices for feeding coolant (cooling or lubricating during dressing operation B24B53/095; incorporated in grinding wheels B24D) · CPC title

• B24B37/015 Primary

  Temperature control · CPC title