US20040072512A1 - Polishing apparatus - Google Patents
Polishing apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040072512A1 US20040072512A1 US10/664,156 US66415603A US2004072512A1 US 20040072512 A1 US20040072512 A1 US 20040072512A1 US 66415603 A US66415603 A US 66415603A US 2004072512 A1 US2004072512 A1 US 2004072512A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- polishing
- dresser
- dressing
- contact
- polishing cloth
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B53/00—Devices or means for dressing or conditioning abrasive surfaces
- B24B53/017—Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B37/00—Lapping machines or devices; Accessories
- B24B37/04—Lapping machines or devices; Accessories designed for working plane surfaces
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B53/00—Devices or means for dressing or conditioning abrasive surfaces
- B24B53/02—Devices or means for dressing or conditioning abrasive surfaces of plane surfaces on abrasive tools
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
- H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
- H01L21/306—Chemical or electrical treatment, e.g. electrolytic etching
- H01L21/30625—With simultaneous mechanical treatment, e.g. mechanico-chemical polishing
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a planar finish, especially to a device pattern on the surface of the semiconductor wafer by bringing the surface of the semiconductor wafer in contact with a polishing cloth, and particularly to a method of conditioning the surface of the polishing cloth attached to a turntable in the polishing apparatus.
- CMP Chemical Mechanical Polishing
- polishing capability of the polishing cloth is gradually deteriorated due to a deposit of abrasive grains and ground-off particles of the semiconductor material, and due to changes in the characteristics of the polishing cloth. Therefore, if the same polishing cloth is used to repeatedly polish semiconductor wafers, the polishing rate of the polishing apparatus is lowered, and the polished semiconductor wafers tend to suffer polishing irregularities. Therefore, it has been customary to condition the polishing cloth according to a process called “dressing” for recovering the surface of the polishing cloth before, during or after polishing.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of conditioning the surface of a polishing cloth attached to a turntable in such a polishing apparatus.
- a polishing apparatus comprising a turntable with a polishing cloth attached thereto, a top ring for holding and pressing a workpiece to be polished against the polishing cloth under a certain pressure, a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser for dressing the polishing cloth by bringing the contact-type dresser in contact with the polishing cloth, and a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser for dressing the polishing cloth with a fluid jet applied thereto.
- a method of conditioning a polishing cloth attached to a turntable for polishing a workpiece comprises dressing the polishing cloth with a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser as initial conditioning when the polishing cloth starts to be used, and dressing the polishing cloth with a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser between polishing processes, each for polishing the workpiece.
- a method of conditioning a polishing cloth attached to a turntable for polishing a workpiece comprises dressing the polishing cloth with a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser as initial conditioning when the polishing cloth stalls to be used, and dressing the polishing cloth first with the first dressing unit and then with a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser between polishing processes, each for polishing the workpiece.
- the polishing apparatus is equipped with both the contact-type dressing unit, such as a diamond dresser, and the noncontact-type dressing unit, such as a fluid jet dresser. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace these contact-type and noncontact-type dressing units with each other on the polishing apparatus, but the contact-type and noncontact-type dressing units may be combined to carry out a desired pattern of dressing processes to dress or condition the polishing cloth.
- the contact-type dressing unit such as a diamond dresser
- the noncontact-type dressing unit such as a fluid jet dresser. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace these contact-type and noncontact-type dressing units with each other on the polishing apparatus, but the contact-type and noncontact-type dressing units may be combined to carry out a desired pattern of dressing processes to dress or condition the polishing cloth.
- FIG. 1 is a plan view of a polishing apparatus according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3A is a bottom view of a diamond dresser in a first dressing unit incorporated in the polishing apparatus
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a of FIG. 3A;
- FIG. 3C is an enlarged view of an encircled area b in FIG. 3B;
- FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a second dressing unit comprising a fluid jet dresser incorporated in the polishing apparatus.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are timing charts of different patterns of polishing and dressing sequences carried out by the polishing apparatus.
- a polishing apparatus comprises a turntable 20 and a top ring unit 4 having a top ring 3 for holding a semiconductor wafer 2 to be polished and pressing the semiconductor wafer 2 against the turntable 20 .
- the turntable 20 is coupled to a motor 21 by a vertical shaft, and rotatable about the vertical shaft.
- a polishing cloth 5 such as IC-1000 manufactured by Rodel, Inc., is attached to the tipper surface of the turntable 20 .
- a pusher 40 is positioned on one side of the turntable 20 adjacent to the top ring unit 4 .
- the top ring unit 4 is angularly movable in a horizontal plane to move the top ring 3 between a transfer position above the pusher 40 where the semiconductor wafer 2 is transferred to and from the pusher 40 , a polishing position over the turntable 20 , and a standby position off the turntable 20 .
- the top ring 3 is coupled to a motor and a lifting/lowering cylinder (not shown).
- the top ring 3 is vertically movable by the lifting/lowering cylinder and is also rotatable about its own axis by the motor as indicated by the arrows (see FIG. 2).
- the top ring 3 When the top ring 3 is lowered toward the turntable 20 , the top ring 3 presses the semiconductor wafer 2 against the polishing cloth 5 on the turntable 20 under a predetermined pressure.
- the top ring 3 has a holding mechanism (not shown) for holding the semiconductor wafer 2 by its lower surface under a vacuum.
- a guide ring 6 is mounted on a lower outer circumferential surface of the top ring 3 , whereby the semiconductor wafer 2 is retained against removal from the lower surface of the top ring 3 .
- An abrasive liquid containing abrasive grains is supplied to the polishing cloth 5 on the turntable 20 by an abrasive liquid supply nozzle (not shown) which is positioned above the turntable 20 .
- the polishing apparatus also has a first dressing unit 11 having a contact-type dresser 10 , and a second dressing unit 16 having a noncontact-type dresser comprising a plurality of water jet nozzles 15 .
- the first dressing unit 11 which is positioned diametrically opposite to the top ring unit 4 and the pusher 40 across the turntable 20 , is angularly movable in a horizontal plane between a dressing position over the turntable 20 and a standby position off the turntable 20 .
- the dresser 10 is connected to a motor 17 and a lifting/lowering cylinder 18 .
- the dresser 10 is vertically movable by the lifting/lowering cylinder 18 and is also rotatable about its own axis by the motor 17 as indicated by the arrows (see FIG. 2).
- FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3 C show in detail the dresser 10 of the first dressing unit 11 .
- the dresser 10 comprises a circular disk-shaped dresser body 12 having an annular projection 12 a extending along a lower circumferential edge thereof and having a predetermined radial width.
- the dresser 10 will also be referred to as a diamond dresser 10 .
- the dresser 10 has an electrodeposited diamond ring 13 which comprises fine grains of diamond electrodeposited on the lower surface of the annular projection 12 a .
- the electrodeposited diamond ring 13 is produced by attaching fine grains of diamond to the lower surface of the annular projection 12 a and then plating the lower surface of the annular projection 12 a with nickel for thereby fixing the fine grains of diamond with a plated nickel layer.
- the dresser body 12 has a diameter of 250 mm, and the electrodeposited diamond ring 13 oil the lower end of the annular projection 12 a has a radial width of 6 mm. As shown in FIG. 3A, the electrodeposited diamond ring 13 comprises a plurality of equal arcuate sectors (eight in the illustrated embodiment).
- the diameter of the dresser body 12 is greater than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer 2 to be polished. When the semiconductor wafer 2 is polished, therefore, the dressed surface of the polishing cloth 5 provides an extra margin with respect to the polished surface of the semiconductor wafer 2 in both radial inward and outward directions of the turntable 20 .
- the dresser 10 may be replaced with an SiC dresser having a ring of sectors made of silicon carbide.
- the SiC dresser has a structure identical to the structure shown in FIGS. 3 A- 3 C, and has on the surfaces of its sectors a number of pyramidal projections each having a height of about several tens of ⁇ m.
- FIG. 4 shows structural details of the second dressing unit 16 .
- the second dressing unit 16 comprises an array of six water jet nozzles 15 positioned over the polishing cloth 5 and equally spaced radially of the polishing cloth 5 .
- the water jet nozzles 15 are fixedly mounted oil a water jet nozzle arm 22 having a liquid passage 22 a defined therein. Pure water supplied from a pure water source (not shown) is pressurized by a pump 26 and supplied through a tube 23 and the liquid passage 22 a to the water jet nozzles 15 , from which pure water jets are ejected downward toward the polishing cloth 5 .
- the water jet nozzles 15 are positioned and oriented to apply the pure water jets ejected therefrom to an area of the polishing cloth 5 which is used to polish the semiconductor wafer 2 , i.e., an area of the polishing cloth 5 against which the semiconductor wafer 2 is pressed so as to be polished.
- the water jet nozzle arm 22 is fixed in a position above the polishing cloth 5 by a vertical support 22 b .
- the water jet nozzle arm 22 may be angularly movable in a horizontal plane about the vertical axis of the vertical support 22 b for fine positional adjustment thereof and/or for a standby position located radially outward of the polishing cloth 5 for maintenance thereof.
- the pure water flowing through the water jet nozzle arm 22 is kept at a predetermined pressure by a controller (not shown) for the pump 26 .
- the water jet nozzles 15 are identical in structure to each other, so that they eject respective water jets under substantially the same pressure at substantially the same rate.
- the pressure of the ejected water jets can be maintained in the range of 5 to 30 kg/cm 2 by controlling the pump 26 .
- the turntable 20 and hence, the polishing cloth 5 are rotated to thereby apply the water jets ejected from the water jet nozzles 15 to the entire surface of the polishing cloth 5 . Since the polishing cloth 5 is held in contact with the water jets for a period of time which is progressively shorter in the radially outward direction, the dressing effect on the polishing cloth 5 which is caused by the water jets may vary depending on the radial position on the polishing cloth 5 .
- the number of water jet nozzles 15 may be increased in the radially outward direction, or the water jet nozzles 15 may eject water jets at a progressively higher speed in the radially outward direction.
- the distance between the nozzle outlet and the polishing cloth 5 may vary from nozzle to nozzle.
- the pressure and the speed at which the water jet is ejected may be made variable at each of the water jet nozzles 15 .
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are timing charts of different patterns of polishing and dressing sequences carried out by the polishing apparatus.
- polishing cloth 5 when the polishing cloth 5 starts to be used, it is first dressed by the diamond dresser 10 for initial conditioning. Thereafter, a semiconductor wafer 2 is polished using the dressed polishing cloth 5 . Between polishing processes, the polishing cloth 5 is dressed by the water jet nozzles 15 with water jets ejected therefrom.
- polishing cloth 5 when the polishing cloth 5 starts to be used (i.e., before it is used for polishing), it is first dressed by the diamond dresser 10 for initial conditioning. Thereafter, a semiconductor wafer 2 is polished using the dressed polishing cloth 5 . Between polishing processes, the polishing cloth 5 is dressed in two steps, i.e., first by the diamond dresser 10 and then by the water jet nozzles 15 with water jets ejected therefrom.
- polishing apparatus of the present invention after initial conditioning of the polishing cloth 5 by the diamond dresser 10 , a polishing process of the semiconductor wafer is carried out, and after completing the polishing process, dressing of the polishing cloth 5 by the wafer jet is carried out. Thereafter, polishing process is candied out again. Further, between polishing processes, dressing of the polishing cloth 5 by the diamond dresser and the water jet may be combined.
- the contact-type dresser of the first dressing unit 11 comprises the diamond dresser 10 .
- the diamond dresser may be replaced with a brush dresser.
- pure water is used as the dressing liquid in the first dressing unit 11 and also as the water jets in the second dressing unit 16 .
- chemicals such as alkaline liquid or surface-active agent may be used in the first and second dressing units 11 and 16 for performing a chemical dressing action in addition to a mechanical dressing action.
- the polishing apparatus is equipped with both the first dressing unit 11 having the contact-type dresser comprising the diamond dresser 10 and the second dressing unit 16 having the noncontact-type dresser comprising the water jet nozzles 15 , it is not necessary to replace two dressing units as in the conventional polishing apparatus, and the two dressing units 11 , 16 may be combined to carry out a desired pattern of dressing processes. If the polishing apparatus is applied to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, then semiconductor devices can be manufactured in a high yield with high productivity.
- the present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a planar finish, and is preferably utilized in manufacturing semiconductor devices.
Abstract
A polishing apparatus has a turntable with a polishing cloth attached thereto and a top ring for holding and pressing a workpiece to be polished against the polishing cloth under a certain pressure. The polishing apparatus also has a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser for dressing the polishing cloth by bringing the contact-type dresser in contact with the polishing cloth, and a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser for dressing the polishing cloth with a fluid jet applied therefrom to the polishing cloth. The contact-type dresser comprises a diamond dresser or an SiC dresser.
Description
- This application is a divisional application of Ser. No. 09/622,638, filed Nov. 8, 2000, which is a national stage application of International Application Serial No. PCT/JP99/01543, filed Mar. 26, 1999.
- The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a planar finish, especially to a device pattern on the surface of the semiconductor wafer by bringing the surface of the semiconductor wafer in contact with a polishing cloth, and particularly to a method of conditioning the surface of the polishing cloth attached to a turntable in the polishing apparatus.
- Recent rapid progress in semiconductor device integration demands smaller and smaller wiring patterns or interconnections and also narrower spaces between interconnections which connect active areas. One of the processes available for forming such interconnections is photolithography. Though the photolithographic process can form interconnections that are at most 0.5 μm wide, it requires that surfaces on which pattern images are to be focused by a stepper be as flat as possible because the depth of focus of the optical system is relatively small.
- It is, therefore, necessary to make the surfaces of semiconductor wafers flat for photolithography. One customary way of flattening the surfaces of semiconductor wafers is to polish them with a polishing apparatus, and such a process is called Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) in which the semiconductor wafers are chemically and mechanically polished while supplying an abrasive liquid comprising abrasive grains and a chemical solution, such as alkaline solution.
- In the polishing apparatus for polishing the surface of a semiconductor wafer, especially a device pattern on the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer, to a planar finish, as a polishing cloth attached to a turntable, a nonwoven fabric polishing cloth has heretofore been employed.
- Higher levels of integration achieved in recent years for ICs and LSI circuits demand smaller steps or surface irregularities on the polished surface of the semiconductor wafer. In order to meet such a demand, it has been proposed to employ a polishing cloth made of a hard material such as polyurethane foam.
- After the semiconductor wafers are contacted with the polishing cloth and polished by rotating the turntable and the top ring which holds the semiconductor wafer, the polishing capability of the polishing cloth is gradually deteriorated due to a deposit of abrasive grains and ground-off particles of the semiconductor material, and due to changes in the characteristics of the polishing cloth. Therefore, if the same polishing cloth is used to repeatedly polish semiconductor wafers, the polishing rate of the polishing apparatus is lowered, and the polished semiconductor wafers tend to suffer polishing irregularities. Therefore, it has been customary to condition the polishing cloth according to a process called “dressing” for recovering the surface of the polishing cloth before, during or after polishing.
- There are basically two types of dressing processes, one of which is a contact-type dressing process in which a brush or a diamond dresser is brought into contact with a polishing cloth and rubs the polishing cloth, and the other of which is a noncontact-type dressing process in which a fluid jet of water or gas is applied under high pressure to the surface of the polishing cloth.
- In the conventional polishing apparatus, either a dressing unit comprising a brush or a diamond dresser, or a dressing unit employing a fluid jet has been incorporated therein, depending on the properties of the polishing cloth.
- It has been found that when a new polishing cloth is used, it needs to be dressed by a brush or a diamond dresser for initial conditioning, and while the polishing cloth is being used in a polishing process, it needs to be dressed by a fluid jet to remove an aggregate of abrasive slurry or ground-off particles of the semiconductor material therefrom. Unless the polishing cloth is dressed by the fluid jet, the polished surface of the semiconductor wafer is liable to be scratched, resulting in a poor yield of properly polished semiconductor wafers. For the above reasons, these two dressing units are required to be replaced with each other, when necessary, in the conventional polishing apparatus. Such selective installing and replacing work has been tedious and time-consuming, and is liable to lower the throughput of the semiconductor wafers.
- It is therefore an object of the present-invention to provide a polishing apparatus which incorporates both a contact-type dressing unit having a brush or a diamond dresser and a noncontact-type dressing unit employing a fluid jet.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of conditioning the surface of a polishing cloth attached to a turntable in such a polishing apparatus.
- According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polishing apparatus comprising a turntable with a polishing cloth attached thereto, a top ring for holding and pressing a workpiece to be polished against the polishing cloth under a certain pressure, a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser for dressing the polishing cloth by bringing the contact-type dresser in contact with the polishing cloth, and a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser for dressing the polishing cloth with a fluid jet applied thereto.
- According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of conditioning a polishing cloth attached to a turntable for polishing a workpiece. The method comprises dressing the polishing cloth with a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser as initial conditioning when the polishing cloth starts to be used, and dressing the polishing cloth with a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser between polishing processes, each for polishing the workpiece.
- According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of conditioning a polishing cloth attached to a turntable for polishing a workpiece. The method comprises dressing the polishing cloth with a first dressing unit having a contact-type dresser as initial conditioning when the polishing cloth stalls to be used, and dressing the polishing cloth first with the first dressing unit and then with a second dressing unit having a noncontact-type dresser between polishing processes, each for polishing the workpiece.
- The polishing apparatus is equipped with both the contact-type dressing unit, such as a diamond dresser, and the noncontact-type dressing unit, such as a fluid jet dresser. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace these contact-type and noncontact-type dressing units with each other on the polishing apparatus, but the contact-type and noncontact-type dressing units may be combined to carry out a desired pattern of dressing processes to dress or condition the polishing cloth.
- The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention by way of example.
- FIG. 1 is a plan view of a polishing apparatus according to the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3A is a bottom view of a diamond dresser in a first dressing unit incorporated in the polishing apparatus;
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a of FIG. 3A;
- FIG. 3C is an enlarged view of an encircled area b in FIG. 3B;
- FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a second dressing unit comprising a fluid jet dresser incorporated in the polishing apparatus; and
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are timing charts of different patterns of polishing and dressing sequences carried out by the polishing apparatus.
- Next, a polishing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
- As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a polishing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a
turntable 20 and a top ring unit 4 having atop ring 3 for holding asemiconductor wafer 2 to be polished and pressing thesemiconductor wafer 2 against theturntable 20. Theturntable 20 is coupled to amotor 21 by a vertical shaft, and rotatable about the vertical shaft. Apolishing cloth 5, such as IC-1000 manufactured by Rodel, Inc., is attached to the tipper surface of theturntable 20. - A
pusher 40 is positioned on one side of theturntable 20 adjacent to the top ring unit 4. The top ring unit 4 is angularly movable in a horizontal plane to move thetop ring 3 between a transfer position above thepusher 40 where thesemiconductor wafer 2 is transferred to and from thepusher 40, a polishing position over theturntable 20, and a standby position off theturntable 20. Thetop ring 3 is coupled to a motor and a lifting/lowering cylinder (not shown). Thetop ring 3 is vertically movable by the lifting/lowering cylinder and is also rotatable about its own axis by the motor as indicated by the arrows (see FIG. 2). When thetop ring 3 is lowered toward theturntable 20, thetop ring 3 presses the semiconductor wafer 2 against thepolishing cloth 5 on theturntable 20 under a predetermined pressure. Thetop ring 3 has a holding mechanism (not shown) for holding thesemiconductor wafer 2 by its lower surface under a vacuum. A guide ring 6 is mounted on a lower outer circumferential surface of thetop ring 3, whereby thesemiconductor wafer 2 is retained against removal from the lower surface of thetop ring 3. An abrasive liquid containing abrasive grains is supplied to thepolishing cloth 5 on theturntable 20 by an abrasive liquid supply nozzle (not shown) which is positioned above theturntable 20. - The polishing apparatus also has a
first dressing unit 11 having a contact-type dresser 10, and asecond dressing unit 16 having a noncontact-type dresser comprising a plurality ofwater jet nozzles 15. Thefirst dressing unit 11, which is positioned diametrically opposite to the top ring unit 4 and thepusher 40 across theturntable 20, is angularly movable in a horizontal plane between a dressing position over theturntable 20 and a standby position off theturntable 20. As shown in FIG. 2, thedresser 10 is connected to amotor 17 and a lifting/loweringcylinder 18. Thedresser 10 is vertically movable by the lifting/loweringcylinder 18 and is also rotatable about its own axis by themotor 17 as indicated by the arrows (see FIG. 2). - FIGS. 3A, 3B, and3C show in detail the
dresser 10 of thefirst dressing unit 11. As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, thedresser 10 comprises a circular disk-shapeddresser body 12 having anannular projection 12 a extending along a lower circumferential edge thereof and having a predetermined radial width. Thedresser 10 will also be referred to as adiamond dresser 10. Thedresser 10 has anelectrodeposited diamond ring 13 which comprises fine grains of diamond electrodeposited on the lower surface of theannular projection 12 a. Specifically, theelectrodeposited diamond ring 13 is produced by attaching fine grains of diamond to the lower surface of theannular projection 12 a and then plating the lower surface of theannular projection 12 a with nickel for thereby fixing the fine grains of diamond with a plated nickel layer. - In operation, while the
turntable 20 and thedresser 10 are rotated relative to each other, and a dressing liquid such as pure water or an abrasive liquid is supplied from a nozzle (not shown) to a substantially central region of the polishingcloth 5, the lower surface of theelectrodeposited diamond ring 13 is held against the upper surface of the polishingcloth 5 to scrape off a thin layer of the polishingcloth 5, thereby dressing the polishingcloth 5. - The
dresser body 12 has a diameter of 250 mm, and theelectrodeposited diamond ring 13 oil the lower end of theannular projection 12 a has a radial width of 6 mm. As shown in FIG. 3A, theelectrodeposited diamond ring 13 comprises a plurality of equal arcuate sectors (eight in the illustrated embodiment). The diameter of thedresser body 12 is greater than the diameter of thesemiconductor wafer 2 to be polished. When thesemiconductor wafer 2 is polished, therefore, the dressed surface of the polishingcloth 5 provides an extra margin with respect to the polished surface of thesemiconductor wafer 2 in both radial inward and outward directions of theturntable 20. Thedresser 10 may be replaced with an SiC dresser having a ring of sectors made of silicon carbide. The SiC dresser has a structure identical to the structure shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, and has on the surfaces of its sectors a number of pyramidal projections each having a height of about several tens of μm. - FIG. 4 shows structural details of the
second dressing unit 16. As shown in FIG. 4, thesecond dressing unit 16 comprises an array of sixwater jet nozzles 15 positioned over the polishingcloth 5 and equally spaced radially of the polishingcloth 5. Thewater jet nozzles 15 are fixedly mounted oil a waterjet nozzle arm 22 having aliquid passage 22 a defined therein. Pure water supplied from a pure water source (not shown) is pressurized by apump 26 and supplied through atube 23 and theliquid passage 22 a to thewater jet nozzles 15, from which pure water jets are ejected downward toward the polishingcloth 5. - The
water jet nozzles 15 are positioned and oriented to apply the pure water jets ejected therefrom to an area of the polishingcloth 5 which is used to polish thesemiconductor wafer 2, i.e., an area of the polishingcloth 5 against which thesemiconductor wafer 2 is pressed so as to be polished. The waterjet nozzle arm 22 is fixed in a position above the polishingcloth 5 by avertical support 22 b. However, the waterjet nozzle arm 22 may be angularly movable in a horizontal plane about the vertical axis of thevertical support 22 b for fine positional adjustment thereof and/or for a standby position located radially outward of the polishingcloth 5 for maintenance thereof. - The pure water flowing through the water
jet nozzle arm 22 is kept at a predetermined pressure by a controller (not shown) for thepump 26. Thewater jet nozzles 15 are identical in structure to each other, so that they eject respective water jets under substantially the same pressure at substantially the same rate. The pressure of the ejected water jets can be maintained in the range of 5 to 30 kg/cm2 by controlling thepump 26. - When the polishing
cloth 5 is dressed by thesecond dressing unit 16, theturntable 20 and hence, the polishingcloth 5, are rotated to thereby apply the water jets ejected from thewater jet nozzles 15 to the entire surface of the polishingcloth 5. Since the polishingcloth 5 is held in contact with the water jets for a period of time which is progressively shorter in the radially outward direction, the dressing effect on the polishingcloth 5 which is caused by the water jets may vary depending on the radial position on the polishingcloth 5. Therefore, in order to uniformize the dressing effect on the polishingcloth 5, the number ofwater jet nozzles 15 may be increased in the radially outward direction, or thewater jet nozzles 15 may eject water jets at a progressively higher speed in the radially outward direction. Alternatively, the distance between the nozzle outlet and the polishingcloth 5 may vary from nozzle to nozzle. Further, the pressure and the speed at which the water jet is ejected may be made variable at each of thewater jet nozzles 15. - Polishing and dressing processes which are carried out by the polishing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIGS. 5A and 5B are timing charts of different patterns of polishing and dressing sequences carried out by the polishing apparatus.
- According to the pattern of polishing and dressing sequences shown in FIG. 5A, when the polishing
cloth 5 starts to be used, it is first dressed by thediamond dresser 10 for initial conditioning. Thereafter, asemiconductor wafer 2 is polished using the dressed polishingcloth 5. Between polishing processes, the polishingcloth 5 is dressed by thewater jet nozzles 15 with water jets ejected therefrom. - According to the pattern of polishing and dressing sequences shown in FIG. 5B, when the polishing
cloth 5 starts to be used (i.e., before it is used for polishing), it is first dressed by thediamond dresser 10 for initial conditioning. Thereafter, asemiconductor wafer 2 is polished using the dressed polishingcloth 5. Between polishing processes, the polishingcloth 5 is dressed in two steps, i.e., first by thediamond dresser 10 and then by thewater jet nozzles 15 with water jets ejected therefrom. - As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, according to the polishing apparatus of the present invention, after initial conditioning of the polishing
cloth 5 by thediamond dresser 10, a polishing process of the semiconductor wafer is carried out, and after completing the polishing process, dressing of the polishingcloth 5 by the wafer jet is carried out. Thereafter, polishing process is candied out again. Further, between polishing processes, dressing of the polishingcloth 5 by the diamond dresser and the water jet may be combined. - In the illustrated embodiment, the contact-type dresser of the
first dressing unit 11 comprises thediamond dresser 10. However, the diamond dresser may be replaced with a brush dresser. Furthermore, pure water is used as the dressing liquid in thefirst dressing unit 11 and also as the water jets in thesecond dressing unit 16. However, chemicals such as alkaline liquid or surface-active agent may be used in the first andsecond dressing units - Inasmuch as the polishing apparatus according to the present invention is equipped with both the
first dressing unit 11 having the contact-type dresser comprising thediamond dresser 10 and thesecond dressing unit 16 having the noncontact-type dresser comprising thewater jet nozzles 15, it is not necessary to replace two dressing units as in the conventional polishing apparatus, and the two dressingunits - Although a certain preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
- The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a planar finish, and is preferably utilized in manufacturing semiconductor devices.
Claims (15)
1. A method of polishing a workpiece in a polishing apparatus, comprising:
conditioning a polishing surface by a contact-type dresser for initial conditioning before starting using said polishing surface;
polishing a workpiece by bringing said workpiece into contact with said polishing surface after said conditioning; and
dressing said polishing surface after said polishing by a noncontact-type dresser for removing ground-off particles of said workpiece.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said noncontact-type dresser and said contact-type dresser are provided in said polishing apparatus.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said noncontact-type dresser comprises a plurality of fluid jet nozzles for ejecting fluid jets.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the pressure of each of said nozzles is variable.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said contact-type dresser comprises a diamond dresser.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said polishing surface is dressed by said contact-type dresser before said dressing of said polishing surface by said noncontact-type dresser.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said noncontact-type dresser is angularly movable to a standby position located outwardly of said polishing surface.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein said contact-type dresser is angularly movable to a standby position located outwardly of said polishing surface.
9. A method of polishing workpieces in a polishing apparatus, comprising:
attaching a member having a polishing surface to a table;
conditioning said polishing surface by a contact-type dresser for initial conditioning before starting using said polishing surface;
polishing workpieces repeatedly by bringing each of said workpieces into contact with said polishing surface after said conditioning while supplying an abrasive liquid in said polishing; and
dressing said polishing surface between said polishing of said workpieces by a noncontact-type dresser for removing ground-off particles of said workpieces.
10. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising holding said each of said workpieces by a vacuum.
11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said noncontact-type dresser comprises a plurality of fluid jet nozzles for ejecting fluid jets.
12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the pressure of each of said nozzles is variable.
13. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said contact-type dresser comprises a diamond dresser.
14. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said polishing surface is dressed by said contact-type dresser before said dressing of said polishing surface by said noncontact-type dresser.
15. A method of polishing a workpiece in a polishing apparatus, comprising:
attaching a member having a polishing surface to a table;
conditioning said polishing surface for initial conditioning before starting using said polishing surface;
polishing a workpiece by bringing said workpiece into contact with said polishing surface after said conditioning; and
dressing said polishing surface after said polishing for removing ground-off particles of said workpiece.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/664,156 US20040072512A1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 2003-09-17 | Polishing apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP9697198A JP3615931B2 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 1998-03-26 | Polishing apparatus and conditioning method in the polishing apparatus |
JP10-96971 | 1998-03-26 | ||
US09/622,638 US6645053B1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 1999-03-26 | Polishing apparatus |
US10/664,156 US20040072512A1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 2003-09-17 | Polishing apparatus |
Related Parent Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/622,638 Division US6645053B1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 1999-03-26 | Polishing apparatus |
PCT/JP1999/001543 Division WO1999050024A1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 1999-03-26 | Polishing apparatus |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20040072512A1 true US20040072512A1 (en) | 2004-04-15 |
Family
ID=14179120
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/622,638 Expired - Lifetime US6645053B1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 1999-03-26 | Polishing apparatus |
US10/664,156 Abandoned US20040072512A1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 2003-09-17 | Polishing apparatus |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/622,638 Expired - Lifetime US6645053B1 (en) | 1998-03-26 | 1999-03-26 | Polishing apparatus |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US6645053B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1066133B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP3615931B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100525652B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69902021T2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1999050024A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100081361A1 (en) * | 2008-09-26 | 2010-04-01 | Akira Fukuda | Dressing method, method of determining dressing conditions, program for determining dressing conditions, and polishing apparatus |
TWI614803B (en) * | 2015-12-11 | 2018-02-11 | 世創電子材料公司 | Monocrystalline semiconductor wafer and method for producing a semiconductor wafer |
Families Citing this family (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP3615931B2 (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2005-02-02 | 株式会社荏原製作所 | Polishing apparatus and conditioning method in the polishing apparatus |
JP3772946B2 (en) * | 1999-03-11 | 2006-05-10 | 株式会社荏原製作所 | Dressing apparatus and polishing apparatus provided with the dressing apparatus |
US6509269B2 (en) * | 1999-10-19 | 2003-01-21 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Elimination of pad glazing for Al CMP |
TW495416B (en) * | 2000-10-24 | 2002-07-21 | Ebara Corp | Polishing apparatus |
JP2004514300A (en) * | 2000-11-29 | 2004-05-13 | インフィネオン テクノロジーズ アクチエンゲゼルシャフト | Cleaning apparatus for cleaning a polishing cloth used for polishing a semiconductor wafer |
JP2003211355A (en) * | 2002-01-15 | 2003-07-29 | Ebara Corp | Polishing device and dressing method |
DE10261465B4 (en) * | 2002-12-31 | 2013-03-21 | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | Arrangement for chemical mechanical polishing with an improved conditioning tool |
JP2005230921A (en) * | 2004-02-17 | 2005-09-02 | Disco Abrasive Syst Ltd | Water jet machining device |
US20060154572A1 (en) * | 2005-01-13 | 2006-07-13 | Wen-Chung Huang | High-pressure polishing apparatus and method |
US20070066187A1 (en) * | 2005-09-22 | 2007-03-22 | Chih-Chiang Yang | Chemical mechanical polishing device including a polishing pad and cleaning method thereof and method for planarization |
JP2007253294A (en) * | 2006-03-24 | 2007-10-04 | Konica Minolta Opto Inc | Method for dressing polishing pad |
KR100879761B1 (en) | 2007-07-12 | 2009-01-21 | 주식회사 실트론 | Apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing and method of dressing using the same |
JP2010228058A (en) * | 2009-03-27 | 2010-10-14 | Fujikoshi Mach Corp | Washing device and washing method for abrasive cloth |
US20140323017A1 (en) * | 2013-04-24 | 2014-10-30 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Methods and apparatus using energized fluids to clean chemical mechanical planarization polishing pads |
US10293462B2 (en) * | 2013-07-23 | 2019-05-21 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. | Pad conditioner and method of reconditioning planarization pad |
CN106540895B (en) * | 2015-09-16 | 2019-06-04 | 泰科电子(上海)有限公司 | Cleaning system |
JP6616365B2 (en) * | 2017-09-11 | 2019-12-04 | 株式会社Kokusai Electric | Semiconductor device manufacturing method, substrate processing apparatus, program, and recording medium |
CN112476243A (en) * | 2020-11-26 | 2021-03-12 | 华虹半导体(无锡)有限公司 | Chemical mechanical polishing device and chemical mechanical polishing process polishing pad cleaning device |
KR102452209B1 (en) * | 2021-05-06 | 2022-10-11 | 주식회사 엔티에스 | Dressing method |
KR102434185B1 (en) * | 2021-06-11 | 2022-08-19 | 주식회사 엔티에스 | Dressing apparatus |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4680893A (en) * | 1985-09-23 | 1987-07-21 | Motorola, Inc. | Apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers |
US5154021A (en) * | 1991-06-26 | 1992-10-13 | International Business Machines Corporation | Pneumatic pad conditioner |
US5421768A (en) * | 1993-06-30 | 1995-06-06 | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | Abrasive cloth dresser |
US5690544A (en) * | 1995-03-31 | 1997-11-25 | Nec Corporation | Wafer polishing apparatus having physical cleaning means to remove particles from polishing pad |
US5716264A (en) * | 1995-07-18 | 1998-02-10 | Ebara Corporation | Polishing apparatus |
US5916010A (en) * | 1997-10-30 | 1999-06-29 | International Business Machines Corporation | CMP pad maintenance apparatus and method |
US6135868A (en) * | 1998-02-11 | 2000-10-24 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Groove cleaning device for chemical-mechanical polishing |
US6390897B1 (en) * | 1997-09-10 | 2002-05-21 | Speedfam-Ipec Corporation | Cleaning station integral with polishing machine for semiconductor wafers |
US6645053B1 (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2003-11-11 | Ebara Corporation | Polishing apparatus |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2628915B2 (en) | 1989-06-05 | 1997-07-09 | 三菱マテリアル株式会社 | Dressing equipment for polishing cloth |
JP3778594B2 (en) | 1995-07-18 | 2006-05-24 | 株式会社荏原製作所 | Dressing method |
JPH09309063A (en) | 1996-05-24 | 1997-12-02 | Nippon Steel Corp | Method and device for washing polishing surface plate |
KR100524510B1 (en) * | 1996-06-25 | 2006-01-12 | 가부시키가이샤 에바라 세이사꾸쇼 | Method and apparatus for dressing abrasive cloth |
-
1998
- 1998-03-26 JP JP9697198A patent/JP3615931B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1999
- 1999-03-26 EP EP99910715A patent/EP1066133B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-03-26 DE DE69902021T patent/DE69902021T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-03-26 WO PCT/JP1999/001543 patent/WO1999050024A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1999-03-26 KR KR10-2000-7010617A patent/KR100525652B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1999-03-26 US US09/622,638 patent/US6645053B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2003
- 2003-09-17 US US10/664,156 patent/US20040072512A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4680893A (en) * | 1985-09-23 | 1987-07-21 | Motorola, Inc. | Apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers |
US5154021A (en) * | 1991-06-26 | 1992-10-13 | International Business Machines Corporation | Pneumatic pad conditioner |
US5421768A (en) * | 1993-06-30 | 1995-06-06 | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | Abrasive cloth dresser |
US5690544A (en) * | 1995-03-31 | 1997-11-25 | Nec Corporation | Wafer polishing apparatus having physical cleaning means to remove particles from polishing pad |
US5716264A (en) * | 1995-07-18 | 1998-02-10 | Ebara Corporation | Polishing apparatus |
US6390897B1 (en) * | 1997-09-10 | 2002-05-21 | Speedfam-Ipec Corporation | Cleaning station integral with polishing machine for semiconductor wafers |
US5916010A (en) * | 1997-10-30 | 1999-06-29 | International Business Machines Corporation | CMP pad maintenance apparatus and method |
US6135868A (en) * | 1998-02-11 | 2000-10-24 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Groove cleaning device for chemical-mechanical polishing |
US6645053B1 (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2003-11-11 | Ebara Corporation | Polishing apparatus |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100081361A1 (en) * | 2008-09-26 | 2010-04-01 | Akira Fukuda | Dressing method, method of determining dressing conditions, program for determining dressing conditions, and polishing apparatus |
US8655478B2 (en) * | 2008-09-26 | 2014-02-18 | Ebara Corporation | Dressing method, method of determining dressing conditions, program for determining dressing conditions, and polishing apparatus |
US8965555B2 (en) | 2008-09-26 | 2015-02-24 | Ebara Corporation | Dressing method, method of determining dressing conditions, program for determining dressing conditions, and polishing apparatus |
TWI614803B (en) * | 2015-12-11 | 2018-02-11 | 世創電子材料公司 | Monocrystalline semiconductor wafer and method for producing a semiconductor wafer |
US11075070B2 (en) | 2015-12-11 | 2021-07-27 | Siltronic Ag | Monocrystalline semiconductor wafer and method for producing a semiconductor wafer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP3615931B2 (en) | 2005-02-02 |
KR100525652B1 (en) | 2005-11-02 |
US6645053B1 (en) | 2003-11-11 |
DE69902021T2 (en) | 2003-03-06 |
EP1066133A1 (en) | 2001-01-10 |
EP1066133B1 (en) | 2002-07-03 |
DE69902021D1 (en) | 2002-08-08 |
KR20010042166A (en) | 2001-05-25 |
WO1999050024A1 (en) | 1999-10-07 |
JPH11277403A (en) | 1999-10-12 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP1066133B1 (en) | Polishing apparatus | |
US6354918B1 (en) | Apparatus and method for polishing workpiece | |
US7207864B2 (en) | Polishing apparatus | |
KR100801371B1 (en) | Polishing pad having a grooved pattern for use in a chemical mechenical polishing apparatus | |
US6004196A (en) | Polishing pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time conditioning and cleaning of a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of microelectronic substrates | |
EP0816017B1 (en) | Method and apparatus for dressing polishing cloth | |
US7083506B2 (en) | Polishing apparatus | |
US6953390B2 (en) | Polishing apparatus | |
US6969305B2 (en) | Polishing apparatus | |
US7097545B2 (en) | Polishing pad conditioner and chemical mechanical polishing apparatus having the same | |
KR100562484B1 (en) | CMP device for semiconductor device manufacturing and its driving method | |
US6398626B1 (en) | Polishing apparatus | |
US20020016136A1 (en) | Conditioner for polishing pads | |
EP0769350A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for dressing polishing cloth | |
KR20070055167A (en) | Apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing | |
JP2002370159A (en) | Polishing device | |
JP2006237600A (en) | Wafer carrier having pressing film and holding ring actuator |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |