Abrading – Abrading process – Glass or stone abrading
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-07
2001-11-06
Rose, Robert A. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Abrading process
Glass or stone abrading
C451S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312316
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method for precisely and efficiently polishing a substrate, such as a wafer or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as semiconductor devices are going to have ultrafine patterns and high steps, it is requested to very precisely flatten the surface of a substrate, such as an SOI (silicon on insulator) substrate, a semiconductor wafer of Si, GaAs, InP or the like. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatuses, such as one to be described below, are known as processing means for very precisely flattening the surface of a substrate, such as the above-described one or the like.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, a conventional chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a table
3
for rotating an object to be processed which can detachably hold a substrate
4
, such as a wafer or the like, on a lower surface thereof, a polishing-tool rotating table
1
having an integrally-provided polishing pad
2
, having a diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate
4
, disposed below the rotating table
3
so as to face it, and supply nozzle
6
for supplying the upper surface of the polishing pad
2
with an abrasive (polishing slurry)
7
. The substrate
4
is polished by providing the rotating table
3
, holding the substrate
4
, with a rotating movement indicated by an arrow B and a swinging movement indicated by a two-headed arrow C in a state of pressing the substrate
4
against the polishing pad
2
. A shaft
5
rotates the rotating table
3
with a processing pressure in an axial direction indicated by a block arrow while rotating the upper surface of the polishing pad
2
, provided as one body with the polishing-tool rotating table
1
, in the direction of an arrow A with the abrasive (polishing slurry)
7
.
In the above-described conventional approach, however, since the diameter of the polishing-tool rotating table having the polishing pad provided as one body therewith is larger than the diameter of the substrate, the following unsolved problems are present.
(1) The size of the polishing apparatus including the polishing-tool rotating table becomes large, and vibration occurs if the polishing-tool rotating table is rotated at too high a speed and hinders the very precise polishing of the surface to be polished of the substrate, serving as the object to be processed. Hence, the polishing-tool rotating table cannot be rotated at a high speed. As a result, the polishing speed (the amount of removal per unit time) cannot be increased, thereby increasing the processing cost.
(2) Since the substrate, serving as the object to be processed, is polished in a state in which the entire surface to be polished of the substrate contacts the polishing surface of the polishing pad, it is difficult to efficiently remove a local defect on the surface to be polished of the substrate if such a defect is present.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method which can very precisely polish a surface to be polished of an object to be processed at a high speed irrespective of the presence of local defects, and which can efficiently polish the entire surface to be polished while increasing the effective contact area being polished, and which can improve the uniformity of polishing.
According to one aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a chemical mechanical polising apparatus for polishing a surface of an object while supplying an abrasive between the surface to be polished and a polishing surface of a polishing tool brought in contact with the surface to be polished with a predetermined processing pressure. The polishing tool includes a multiplex ring-shaped pad including a plurality of coaxially disposed ring-shaped polising pads having different diameters, and coaxially disposed cylindrical shafts for holding corresponding ones of the plurality of ring-shaped polishing pads.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of an object by revolving and rotating a polishing surface of a polishing tool, brought in contact with the surface to be polished with a predetermined processing pressure, while supplying an abrasive between the surface to be polished and the polishing surface of the polishing tool. The polishing tool includes a multiplex ring-shaped pad including a plurality of coaxially disposed ring-shaped polishing pads having different diameters, and coaxially disposed cylindrical shafts for holding corresponding ones of the plurality of ring-shaped polishing pads. A rotation driving mechanism/linear driving mechanism for causing a corresponding one of the ring-shaped polishing pads to rotate and to move in an axial direction is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of cylindrical shafts.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, including a rotating table for rotating an object to be processed while detachably holding it, a slider for moving the rotating table in a radial direction while holding it, a revolution table for holding a plurality of polishing-tool units arranged with an equal interval in a circumferential direction so as to be rotatable and to be movable in an axial direction, a revolution driving mechanism for revolving the revolution table, and rotation driving mechanisms/linear driving mechanisms each for causing a polishing surface of a corresponding one of the plurality of polishing-tool units to rotate and to move in an axial direction. The apparatus polishes a surface of the object while supplying an abrasive between the surface to be polished and the polishing surfaces of the plurality of polishing-tool units brought in contact with the surface to be polished of the object with a predetermined processing pressure. Each of the plurality of polishing-tool units includes a multiplex ring-shaped pad including a plurality of coaxially disposed ring-shaped polising pads having different diameters, and coaxially disposed cylindrical shafts for holding corresponding ones of the plurality of ring-shaped polishing pads. A rotation driving mechanism/linear driving mechanism is connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of coaxially disposed cylindrical shafts.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a chemical mechanical polishing method for polishing a surface of an object while supplying an abrasive between the surface to be polished and a polishing tool brought in contact with the object with a predetermined processing pressure. The method includes the steps of using a multiplex ring-shaped polising pad, including a plurality of coaxially disposed ring-shaped polishing pads having different diameters smaller than a diameter of the surface to be polished of the object to be processed, and polishing the surface to be polished by rotating and revolving the multiplex ring-shaped polishing pad in a state of contacting the surface to be polished of the object to be processed.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves the above-described object relates to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of an object while supplying an abrasive between the surface to be polished and a polishing surface of a polishing tool brought in contact with the surface of a polishing with a predetermined processing pressure. The apparatus includes a rotating table for rotating the object to be processed while holding it, a slider for moving the rotating table in a radial direction while holding it, a revolution table for supporting a plurality of polishing tools, having different diameters smaller than a diameter of the object to be processed, with an interval on the
Miyazaki Kyoichi
Nishimura Matsuomi
Takahashi Kazuo
Uchiyama Shinzo
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Rose Robert A.
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