Substrate polishing apparatus

• US 6,942,543 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation, Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation, Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yoichi, Yamauchi, Hiroki, Tsuji, Hitoshi, Tsukuda, Yasuo, Nakai, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Eileen P.
• Application Number:
  US10/854,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20040219865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 451/6, 451/8, 451/9, 451/10, 451/11, 451/41, 451/285, 451/287, 451/288, 451/54, 156/345.13
• US Class Current: 451/6
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/013 Devices or means for detecting lapping completion
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/205 provided with a window for inspecting the surface of the work being lapped
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/12 involving optical means

Abstract

The substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a polishing surface of a substrate comprises a film thickness monitoring device for monitoring a state of a film thickness of a thin film on the polishing surface of the substrate during polishing. The apparatus includes a table, a polishing member fixed on a surface of the table, a substrate support member for pressing the substrate onto the polishing member, an optical system composed of an optical fiber for irradiating the polishing surface of the substrate with a light of irradiation and an optical fiber for receiving a reflected light reflected on the polishing surface of the substrate, an analysis-processing system for processing an analysis of the reflected light received with the optical system, and the film-thickness monitoring device. The table is provided with a liquid-feeding opening for feeding a translucent liquid into a through-hole disposed in the polishing member.

Claims

1. A substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate by a relative movement between the substrate and a polishing member, comprising:

a table, the polishing member fixed on a surface of the table, a substrate support member for pressing the substrate onto the polishing member, an optical system for irradiating a surface of the substrate with a light of irradiation through a through-hole disposed in the polishing member and for receiving a reflected light reflected from the surface of the substrate, and a film-thickness monitoring device for monitoring a status of polishing by the optical system;

wherein a valve to regulate a supply of a liquid is provided in a liquid passageway communicated with the through-hole so that the liquid, to be discharged from a liquid-feeding opening, flows in a direction generally perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, and the optical system comprises an optical fiber for irradiating the surface of the substrate with light in such a manner that the light is able to reach the surface of the substrate through a portion of the liquid flowing perpendicular to the surface.

2. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve is controlled to regulate a supply of the liquid when the through-hole is not covered by the substrate.

3. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the table is rotated about one axis.

4. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each point of the table draws a circular locus having an identical radius.

5. The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical fiber has a central line parallel to a central line of said liquid feeding opening such that the light from said optical fiber will be perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

6. A substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate by relative movement between the substrate and a polishing member, comprising:

a table;

a polishing member fixed on a surface of said table, said polishing member having a through hole therein;

a substrate support member for pressing a surface of a substrate onto said polishing member;

a film thickness monitoring device for monitoring a status of polishing the substrate, said film thickness monitoring device having an optical system for irradiating the surface of the substrate, when pressed against said polishing member, with light through said through hole in said polishing member and for receiving light reflected from the surface of the substrate; and

a liquid passageway communicating with said through hole, said liquid passageway having a valve to regulate a supply of liquid and a liquid feeding opening and being arranged such that liquid supplied from said liquid passageway to said through hole through said liquid feeding opening will flow in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the substrate when the surface of the substrate is pressed against said polishing member;

wherein said optical system comprises an optical fiber for irradiating the surface of the substrate with the light such that the light is able to reach the surface of the substrate through a portion of the liquid that is flowing generally perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

7. The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said valve is operable to regulate the supply of liquid when said through hole is not covered by the substrate.

8. The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said table is arranged so as to rotate about one axis.

9. The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said table is arranged so that, upon rotation of said table, each point of the table draws a circular locus having an identical radius.

10. The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said optical fiber has a central line parallel to a central line of said liquid feeding opening such that the light from said optical fiber will be perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.