Polishing apparatus

• US 20050191949A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hideo Aizawa, Hisanori Matsuo, Katsuhiko Tokushige, Kenji Kamimura, Makoto Akagi, Manabu Tsujimura, Norio Kimura, Satoshi Okamura
• Original Assignee: Hideo Aizawa, Hisanori Matsuo, Katsuhiko Tokushige, Kenji Kamimura, Makoto Akagi, Manabu Tsujimura, Norio Kimura, Satoshi Okamura
• Inventors: Kimura, Norio, Kamimura, Kenji, Tsujimura, Manabu, Okamura, Satoshi, Aizawa, Hideo, Matsuo, Hisanori, Akagi, Makoto, Tokushige, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,040,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/56
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 29/005 using brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/003 using at least two conditioning tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/017 Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30625 With simultaneous mechanical treatment, e.g. mechanico-chemical polishing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the ppolishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for dressing a polishing cloth provided in a polishing apparatus, comprising:

initially conditioning a polishing cloth, before use in a polishing process, by using a dressing unit including a diamond dresser or an SiC dresser; and

conditioning said polishing cloth, between processes of polishing a workpiece, by using a dressing unit including a brush dresser.

18. A method for dressing a polishing cloth provided in a polishing apparatus, comprising:

initially conditioning a polishing cloth, before use in a polishing process, by using a dressing unit including a diamond dresser or an SiC dresser; and

between processes of polishing a workpiece, first conditioning said polishing cloth by using a dressing unit including a diamond dresser or an SiC dresser, and then conditioning said polishing cloth by using a dressing unit including a brush dresser.

19. A method for dressing a workpiece in a polishing apparatus, comprising:

performing dressing while swinging a dressing unit including a dresser having a diameter smaller than a diameter of a workpiece being polished; and

after withdrawing a top ring, performing dressing by using a dressing unit including a dresser having a diameter larger than said diameter of said workpiece.