Ebara Corporation

Tomoshi Inoue

Tetsuji Togawa

Makoto Fukushima

Osamu Nabeya

Hozumi Yasuda

Kenichiro Saito

Shingo Togashi

Koji Saito

Keisuke Namiki

Satoru Yamaki

Shingo Saito

A polishing method is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. A method of polishing a substrate by a polishing apparatus includes a polishing table () having a polishing surface, a top ring () for holding a substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface, and a vertically movable mechanism () for moving the top ring () in a vertical direction. The top ring () is moved to a first height before the substrate is pressed against the polishing surface, and then the top ring () is moved to a second height after the substrate is pressed against the polishing surface.

Method and apparatus for polishing a substrate

A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.

Substrate holding apparatus, polishing apparatus, and polishing method

A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table () having a polishing surface (), a top ring body () configured to hold and press a substrate against the polishing surface (), and a retainer ring () provided at an outer peripheral portion of the top ring body () and configured to press the polishing surface (). A fulcrum for receiving a lateral force applied from the substrate to the retainer ring () during polishing of the substrate is located above a central portion of the substrate.

Polishing apparatus

Elastic membrane for semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tomoshi Inoue