Ebara Corporation

Other

Mitsunori Komatsu

Toru Maruyama

Kiyotaka Kawashima

Mutsumi Tanikawa

Yasuyuki Motoshima

Fujihiko Toyomasu

Shuji Uozumi

Keisuke Kamiki

Tatsuo Inoue

Katsuya Okumura

Hisanori Matsuo

Hiroshi Shimomoto

Yohei Eto

Hiroaki Yanagi

Yoshinori Isono

A method of checking a leakage of fluid from a fluid line includes connecting a leakage checking line to the fluid line between a supply valve and a return valve, regulating a pressure regulator disposed in the leakage checking line such that a pressure of fluid of the leakage checking line becomes the same as a pressure of fluid of the fluid line; closing the supply valve and the return valve and opening an opening/closing valve disposed in the leakage checking line; acquiring a flow rate of the fluid that flows in the leakage checking line by a flowmeter disposed in the leakage checking line; comparing the flow rate of the fluid acquired at the acquiring with a predetermined threshold; and determining that the fluid of the fluid line is leaked, when the flow rate of the fluid acquired at the acquiring is larger than the predetermined threshold.

Method of checking leakage of fluid and polishing apparatus

A system () includes a heat exchanging member () and a liquid supply unit (). The liquid supply unit () includes a pump device () that adjusts the flow amount of a liquid flowing through a heating liquid supply line (HSL), a needle valve (MNV) that is attached to a cooling liquid supply line (CSL), and a control device () that controls operations of the pump device () and the needle valve (MNV).

System for adjusting pad surface temperature and polishing apparatus

A method of inspecting a leak detection system in a short time is disclosed. The leak detection system includes a leak detection line, an on-off valve, a flow mater, an operation controller configured to detect a fluid leak from a fluid line based on a first flow rate measured by the flow mater, a drain line, and a drain valve attached to the drain line. The inspection method includes: opening the on-off valve and the drain valve, with a supply valve and a return valve closed; measuring a second flow rate of fluid in the leak detection line by the flow mater; and determining that the leak detection system has a defect when the second flow rate is lower than a predetermined reference value.

Leak detection system and inspection method for the system

A substrate processing apparatus having a detecting unit that can detect an abnormality of a substrate such as a crack of the substrate or chipping of the substrate is disclosed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing unit configured to polish a substrate, a cleaning unit configured to clean the polished substrate, a substrate abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the substrate, and a substrate transporting mechanism configured to transport the substrate in the order of the polishing unit, the substrate abnormality detection unit, and the cleaning unit. The substrate abnormality detection unit includes an imaging device configured to image the substrate, and an output monitoring unit configured to determine a status of the substrate by comparing a signal obtained from the imaging device with a predetermined threshold.

Substrate processing apparatus and method for detecting abnormality of substrate

There is disclosed an apparatus which can maintain a surface temperature of a polishing pad at a desired target temperature. The apparatus for regulating a surface temperature of a polishing pad, includes: a pad contact member which is contactable with a surface of the polishing pad and which has a heating flow passage and a cooling flow passage formed therein; a heating-liquid supply pipe coupled to the heating flow passage; a cooling-liquid supply pipe coupled to the cooling flow passage; a first flow control valve attached to the heating-liquid supply pipe; a second flow control valve attached to the cooling-liquid supply pipe; a pad-temperature measuring device configured to measure a surface temperature of the polishing pad; and a valve controller configured to operate the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve based on the surface temperature of the polishing pad.

Apparatus and method for regulating surface temperature of polishing pad

A substrate cleaning apparatus includes: a pure water supply line provided with a pure water flow regulator and a pure water supply valve; chemical supply lines each provided with a chemical flow regulator and a chemical supply valve; a merging line where pure water and a plurality of liquid chemicals meet to form a cleaning liquid; a cleaning liquid supply line configured to supply the cleaning liquid to a substrate; and a controller configured to control the pure water flow regulator, the pure water supply valve, the chemical flow regulators, and the chemical supply valves such that the pure water and the plurality of liquid chemicals are present at a predetermined ratio at a meeting point.

Substrate cleaning apparatus and substrate cleaning method

A substrate processing apparatusincludes a substrate processing unitconfigured to process a substrate W by supplying a mixed liquid M of a first liquid C and a second liquid D to the substrate W, a first flow rate regulatordisposed in a first supply pipeconfigured to allow the first liquid C to flow therethrough, and the first flow rate regulatorconfigured to measure a flow rate by a differential pressure and to regulate the flow rate, a second flow rate regulatordisposed in a second supply pipeconfigured to allow the second liquid D to flow therethrough, and the second flow rate regulatorconfigured to measure a flow rate by a differential pressure and to regulate the flow rate, a concentration meterdisposed in a mixed liquid pipeconfigured to guide the mixed liquid M with a mixture of the first liquid C having passed through the first flow rate regulatorand the second liquid D having passed through the second flow rate regulatorto the substrate processing unit, and a controllerconfigured to take difference elimination measures when the difference between a conforming concentration as the concentration of the mixed liquid M suitable for processing the substrate W in the substrate processing unitand the concentration measured with the concentration meterexceeds a predetermined value. With this, even if zero-point deviation of a differential pressure flowmeter occurs, it is possible to eliminate the difference in concentration.

Substrate processing apparatus

A polishing surface cleaning method and apparatus are capable of effectively removing the polishing residue from the polishing surface of a polishing table in a polisher by using a minimal amount of cleaning liquid. In the polisher, a workpiece to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface of the polishing table to polish the workpiece by relative motion between the polishing surface and the workpiece. The polishing surface cleaning apparatus uses mixing spray nozzles for mixing together a cleaning liquid and a gas and spraying the resulting fluid mixture on the polishing surface to clean it.

Method and apparatus for cleaning polishing surface of polisher

A pure water reusing system recovers water discharged from apparatuses in which pure water is used, and regenerates the water to produce pure water. The pure water reusing system has a recovering and regenerating apparatus for recovering water discharged from the apparatuses and regenerating the water by removing impurities from the water to produce pure water, and a regenerated pure water supply line for supplying the regenerated pure water to at least one of the apparatuses. The same process is conducted in the apparatuses in which pure water is used.

Pure water reusing system

An apparatus for supplying a polishing liquid to a polishing section is used for polishing a surface of a semiconductor substrate in the polishing section. The apparatus comprises a supply tank for storing a polishing liquid having given properties, a supply pipe for supplying the polishing liquid to the polishing section, a sensing device for detecting properties of the polishing liquid flowing through the supply pipe, and a stabilization device for maintaining properties of the polishing liquid stored in the supply tank or flowing through the supply pipe within an allowable range on the basis of an output signal from the sensing device.

Apparatus for supplying polishing liquid

A filter apparatus provided in a fluid pipeline for conveying a treatment fluid. A regenerating pipeline is provided adjacently to the fluid pipeline to convey a regenerating liquid. At least two filter units are switched between the fluid pipeline and the regenerating pipeline by a switching valve device. The filter apparatus enables a filter replacing operation to be carried out smoothly and reliably and is also capable of reliably trapping solid particles contained in the fluid, e.g. an abrasive liquid, continuously without the need of a filter replacing operation, thereby allowing supply of a fluid of high quality and a stable operation free from clogging.

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Tokyo, Japan

Mitsunori Komatsu