Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Toshiba Ceramics Co., Ltd.

Shinobu Oofuchi

Takayuki Masunaga

Hiromichi Isogai

Katsuyoshi Kojima

When a wafer is pressed on a rotating polishing pad and its surface is polished, a retainer retains the periphery of the wafer to prevent the wafer from being detached from the polishing pad. The retainer includes a first ring which surrounds the wafer and contacts the polishing pad and a second ring which is provided outside the first ring in the radial direction of the wafer and contacts the polishing pad. The second ring has wear resistance that is higher than that of the first ring.

Retainer and wafer polishing apparatus

A polishing head includes a head body, a first recessed portion formed in the lower surface of the head body, a support plate which can be moved up and down in the first recessed portion, a first film-like member in which a first space is formed between the upper surface of the support plate and the head body, a second recessed portion formed in a lower surface of the support plate, a second film-like member, in which a second space is formed between the second film-like member and the support plate, and which holds a wafer on the lower, a communicating hole which is formed in the support plate to communicate the first space with the second space, and a gas supply device which increases pressures in the first and second spaces with a fluid to equal pressures to bring the object into press contact with the polishing pad.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Shinobu Oofuchi