Ebara Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Toshiba Memory Corporation

Noburu Shimizu

Norio Kimura

Yoichi Kobayashi

Shinrou Ohta

Katsuhide Watanabe

Atsushi Shigeta

Tatsuya Sasaki

Koji Maruyama

Kiyoshi Yanagisawa

Shunsuke Nakai

Takashi Mitsuya

Naoshi Yamada

Ichiju Satoh

Shinro Ohta

Ryuichiro Mitani

Yoshifumi Katsumata

Seiryo Tsuno

Katsuya Okumura

Hiroyuki Yano

Hirokuni Hiyama

Yutaka Wada

Taro Takahashi

Hisanori Matsuo

Itsuki Kobata

Kazuto Hirokawa

Seiji Ishikawa

Masayoshi Hirose

Mitsuo Tada

Yoichi Kanemitsu

Tatsuya Kohama

Hiromitsu Watanabe

Kouki Yamada

Koji Ato

Eisaku Hayashi

Yoshimi Sasaki

Fujio Aoyama

Hideki Kondo

A processing end point detection method detects a timing of a processing end point (e.g., polishing stop, changing of polishing conditions) by calculating a characteristic value of a surface of a workpiece (an object of polishing) such as a substrate. This method includes producing a spectral waveform indicating a relationship between reflection intensities and wavelengths at a processing end point, with use of a reference workpiece or simulation calculation, based on the spectral waveform, selecting wavelengths of a local maximum value and a local minimum value of the reflection intensities, calculating the characteristic value with respect to a surface, to be processed, from reflection intensities at the selected wavelengths, setting a distinctive point of time variation of the characteristic value at a processing end point of the workpiece as the processing end point, and detecting the processing end point of the workpiece by detecting the distinctive point during processing of the workpiece.

Processing end point detection method, polishing method, and polishing apparatus

A polishing apparatus has a polishing section () configured to polish a substrate and a measurement section () configured to measure a thickness of a film formed on the substrate. The polishing apparatus also has an interface () configured to input a desired thickness of a film formed on a substrate to be polished and a storage device () configured to store polishing rate data on at least one past substrate therein. The polishing apparatus includes an arithmetic unit () operable to calculate a polishing rate and an optimal polishing time based on the polishing rate data and the desired thickness by using a weighted average method which weights the polishing rate data on a lately polished substrate.

Polishing apparatus and polishing method

A method of producing a diagram for use in selecting wavelengths of light in optical polishing end point detection is provided. The method includes polishing a surface of a substrate having a film by a polishing pad; applying light to the surface of the substrate and receiving reflected light from the substrate during the polishing of the substrate; calculating relative reflectances of the reflected light at respective wavelengths; determining wavelengths of the reflected light which indicate a local maximum point and a local minimum point of the relative reflectances which vary with a polishing time; identifying a point of time when the wavelengths, indicating the local maximum point and the local minimum point, are determined; and plotting coordinates, specified by the wavelengths and the point of time corresponding to the wavelengths, onto a coordinate system having coordinate axes indicating wavelength of the light and polishing time.

Method of making diagram for use in selection of wavelength of light for polishing endpoint detection, method for selecting wavelength of light for polishing endpoint detection, and polishing endpoint detection method

A method for detecting an end point of a polishing operation (e.g., a polishing stop point or a changing point of polishing conditions) of a film of a substrate is described. The method includes applying light to a surface of a substrate during polishing of the substrate; receiving reflected light from the surface of the substrate, monitoring a first characteristic value and a second characteristic value calculated from reflection intensities at different wavelengths; detecting a point when an extremal point of the first characteristic value and an extremal point of the second characteristic value appear within a predetermined time difference; after detecting the point, detecting a predetermined extremal point of the first characteristic value or the second characteristic value; and determining a polishing end point based on a point when the predetermined extremal point is detected.

Polishing end point detection method

A method for polishing a substrate having a metal film thereon is described. The substrate has metal interconnects formed from part of the metal film. The polishing method includes performing a first polishing process of removing the metal film, after the first polishing process, performing a second polishing process of removing the barrier film, after the second polishing process, performing a third polishing process of polishing the insulating film. During the second polishing process and the third polishing process, a polishing state of the substrate is monitored with an eddy current sensor, and the third polishing process is terminated when an output signal of the eddy current sensor reaches a predetermined threshold.

Polishing method

A polishing apparatus makes it possible to polish and remove an extra conductive film while preventing the occurrence of erosion and without lowering of the throughput. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table having a polishing surface; a top ring for holding a workpiece having a surface conductive film, and pressing the conductive film against the polishing surface to polish the conductive film; an optical sensor for monitoring the polishing state of the conductive film by emitting light toward the conductive film of the workpiece held by the top ring, receiving reflected light from the conductive film, and measuring a change in the reflectance of the reflected light; and a control section for controlling a pressure at which the workpiece is pressed on the polishing surface.

A workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is polished by pressing the workpiece against a polishing surface under a predetermined pressure. A polished surface of the workpiece is processed by pressing the workpiece against a processing surface under a predetermined pressure while the processing surface makes circulatory translational motion along a predetermined path. The processing surface comprises a surface of a polishing cloth or a surface of an abrading plate, and the polished surface of the workpiece is further polished or cleaned.

Method and apparatus for polishing workpiece

A polishing method and apparatus can concurrently establish a stable removal rate, a small step height reduction rate, and reduction of detects on the polished surface for various kinds of polished subjects, while providing less environmental problems and requiring less processing costs. The method for polishing a surface of a semiconductor device wafer comprises first polishing a surface of the semiconductor wafer by a first fixed abrasive polishing method; and finish polishing the polished surface of the semiconductor wafer by a second fixed abrasive polishing method different from the first fixed abrasive polishing method.

Method for polishing workpieces using fixed abrasives

The polishing apparatus can control the attitude of the top ring with respect to a surface of a turntable of a polishing apparatus is controlled so as to provide a uniform polish surface pressure across the entire polish surface. The polishing apparatus includes the turntable having an abrading surface, a top ring for holding an object to be polished to keep the object surface in moving contact with the abrading surface while rotating the turntable and the top ring, a magnetic bearing assembly for supporting a rotation shaft of the top ring by means of a thrust bearing device and at least one radial bearing device, and an attitude controller for controlling an orientation of the top ring with respect to the turntable through the magnetic bearing assembly.

Polishing apparatus

The cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a cleaning member 105 adapted to be rotated while maintaining contact with a surface of a semiconductor wafer W, to thereby clean the surface of the semiconductor wafer W, and a drive motor 50 for rotating the cleaning member 105. A linear bushing 75 and coil springs 81 are provided between the cleaning member 105 and the drive motor 50. The linear bushing 75 ensures that the cleaning member 105 is capable of slidably moving in a direction of an axis of rotation. The coil springs 81 ensure that the cleaning member 105 applies a predetermined pressure to the semiconductor wafer W. A pressure in a casing 1 [(1-1), (1-2) and (1-3)] is set to a negative pressure relative to an outside air pressure by suction through a pipe 111.

Cleaning apparatus

A polishing method and a compact apparatus for the method are presented for efficient production of a polished workpiece for manufacturing high technology devices. The polishing method comprises a first and second steps for polishing a work surface. In the first polishing step, the work surface is pressed against an abrading surface of a first polishing tool which is being rotated. In the second step, the work surface is pressed against a rubbing surface of a second polishing tool which is being moved in a planar translation motion relatively to the work surface.

Method for polishing workpieces and apparatus therefor

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Tokyo, Japan

Noburu Shimizu