Dressing apparatus and polishing apparatus

• US 6,899,604 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Kojima, Shunichiro, Togawa, Tetsuji, Noji, Ikutaro, Takada, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US10/204,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20030148707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 451/56, 451/72, 451/443, 451/444, 451/285, 451/286, 451/287, 451/288, 451/289
• US Class Current: 451/72
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 41/047 Grinding heads for working on plane surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/16 taking regard of the load
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/017 Devices or means for dressing, cleaning or otherwise conditioning lapping tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/02 of plane surfaces on abrasive tools B24B53/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 53/12 Dressing tools; Holders therefor

Abstract

A dressing apparatus dresses a polishing surface of a polishing table used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer in a polishing apparatus. The dressing apparatus comprises a dresser body (31) connected to a dresser drive shaft (23) which is vertically movable, a dresser plate (32) which is vertically movable with respect to the dresser body (31), and a dressing member (22) held by the dresser plate (32) for dressing the polishing surface (1a).

Claims

1. A dressing apparatus for dressing a polishing surface of a polishing table for polishing a surface of a workpiece, the dressing apparatus comprising:

a dresser body connected to a dresser drive shaft which is vertically movable;

a dresser plate which is vertically movable with respect to said dresser body and is tiltable so as to follow the polishing surface;

a dressing member held by said dresser plate for dressing the polishing surface; and

a hermetically sealed space defined by said dresser body, said dresser plate and a resilient membrane;

wherein said dresser body and said dresser plate are connected by said resilient membrane.

2. A dressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a fluid having a positive pressure or a negative pressure is supplied to said hermetically sealed space, and a dressing load is adjusted by controlling said positive pressure or said negative pressure.

3. A dressing apparatus for dressing a polishing surface of a polishing table for polishing a surface of a workpiece, the dressing apparatus comprising:

a dresser body connected to a dresser drive shaft which is vertically movable;

a dresser plate which is vertically movable with respect to said dresser body and is tiltable so as to follow the polishing surface;

a dressing member held by said dresser plate for dressing the polishing surface; and

a hermetically sealed space provided between said dresser body and said dresser plate or a member fixed to said dresser plate;

wherein at least a part of said hermetically sealed space is formed by a resilient membrane.

4. A dressing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a fluid having a positive pressure or a negative pressure is supplied to said hermetically sealed space to generate an upward force or a downward force applied to said dresser plate.

5. A dressing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when an upward force applied to said dresser plate is generated, a dressing load is obtained by subtracting said upward force obtained by supplying said positive pressure or said negative pressure to said hermetically sealed space from a weight of said dresser plate including said dressing member.

6. A dressing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said dresser plate is vertically moved with respect to said dresser body, pressure-bearing areas of upper and lower surfaces in said hermetically sealed space are not varied.

7. A dressing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said dresser plate is vertically moved with respect to said dresser body, pressure-bearing areas of upper and lower surfaces in said hermetically sealed space are not varied.

8. A dressing apparatus for dressing a polishing surface of a polishing table for polishing a surface of a workpiece, the dressing apparatus comprising:

a dresser body connected to a dresser drive shaft which is vertically movable;

a dresser plate which is vertically movable with respect to said dresser body and is tiltable so as to follow the polishing surface;

a dressing member held by said dresser plate for dressing the polishing surface;

a gimbal mechanism provided between said dresser body and said dresser plate such that said dresser plate is tiltable so as to follow an inclination of said polishing surface and is vertically movable with respect to said dresser body; and

a hermetically sealed space defined by said dresser body, said dresser plate and a resilient membrane;

wherein said dresser body and said dresser plate are connected by said resilient membrane.

9. A dressing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a fluid having a positive pressure or a negative pressure is supplied to said hermetically sealed space, and a dressing load is adjusted by controlling said positive pressure or said negative pressure.

10. A dressing apparatus for dressing a polishing surface of a polishing table for polishing a surface of a workpiece, the dressing apparatus comprising:

a dresser body connected to a dresser drive shaft which is vertically movable;

a dresser plate which is vertically movable with respect to said dresser body and is tiltable so as to follow the polishing surface;

a dressing member held by said dresser plate for dressing the polishing surface;

a gimbal mechanism provided between said dresser body and said dresser plate such that said dresser plate is tiltable so as to follow an inclination of said polishing surface and is vertically movable with respect to said dresser body; and

a hermetically sealed space provided between said dresser body and said dresser plate or a member fixed to said dresser plate;

wherein at least a part of said hermetically sealed space is formed by a resilient membrane.

11. A dressing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a fluid having a positive pressure or a negative pressure is supplied to said hermetically sealed space to generate an upward force or a downward force applied to said dresser plate.

12. A dressing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when an upward force applied to said dresser plate is generated, a dressing load is obtained by subtracting said upward force obtained by supplying said positive pressure or said negative pressure to said hermetically sealed space from a weight of said dresser plate including said dressing member.

13. A dressing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when said dresser plate is vertically moved with respect to said dresser body, pressure-bearing areas of upper and lower surfaces in said hermetically sealed space are not varied.

14. A dressing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when said dresser plate is vertically moved with respect to said dresser body, pressure-bearing areas of upper and lower surfaces in said hermetically sealed space are not varied.