Abrading – Accessory – Tool cleaner
Patent
1999-12-23
2000-10-03
Banks, Derris H.
Abrading
Accessory
Tool cleaner
451442, 15 211, 15 882, B24B 2118, B24B 3300, B24B 4726, B24B 5500
Patent
active
061265306
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a dresser for dressing a lap in a plane polishing apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
A plane polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a disk-shaped workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer has, for example, a lap 2 rotatably installed to a base portion 1a of a machine body 1, and carriers 3 that are ascended and descended by air cylinders 5 and are installed to a movable portion 1b that can be shuttled between the lap 2 and a carrying in/out portion 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Workpieces W are retained to the bottom surfaces of the carriers 3 by such a method as adhesion or suction, and the workpieces W are pressed against a working surface of the turning lap 2 to polish them.
In the polishing apparatus mentioned above, generally, the lap 2 gradually wears and loses its flatness as it polishes workpieces, with resultant deterioration in polishing accuracy. Hence, the flatness is restored by periodically dressing the working surface of the lap 2 by a dresser 6.
As can be seen from FIG. 5, the dresser 6 has a dressing member 9 such as, for example, an annular grindstone, that is attached to the bottom surface of a round dressing head 8 provided at the distal end of a support arm 7. With the dressing member 9 pressed against the working surface of the lap 2, the lap 2 and the dressing head 8 are turned while supplying a polishing solution such as an abrasive slurry, thereby dressing the lap.
Diverse foreign matters are generated during the dressing process of the lap 2, and the foreign matters are apt to adhere to the dresser 6. Foreign matters includes, for instance, coagulated abrasive grains in the slurry, abrasive grains peeled off from the dressing member 9, and chips of ground polishing pads. These attachments come off during the dressing process of the lap 2, adversely affecting the dressing work or causing other problems such as deteriorated dressing accuracy. Hence, it is desirable to remove the foreign matters from the dresser.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
A technological object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus capable of easily and positively washing off attachments adhering to a dresser.
To this end, according to the present invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus having: a cleaning tank for accommodating a dresser immersed in a cleaning solution; a solution supply nozzle for filling the cleaning tank with a cleaning solution; an air nozzle provided in the cleaning tank to inject air into the cleaning solution; at least one first bottom surface brush disposed in the cleaning tank such that it comes in slidable contact with a dressing member of the bottom surface of the dresser; and at least one side surface brush provided laterally in the cleaning tank such that it comes in slidable contact with an outer side surface of the dresser.
In the cleaning apparatus having the configuration mentioned above, when the dresser provided with the dressing member on its bottom surface is placed in the cleaning tank and slowly turned while being immersed in the cleaning solution, the dressing member is brought into slidable contact with the first bottom surface brush to remove attachments, and an outer peripheral surface of the dresser is brought into slidable contact with an outer peripheral brush to remove attachments. At the same time, air is injected from the air nozzle to perform bubbling. The bubbling enhances the effect of removing the attachments by the impacts generated when bubbles burst; it not only further enhances the cleaning effect by being used in combination with the brush but also peels and washes off contaminants from the brush.
In the present invention, preferably, at least one second bottom surface brush is provided, in addition to the first bottom surface brush, in the cleaning tank such that it is brought into slidable contact with a portion other than the dressing member.
According to a specific embodiment in accordance with the present invention, in order to clean an
REFERENCES:
patent: 5749772 (1998-05-01), Shimokawa
patent: 5807167 (1998-09-01), Walsh
Banks Derris H.
Kelly Michael K.
Speedfam Co., Ltd.
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