Ebara Corporation

Tomoko Owada

Osamu Nabeya

Shingo Togashi

Satoru Yamaki

Makoto Fukushima

Keisuke Namiki

Yoshikazu Kato

Masahiko Kishimoto

Yuichi Kato

Kenichi Akazawa

Cheng Cheng

Yuta Suzuki

An elastic membrane to be used for a polishing head includes a contact portion configured to come into contact with a wafer, an annular side wall provided to stand on an outer peripheral end of the contact portion, a first partition wall linearly extending inward in a radial direction in sectional view from the side wall, and a second partition wall linearly extending inward and upward in the radial direction in sectional view from an outer peripheral end portion of the contact portion, wherein the first partition wall, the second partition wall, and the side wall constitute an edge pressure chamber for pressing an edge of the wafer.

Elastic membrane, substrate holding device, and polishing apparatus

A substrate holding apparatus which can adjust polishing profile precisely is disclosed. The substrate holding apparatus includes an elastic membrane that forms a plurality of pressure chambers for pressing a substrate, and a head body to which the elastic membrane is coupled. The elastic membrane includes a contact portion to be brought into contact with the substrate for pressing the substrate against a polishing pad, an edge circumferential wall extending upwardly from a peripheral edge of the contact portion, and a plurality of inner circumferential walls arranged radially inwardly of the edge circumferential wall and extending upwardly from the contact portion. At least two adjacent inner circumferential walls of the plurality of inner circumferential walls include slope circumferential walls inclined radially inwardly. The slope circumferential walls are inclined radially inwardly in their entirety from their lower ends to upper ends, and extend upwardly.

Substrate holding apparatus, elastic membrane, polishing apparatus, and method for replacing elastic membrane

Elastic membrane

A polishing apparatus includes a rotatable head body having a pressing surface, a retainer ring configured to press a polishing surface while rotating together with the head body, a stationary ring, local load applying devices configured to apply a local load to the stationary ring, and a controller. The local load applying devices include a first pressing member and a second pressing member connected to the stationary ring. The first pressing member is disposed in the upstream side of the retainer ring in the traveling direction of the polishing surface, and the second pressing member is disposed in the downstream side. The controller calculates the inclination angle of the stationary ring based on a measured value of the height of at least one of the first pressing member and the second pressing member.

Polishing apparatus and method of controlling inclination of stationary ring

The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to support a polishing pad having a polishing surface; a rotatable head body having a pressing surface; a retainer ring configured to press the polishing surface and rotatable together with the head body; a rotary ring; a stationary ring; and local-load exerting devices each configured to apply a local load to the stationary ring. The local-load exerting devices include a first pressing member and a second pressing member coupled to the stationary ring. The first pressing member is arranged at an upstream side of the retainer ring in a moving direction of the polishing surface, and the second pressing member is arranged at a downstream side of the retainer ring in the moving direction of the polishing surface.

Polishing apparatus and polishing method

A method of detecting abnormality of a roller which transmits a local load to a retainer ring is disclosed. The method comprises: rotating a polishing head which includes a head body and a retainer ring, the head body having a pressing surface for pressing a substrate, the retainer ring being arranged so as to surround the pressing surface; measuring a torque for rotating the polishing head, while rotating a rotary ring together with the polishing head and while exerting a local load to a stationary ring located on the rotary ring, the rotary ring being fixed to the retainer ring and having a plurality of rollers; generating a torque waveform indicating relationship between measured values of the torque for rotating the polishing head and measuring times of the torque; performing Fourier-transform process on the torque waveform to determine an intensity of frequency component of the torque waveform; and determining that at least one of the rollers malfunctions when the determined intensity of the frequency component is larger than a predetermined threshold value.

Method of detecting abnormality of a roller which transmits a local load to a retainer ring, and polishing apparatus

Elastic membrane for semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus

Elastic membrane for semiconductor wafer polishing

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tomoko Owada