Ebara Corporation

Teruhiko Ichimura

Tetsuji Togawa

Osamu Nabeya

Makoto Fukushima

Kunihiko Sakurai

Hiroshi Yoshida

Shin Ohwada

The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a polishing apparatus for polishing the substrate to a flat finish. The substrate holding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a top ring body having a receiving space therein, and a vertically movable member which is vertically movable within the receiving space in the top ring body. An abutment member having an elastic membrane is attached to a lower surface of the vertically movable member. The elastic membrane of the abutment member comprises an abutment portion, having a flange projecting outwardly, brought into direct or indirect contact with the substrate, and a connecting portion extending upwardly from a base portion of the flange of the abutment portion and being connected to the vertically movable member. The connecting portion is made of a material having a flexibility higher than that of material of the abutment portion.

Substrate holding apparatus and polishing apparatus

The present invention is relates to a polishing method for polishing a semiconductor wafer (W) by pressing the semiconductor wafer (W) against a polishing surface () with use of a top ring () for holding the semiconductor wafer (W). A pressure chamber () is defined in the top ring () by attaching an elastic membrane () to a lower surface of a vertically movable member (). The semiconductor wafer (W) is polished while a pressurized fluid is supplied to the pressure chamber () so that the semiconductor wafer (W) is pressed against the polishing surface () by a fluid pressure of the fluid. The semiconductor wafer (W) which has been polished is released from the top ring () by ejecting the pressurized fluid from an opening () defined centrally in the vertically movable member ().

Polishing method

Substrate holding device and polishing device

The present invention provides a substrate holding apparatus which can adjust a holding state of a substrate in accordance with a polishing state, and maintain uniformity of a polishing amount over an entire surface of the substrate, or control the polishing amount intentionally. The substrate holding apparatus comprises a holding plate having a holding surface for a substrate, a cover element for covering a backside surface of the holding plate to form a sealed back pressure space at the backside surface side, a plurality of through-holes distributed over the substantially entire holding surface for allowing the holding surface to communicate with the back pressure space, a division element removably provided for dividing the back pressure space between the holding plate and the cover element into a plurality of predetermined sealed divisional spaces in a plane, and a back pressure controller for individually controlling back pressures in the divisional spaces.

Wafer holder and polishing device

A polishing apparatus for polishing a plate-like member such as semiconductor wafer with a high degree of polished surface flatness is provided. The apparatus comprises a turntable having a surface provided on its upper surface with a polishing pad having an upper or polishing surface, and a carrier having an article holding surface for holding thereon a plate-like article. The carrier is adapted to press a surface of the plate-like article against the polishing surface of the polishing pad to polish and flatten the surface of the plate-like article by relative movement between the article and the polishing surface. An annular member is provided along the peripheral edge of the plate-like article between the article holding surface and the plate-like article to form a chamber therebetween, and a pressurized fluid source is fluidly connected to the chamber for supplying a pressurized fluid into the chamber. The polishing surface of the polishing pad is provided with grooves to divide the polishing surface into a number of sections. The chamber may be divided into outer and inner chamber sections so that the pressures in those chamber sections can be controlled, respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Teruhiko Ichimura