Ebara Corporation

Yasunari Suto

Mitsuo Tada

Hironobu Yamasaki

Tetsuji Togawa

Taro Takahashi

Koichi Fukaya

Kenya Ito

Tamami Takahashi

Hirofumi Ichihara

A projecting/receiving unit () projects a laser light to a peripheral portion () and receives the reflected light while a liquid is being fed to a substrate () and is flowing on the peripheral portion (). A signal processing controller () processes the electric signal of the reflected light to decide the state of the peripheral portion (). The state of the peripheral portion being polished is monitored. Moreover, the polish end point is detected. A transmission wave other than the laser light may also be used. The peripheral portion () may also be enclosed by a passage forming member thereby to form a passage properly. The peripheral portion can be properly measured even in the situation where the liquid is flowing on the substrate peripheral portion.

Substrate peripheral portion measuring device, and substrate peripheral portion polishing apparatus

The present invention relates to a substrate polishing apparatus and a substrate polishing method for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat finish. The substrate polishing apparatus includes a polishing table () having a polishing surface (), a substrate holder () for holding and pressing a substrate (W) against the polishing surface () of the polishing table (), and a film thickness measuring device () for measuring a thickness of a film on the substrate (W). The substrate holder () has a plurality of pressure adjustable chambers (to), and pressures in the respective chambers (to) are adjusted based on the film thickness measured by the film thickness measuring device ().

Substrate polishing apparatus and substrate polishing method

A method of detecting a characteristic (such as thickness) of first and second films formed on a substrate includes supplying a sensor coil with a first alternating current having a first frequency when detecting the first film, and a second alternating current having a second frequency when detecting the second film. An eddy current is thereby generated in the first film or the second film. An impedance across the sensor coil is measured, and the characteristic of any one of the first film and the second film is detected based on the impedance.

Method of detecting characteristics of films using eddy current

An eddy current sensor () has a sensor coil () disposed near a conductive film () formed on a semiconductor wafer (W) and a signal source () configured to supply an AC signal to the sensor coil () to produce an eddy current in the conductive film (). The eddy current sensor () includes a detection circuit operable to detect the eddy current produced in the conductive film (). The detection circuit is connected to the sensor coil (). The eddy current sensor () also includes a housing () made of a material having a high magnetic permeability. The housing () accommodates the sensor coil () therein. The housing () is configured so that the sensor coil () forms a path of a magnetic flux (MF) so as to effectively produce an eddy current in the conductive film ().

Eddy current sensor

An eddy current sensor and a method for detecting the thickness of a film formed on a substrate. The eddy current sensor, which is capable of stable operation, is operable to accurately detect a polishing endpoint. The eddy current sensor detects the thickness of a conductive film from a change in an eddy current loss generated in the conductive film. The eddy current sensor comprises a sensor coil for generating an eddy current in the conductive film, and an active element unit connected to the sensor coil for oscillating a variable frequency corresponding to the eddy current loss. The sensor coil and active element unit are integrated to form the eddy current sensor. Alternatively, the eddy current sensor comprises a sensor coil for generating an eddy current in the conductive film, and a detector for detecting a change in the thickness of the conductive film from a change in a resistance component in an impedance formed by the sensor coil and conductive film.

Polishing device using eddy current sensor

A frequency measuring device capable of accurately detecting an end point of polishing a semiconductor wafer by obtaining a frequency measurement result highly accurately in a short period of time. A device FC, which measures the frequency of a measured signal comprises a counting section including a plurality of n-nary counters, a time reference circuit which outputs a time reference signal for every predetermined time interval, and a plurality of gate circuits whose outputs are connected to the inputs of the n-nary counters. The gate circuits receive the measured signal at a first input and receive the time reference signal at the predetermined time intervals at a second input. With this structure, the counting section supplies the frequency measured result of the measured signal every predetermined time interval.

Frequency measuring device, polishing device using the same and eddy current sensor

A measuring apparatus includes a heating unit for applying heat to a first point within a workpiece or on a surface of a workpiece and propagating the heat to a second point within the workpiece or on the surface of the workpiece. The measuring apparatus further includes a measuring unit for measuring a displacement of the surface of the workpiece at the second point to which the heat has been propagated, and an analyzing unit for analyzing a structure of the workpiece based on the displacement measured by the measuring unit in consideration of a distance between the first point and the second point.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yasunari Suto