APPARATUS FOR POLISHING A WAFER

Abstract

An apparatus for polishing a wafer is provided. The apparatus for polishing the wafer includes a polishing pad for polishing a wafer, a slurry solution provided on an upper surface of the polishing pad, a polishing head disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad, the wafer positioned on a lower surface of the polishing head facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature, a disk holder spaced apart from the polishing head in a horizontal direction on the upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk is attached on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, and a disk transfer manipulator providing one of the first and second conditioning disks stored in the disk container to the disk holder, wherein each of a temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first and second conditioning disks attached to the lower surface of the disk holder.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0164186 filed on Nov. 23, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. 119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for polishing a wafer.

2. Description of the Related Art

The fabrication of a semiconductor device may be accomplished through several processes. For example, the production of semiconductor devices may be proceeded through processes such as photolithography, etching, and deposition on a wafer. Prior to each of these processes, it may be necessary to flatten the surface of the wafer. For this purpose, the wafer may be subjected to a polishing process. The polishing process may be performed in a variety of ways. For example, a chemical mechanical polishing CMP process may be used to planarize a wafer. In the CMP process, a conditioning disk may be used to planarize the surface of the wafer. The conditioning disk is in contact with the rotating wafer and may grind the surface of the wafer. Conditioning disks may get damaged during the process and may need to be replaced after a certain amount of time.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a wafer polishing apparatus that enhances the efficiency of a chemical mechanical polishing process by controlling the temperature of a slurry solution and the temperature of a polishing pad, respectively, using conditioning disks with different temperatures that are automatically replaced.

The aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above and another aspect which is not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for polishing a wafer, comprising a polishing pad for polishing a wafer, a slurry solution provided on an upper surface of the polishing pad, a polishing head disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad, the wafer positioned on a lower surface of the polishing head facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature, a disk holder spaced apart from the polishing head in a horizontal direction on the upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk is attached on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, and a disk transfer manipulator configured to provide one of the first and second conditioning disks stored in the disk container to the disk holder, wherein each of a temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first and second conditioning disks when provided to the lower surface of the disk holder.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for polishing a wafer, comprising a polishing pad for polishing a wafer, a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the disk container including a first temperature controller for controlling the first conditioning disk to the first temperature and a second temperature controller for controlling the second conditioning disk to the second temperature, a disk holder disposed on an upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein the disk holder is configured to attach the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, and a disk transfer manipulator configured to provide one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk stored in the disk container to the disk holder, wherein each of the first and second conditioning disks includes metal, and wherein a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk when provided to the disk holder.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for polishing a wafer, comprising a polishing pad for polishing a wafer, a slurry solution provided on an upper surface of the polishing pad, a polishing head disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad, the wafer positioned on a lower surface of the polishing head facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the disk container including a first temperature controller to control the first conditioning disk to the first temperature and a second temperature controller to control the second conditioning disk to the second temperature, a disk holder spaced apart from the polishing head in a horizontal direction on the upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein the disk holder is configured to attach the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad, and a disk transfer manipulator configured to provide one of the first and second conditioning disks stored in the disk container to the disk holder, wherein each of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk includes metal, wherein the first conditioning disk includes a first protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the first conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad, and the second conditioning disk includes a second protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the second conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad, and wherein each of a temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled when one of the first and second conditioning disk is attached to the lower surface of the disk holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in the wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure:

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in the wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in the wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure:

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiment of the present disclosure,

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B′ of FIG. 9:

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, and

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown. The inventive concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. These example embodiments are just that—examples—and many implementations and variations are possible that do not require the details provided herein. It should also be emphasized that the disclosure provides details of alternative examples, but such listing of alternatives is not exhaustive. Furthermore, any consistency of detail between various examples should not be interpreted as requiring such detail—it is impracticable to list every possible variation for every feature described herein. The language of the claims should be referenced in determining the requirements of the invention.

Hereinafter, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in the wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a stage 100, a support 105, a polishing pad 110, a polishing head 120, a disk holder 131, a disk holder connector 132, a disk holder support 133, a conditioning disk CD, a disk transfer manipulator 140, and a disk container 150.

A wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is an apparatus for polishing a surface of a wafer 10 by performing a chemical mechanical polishing process on the surface of the wafer 10. In some embodiments, the wafer 10 may be a substrate comprising a semiconductor or non-semiconductor material.

The polishing pad 110 may be disposed on the upper surface of the stage 100. The stage 100 may support the polishing pad 110. The support 105 may be connected to the lower surface of the stage 100. The support 105 may rotate the stage 100. For example, a motor or other actuator may apply a torque to the support 105 causing the support to rotate which then rotates the stage. Hereinafter, the first horizontal direction DR1 and the second horizontal direction DR2 may each be defined as directions parallel to the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. The second horizontal direction DR2 may be defined as a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction DR1. The vertical direction DR3 may be defined as a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. For example, the vertical direction DR3 may be defined as a direction perpendicular to each of the first horizontal direction DR1 and the second horizontal direction DR2.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “top,” “bottom,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe positional relationships, such as illustrated in the figures, for example. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to or “on” another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to or on the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, or as “contacting” or “in contact with” another element (or using any form of the word “contact”), there are no intervening elements present at the point of contact.

The polishing pad 110 disposed on the stage 100 may be rotated, which rotation may be caused by the rotation of the stage 100. In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the polishing pad 110 may be rotated in a plane defined by the first and second horizontal directions DR1 and DR2 counterclockwise about the center 110C of the polishing pad. The polishing pad 110 may have a disk-shaped configuration. The polishing pad 110 may contain polishing particles for polishing the surface of the wafer 10. In some embodiments, the polishing pad 110 may include elastic materials such as polyurethane and may have a rough surface.

The slurry solution 20 may be supplied onto the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. The slurry solution 20 may be provided from a supply of slurry solution and may be supplied by a pump transferring the slurry solution to a conduit extending from the supply of slurry solution to the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. The slurry solution 20 may be used to chemically planarize the surface of the wafer 10. The slurry solution 20 may be a liquid containing chemicals and a polishing agent. In some embodiments, the slurry solution 20 may include fine polishing particles such as colloidal silica.

The polishing head 120 may be disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. The wafer 10 may be gripped by a lower part of the polishing head 120. The wafer 10 may be gripped by the polishing head 120 through friction between the wafer 10 and the lower part of the polishing head 129, a recess in the polishing head 120 sized and shaped to receive the wafer 10, an adhesive between the wafer 10 and the polishing head 120, or combinations thereof, but embodiments are not so limited. For example, the wafer 10 may be positioned on the lower surface of the polishing head 120 facing the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, the polishing head 120 may press the wafer 10 against the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. For example, the weight of the polishing head 120 may press the wafer 10 against the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 or a linear actuator may move the polishing head 120 up or down and apply a downward force to the polishing head 120. The polishing head 120 may be rotated and the wafer 10 gripped by the polishing head 120 may be rotated while in contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. For example, a torque may be applied to the polishing head 120 by a motor or other rotary actuator. Accordingly, the wafer 10, in the presence of a slurry solution 20 on the upper surface of the polishing pad 110, may be mechanically polished through sliding contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad 110.

The disk container 150 may comprise a base frame 151, first to seventh cantilever members 161 to 167, a combined magnet 152 which may include a plurality of magnets, guide pins 153, a first temperature controller 171, and a second temperature controller 172. In some embodiments, the base frame 151 may extend in the vertical direction DR3. In some embodiments, one side of each of the first to seventh cantilever members 161 to 167 may be connected to the base frame 151.

The first temperature controller 171 and the second temperature controller may each include a heating element, a temperature sensor, and a controller that adjusts the amount of heat supplied by the heating element based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

Ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc. may be used simply as labels of certain elements, steps, etc., to distinguish such elements, steps, etc. from one another. Terms that are not described using “first,” “second,” etc., in the specification, may still be referred to as “first” or “second” in a claim. In addition, a term that is referenced with a particular ordinal number (e.g., “first” in a particular claim) may be described elsewhere with a different ordinal number (e.g., “second” in the specification or another claim).

In some embodiments, the first to seventh cantilever members 161 to 167 may be sequentially spaced in the vertical direction DR3. That is, the second cantilever member 162 may be spaced from the first cantilever member 161 in the vertical direction DR3 on the first cantilever member 161. The third cantilever member 163 may be spaced from the second cantilever member 162 in the vertical direction DR3 on the second cantilever member 162. The fourth cantilever member 164 may be spaced from the third cantilever member 163 in the vertical direction DR3 on the third cantilever member 163. The fifth cantilever member 165 may be spaced from the fourth cantilever member 164 in the vertical direction DR3 on the fourth cantilever member 164. The sixth cantilever member 166 may be spaced from the fifth cantilever member 165 in the vertical direction DR3 on the fifth cantilever member 165. The seventh cantilever member 167 may be spaced from the sixth cantilever member 166 in the vertical direction DR3 on the sixth cantilever member 166.

In FIG. 4, it is illustrated that seven cantilever members are arranged inside the disk container 150. However, this is one example, and the number of cantilever members arranged inside the disk container 150 is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, each of the first to seventh cantilever members 161 to 167 may be formed of and/or include a thermally conductive material.

The combined magnet 152 may include a plurality of magnets with each magnet disposed inside a respective one of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167 In some embodiments, the combined magnet 152 or a magnet of the combined magnet 152 is not disposed inside the first cantilever member 161. In some embodiments, the combined magnet 152 may be formed of and/or include a magnetic material. In some embodiments, the combined magnet may include an electromagnet. The guide pins 153 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167. In some embodiments, the guide pins 153 may protrude from a bottom surface of each of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167. In some embodiments, the guide pins 153 may be configured to guide a conditioning disk CD connected to one of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167.

The disk container 150 may store a plurality of conditioning disks CD. Some of the conditioning disks CD of the plurality of conditioning disks CD stored in the disk container 150 may have different temperatures. The disk container 150 may provide any one of the plurality of conditioning disks CD to a disk holder 131 positioned on the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, the disk container 150 may provide any one of the plurality of conditioning disks CD to the disk holder 131 in-situ inside a process chamber.

In some embodiments, the plurality of conditioning disks CD may include first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6. The disk container 150 may store the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6. Each of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 may be attached to a lower surface of a respective cantilever disk of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167. The guide pins 153 may guide each of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 when the respective conditioning disk is being attached to the lower surface of a cantilever member of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167.

Each of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 may be magnetically coupled to the lower surface of each of the second to seventh cantilever members 162 to 167 using the combined magnets 152. Each of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 may be formed of and/or include a metal. Each of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 may be formed of and/or include a material with high thermal conductivity. The first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, and CD3 stored in the disk container 150 may have a first temperature and the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4. CD5, and CD6 stored in the disk container 150 may have a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

The first temperature controller 171 may be connected to each of the second to fourth cantilever members 162, 163, and 164. The second temperature controller 172 may be connected to each of the fifth to seventh cantilever members 165, 166, and 167. In some embodiments, the first cantilever member 161 is not connected to either the first or second temperature controller 171 and 172. Each of the first temperature controller 171 and the second temperature controller 172 may be placed inside the base frame 151. However, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited to thereto. In some other embodiments, each of the first temperature controller 171 and the second temperature controller 172 may be connected to the base frame 151, and a plurality of conduits may be arranged inside the base frame 151. In this case, each of the first temperature controller 171 and the second temperature controller 172 may also be connected to the second to fourth cantilever members 162, 163, and 164 through the plurality of conduits.

The first temperature controller 171 may control the temperature of each of the second to fourth cantilever members 162, 163, and 164 to be at the first temperature. For example, the first temperature controller 171 may maintain each of the second to fourth cantilever members 162, 163, and 164 at the first temperature. Accordingly, the first temperature controller 171 may control the temperature of the first to third conditioning disks CD1. CD2, and CD3 attached to a respective one of the second to fourth cantilever members 162, 163, and 164 to be at the first temperature.

The second temperature controller 172 may control the temperature of each of the fifth to seventh cantilever members 165, 166, and 167 to be at the second temperature. For example, the second temperature controller 172 may maintain each of the fifth to seventh cantilever members 165, 166, and 167 to be at the second temperature. Accordingly, the second temperature controller 172 may control the temperature of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, and CD6 attached to a respective one of the fifth to seventh cantilever members 165, 166, and 167 to be at the second temperature.

Protrusions P1 and P2 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6. The first protrusions P1 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, and CD3. The first protrusions P1 may protrude from the lower surface of each of the first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, and CD3. The second protrusions P2 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, and CD6. The second protrusions P2 may protrude from the lower surface of each of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, and CD6. Each of the first protrusions P1 and the second protrusions P2 may form grooves on the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. Each of the first protrusions P1 and the second protrusions P2 may increase the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110.

The disk holder 131 may be disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. The disk holder 131 may be spaced apart from the polishing head 120 in the first horizontal direction DR1. The disk holder 131 may be rotated in the plane defined by the first and second horizontal directions DR1 and DR2. Any one of the plurality of conditioning disks CD may be attached to a lower surface of the disk holder 131. For example, any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 stored in the disk container 150 may be attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131.

Any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 when attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 may be in contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad 110. The temperature of the polishing pad 110 and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 provided on the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 may be controlled by using any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131.

In some embodiments, during a chemical mechanical polishing CMP process, if the temperature of the polishing pad 110 and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 increase above a temperature within a certain range, the CMP process may be stopped and one of the first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, and CD3 having a first temperature that is a relatively low temperature may be attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131. After attaching one of the first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, CD3, the CMP process may be resumed to decrease the temperatures of the polishing pad 110 and the slurry solution 20, respectively. Attaching one of the first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, and CD3 having the first temperature to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 may be performed in-situ inside the process chamber.

In another example, during a chemical mechanical polishing CMP process, if the temperature of the polishing pad 110 and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 decrease below a temperature within a certain range, the CMP process may be stopped and one of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, and CD6 having a second temperature that is a relatively high temperature may be attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131. After attaching one of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, CD6, the CMP process may be resumed to increase the temperatures of the polishing pad 110 and the slurry solution 20, respectively. Attaching one of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, and CD6 having the second temperature to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 may be performed in-situ inside the process chamber.

The disk transfer manipulator 140 may provide any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 stored in the disk container 150 to the lower surface of the disk holder 131. Additionally, the disk transfer manipulator 140 may provide any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 to the disk container 150. In some embodiments, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may automatically replace any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 between the disk container 150, the disk transfer manipulator 140, and the disk holder 131. In some embodiments, the automatic replacement process of any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 between the disk container 150, the disk transfer manipulator 140, and the disk holder 131 may be performed in-situ inside the process chamber.

The disk transfer manipulator 140 may include actuators to control the movement of disk transfer manipulator 140. For example, the disk transfer manipulator 140 may include a rotary actuator such as a stepper motor to rotate the disk transfer manipulator about a vertical axis. The disk transfer manipulator may further include a linear actuator to move an arm for transferring a conditioning disk in a vertical axis. Other actuators may be used to allow the arm to move a conditioning disk CD from the disk container 150 to the disk holder 131 which may be at different vertical heights and/or horizontal locations.

The disk holder connector 132 may be connected to the disk holder 131. The disk holder support 133 may be attached to the disk holder connector 132. The disk holder support 133 may support the disk holder 131 using the disk holder connector 132. In some embodiments, the disk holder support 133 may have at least one actuator for moving the disk holder 131 through the disk holder connector 131. For example, a rotary actuator may cause the disk holder support 133 to rotate about a vertical axis, a first linear actuator may cause the disk holder support 133 to move vertically, and a second linear actuator may cause the disk holder support 133 to extend or retract the disk holder connector 132. The movement of the disk holder support may be controlled by a controller which will be described later.

The wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may improve the efficiency of the chemical mechanical polishing process by simplifying the task of replacing the conditioning disks, as the process of automatically replacing any of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 is performed in-situ inside the process chamber. For example, the disk transfer manipulator may move an arm between the disk container 150 and the disk holder 131 to transfer one of the first through sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 either from the disk container 150 to the disk holder 131 or from the disk holder 131 to the disk container 150. The position of the arm relative to the disk holder 150 may be adjusted vertically to select one of the first through sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6. Furthermore, the wafer polishing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may control the temperature of the polishing pad and the temperature of the slurry solution using conditioning disks having different temperatures. As a result, the efficiency of the chemical mechanical polishing CMP process may be enhanced.

The movement of the disk transfer manipulator 140 and control of the temperature controllers may be performed remotely by a control unit (not shown). The control unit may include, for example, one or more processors configured by software for performing various function related to the control of the wafer polishing apparatus. The control unit may be a general purpose computer or may be dedicated hardware or firmware. As is understood, “software” refers to prescribed rules to operate a computer, such as code or script which may be stored in storage and executed by a processor. Storage 12 may comprise conventional memory of a computer, such as a hard drive (which may be a solid state drive, DRAM, NAND flash memory, etc.).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The description will focus on differences from the wafer polishing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure may have a third temperature controller 235 connected to the disk holder 131.

In some embodiments, the third temperature controller 235 may be positioned inside the disk holder 131. However, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited to thereto. In some other embodiments, the third temperature controller 235 may be connected to the disk holder connector 132 or the disk holder support 133 and a plurality of conduits may be arranged inside the disk holder 131. In this case, the third temperature controller 235 may be connected to the disk holder 131 through the plurality of conduits.

In some embodiments, the third temperature controller 235 may control the temperature of any one of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD1 to CD6 attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131. In some embodiments, the third temperature controller 235 may control the temperature of any one of the first to third conditioning disks CD1, CD2, and CD3 attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 to the first temperature. In some embodiments, the third temperature controller 235 may control the temperature of any one of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD4, CD5, and CD6 attached to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 to the second temperature.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The description will focus on differences from the wafer polishing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure does not have protrusions disposed on some of first to sixth conditioning disks CD31, CD32, CD33, CD34, CD35, and CD36 stored in a disk container 350.

In some embodiments, the first to third conditioning disks CD31, CD32, and CD33 may be attached to a respective cantilever member of the second to fourth cantilever members 162, 163, and 164 connected to the first temperature controller 171. The first temperature controller 171 may control the temperature of each of the first to third conditioning disks CD31, CD32, and CD33 to be at the first temperature. In some embodiments, the first protrusions P31 is not disposed on the lower surface of any one of the first to third conditioning disks CD31, CD32, and CD33. In some other embodiments, the first protrusions P31 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the second conditioning disk CD32 and the third conditioning disk CD33 but not on the lower surface of the first conditioning disk CD31.

In some embodiments, each of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD34, CD35, and CD36 may be attached to one of the fifth to seventh cantilever members 165, 166, 167 connected to the second temperature controller 172. The second temperature controller 172 may control the temperature of each of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD34, CD35, and CD36 to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature. In some embodiments, the second protrusions P32 are not disposed on the lower surface of any of the fourth to sixth conditioning disks CD34, CD35, and CD36. In some embodiments, the second protrusions P32 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the fifth conditioning disk CD35 and the sixth conditioning disk CD36 but not on the lower surface of the fourth conditioning disk CD34.

In some embodiments, in processes where adjustment of the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) is not required, the disk transfer manipulator 140 (see FIG. 1) may provide either the first conditioning disk CD31 or the fourth conditioning disk CD34 stored in the disk container 350 to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure may control the temperature of the slurry solution 20 (see FIG. 3) and the temperature of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) without adjusting the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The description will focus on differences from the wafer polishing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the temperature of some of first to sixth conditioning disks CD41, CD42, CD43, CD44, CD45, and CD46 stored in a disk container 450 are not controlled.

In some embodiments, a first temperature controller 471 may be connected to each of the fourth cantilever member 164 and the fifth cantilever member 165. The first temperature controller 471 may control the temperature of each of the third conditioning disk CD43 and the fourth conditioning disk CD44 attached to each of the fourth cantilever member 164 and the fifth cantilever member 165 to be at a first temperature. Further, a second temperature controller 472 may be connected to each of the sixth cantilever member 166 and the seventh cantilever member 167. The second temperature controller 472 may control the temperature of each of the fifth conditioning disk CD45 and the sixth conditioning disk CD46 attached to each of the sixth cantilever member 166 and the seventh cantilever member 167 to be at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

In some embodiments, each of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 is not connected to the first temperature controller 471 and the second temperature controller 472, respectively. Accordingly, the temperature of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 is not controlled by the first temperature controller 471 or the second temperature controller 472. In some embodiments, each of the first conditioning disk CD41 and the second conditioning disk CD42 may be attached to the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163. Accordingly, the temperature of the first conditioning disk CD41 and the second conditioning disk CD42 is not controlled by the first temperature controller 471 and the second temperature controller 472.

In some embodiments, each of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 may have a third temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature. Accordingly, each of the first conditioning disk CD41 and the second conditioning disk CD42 attached to the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 may have the third temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature. In some embodiments, first protrusions P41 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the first conditioning disk CD41 and the second conditioning disk CD42. Second protrusions P42 may be disposed on the bottom surface of each of the third conditioning disk CD43 and the fourth conditioning disk CD44 The third protrusions P43 may be disposed on the lower surface of each of the fifth conditioning disk CD45 and the sixth conditioning disk CD46.

In some embodiments, in a process that does not require control of the temperature of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 (see FIG. 3), respectively, the disk transfer manipulator 140 (see FIG. 1) may provide either the first conditioning disk CD41 or the second conditioning disk CD42 stored in the disk container 450 to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, the wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure may control the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) without controlling the temperature of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 (see FIG. 3), respectively.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The description will focus on differences from the wafer polishing apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a disk container included in a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, the wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure does not control the temperature of some of first to sixth conditioning disks CD51, CD52, CD53, CD54, CD55, and CD56 stored in a disk container 550. In addition, the protrusions are not disposed on some of the first to sixth conditioning disks CD51, CD52, CD53, CD54, CD55, and CD56 stored in the disk container 550.

In some embodiments, a first temperature controller 571 may be connected to each of the fourth cantilever member 164 and the fifth cantilever member 165. The first temperature controller 571 may control the temperature of each of the third conditioning disk CD53 and the fourth conditioning disk CD54 attached to each of the fourth cantilever member 164 and the fifth cantilever member 165 to a first temperature. Additionally, a second temperature controller 572 may be connected to each of the sixth cantilever member 166 and the seventh cantilever member 167, respectively. The second temperature controller 572 may control the temperature of each of the fifth conditioning disk CD55 and the sixth conditioning disk CD56 attached to each of the sixth cantilever member 166 and the seventh cantilever member 167 to a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

In some embodiments, each of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 is not connected to the first temperature controller 571 and the second temperature controller 572. As a result, the temperature of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 is not controlled by the first temperature controller 571 and the second temperature controller 572, respectively. In some embodiments, each of the first conditioning disk CD51 and the second conditioning disk CD52 may be attached to the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163, respectively. As a result, the temperature of the first conditioning disk CD51 and the second conditioning disk CD52 is not controlled by the first temperature controller 571 and the second temperature controller 572, respectively.

In some embodiments, each of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 may have a third temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature. As a result, each of the first conditioning disk CD51 and the second conditioning disk CD52 attached to each of the second cantilever member 162 and the third cantilever member 163 may each have the third temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature. In some embodiments, the first protrusions P51 may be disposed on the lower surface of the second conditioning disk CD52. Second protrusions P52 may be disposed on the lower surface of the fourth conditioning disk CD54. Third protrusions P53 may be disposed on the lower surface of the sixth conditioning disk CD56 However, no protrusions are disposed on the lower surface of each of the first conditioning disk CD51, the third conditioning disk CD53, and the fifth conditioning disk CD55.

For example, in a process that does not require control of the temperature of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 (see FIG. 3), respectively, the disk transfer manipulator 140 (see FIG. 1) may provide either the first conditioning disk CD51 or the second conditioning disk CD52 stored in the disk container 550 to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 (see FIG. 3). As a result, the wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure may control the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) without controlling the temperature of the polishing pad 110 (see FIG. 3) and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 (see FIG. 3), respectively.

For example, in a process that does not require control of the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 of FIG. 3, the disk transfer manipulator 140 of FIG. 1 may provide any of the first conditioning disk CD51, third conditioning disk CD53, and fifth conditioning disk CD55 stored in the disk container 550 to the lower surface of the disk holder 131 of FIG. 3 As a result, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure may control the temperature of the slurry solution 20 of FIG. 3 and the temperature of the polishing pad 110 of FIG. 3 without controlling the roughness of the upper surface of the polishing pad 110 of FIG. 3.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12, a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The description will focus on differences from the wafer polishing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 9. FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating an operation of a wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 12, the disk holder 131 may be moved to control the roughness of different regions of the polishing pad 110. For example, the disk holder 131 may be moved through movement of the disk holder support 133, which may be moved through one or more actuators.

In the plane defined by each of the first and second horizontal directions DR1 and DR2, the polishing pad 110 may include a first region R1, a second region R2, and a third region R3. The first region R1 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as a region including a center 110C of the polishing pad 110. The second region R2 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as a region surrounding the first region R1 of the polishing pad 110. The third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as a region surrounding the second region R2 of the polishing pad 110.

The boundary line between the first region R1 of and the second region R2 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as a circular-shaped first boundary BL1. For example, the first region R1 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as the region enclosed by the first boundary line BL1. The boundary line between the second region R2 and the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as a circular-shaped second boundary line BL2. For example, the second region R2 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as the region between the first boundary BL and the second boundary BL2. The boundary line forming the outline of the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as a circular-shaped third boundary BL3. For example, the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 may be defined as the region between the second boundary line BL2 and the third boundary line BL3.

In the plane defined by each of the first and second horizontal directions DR1, DR2, the wafer 10 may include a center region 11 and an edge region 12 surrounding the center region 11. The second region R2 of the polishing pad 110 may overlap with each of the center region 11 of the wafer 10 and a part of the edge region 12 of the wafer 10 in the vertical direction DR3. Each of the first region R1 of the polishing pad 110 and the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 may overlap with a remaining part of the edge region 12 of the wafer 10 in the vertical direction DR3. The disk holder support 133 may be rotated about a center 133C of the disk holder support 133. By rotating the disk holder support 133 about the center 133C of the disk holder support 133, the disk holder connector 132 and the disk holder 131 may each be moved.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the disk holder 131 may be positioned on the second region R2 of the polishing pad 110. The outline of the disk holder 131 may overlap with each of the first boundary line BL1 and the second boundary line BL2 in the vertical direction DR3. Accordingly, the temperature of the second region R2 of the polishing pad 110 and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 may each be controlled, that is, the chemical mechanical polishing process for the center region 11 of the wafer 10 overlapping with the second region R2 of the polishing pad 110 in the vertical direction DR3 may be controlled.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, the disk holder support 133 may be rotated about the center 133C of the disk holder support 133, allowing the disk holder 131 to be moved onto the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110. The outline of the disk holder 131 may overlap with each of the second boundary line BL2 and the third boundary line BL3 in the vertical direction DR3 Accordingly, the temperature of the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 and the temperature of the slurry solution 20 may each be controlled. For example, the chemical mechanical polishing process for the edge region 12 of the wafer 10, which overlaps with the third region R3 of the polishing pad 110 in the vertical direction DR3, may be controlled.

In the wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the disk holder 131 to which the disks are attached may be moved to different regions of the polishing pad 110. Accordingly, the wafer polishing apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure may individually control the temperature of different regions of the polishing pad 110 to improve the efficiency of the chemical mechanical polishing process.

While embodiments in accordance with the disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and may be manufactured in various different forms, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, with ordinary knowledge in the field, may recognize that it may be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are examples in all respects and not limiting.

Claims

1. An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprising: a polishing pad for polishing a wafer;a slurry solution provided on an upper surface of the polishing pad;a polishing head disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad, the wafer positioned on a lower surface of the polishing head facing the upper surface of the polishing pad;a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature;a disk holder spaced apart from the polishing head in a horizontal direction on the upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk is attached on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad; anda disk transfer manipulator configured to provide one of the first and second conditioning disks stored in the disk container to the disk holder,wherein each of a temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first and second conditioning disks when provided to the disk holder.

2. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 1, wherein the disk container includes: a first temperature controller configured to maintain the first conditioning disk to be at the first temperature; anda second temperature controller configured to maintain the second conditioning disk to be at the second temperature.

3. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 2, wherein the disk container includes: a first cantilever member attached to the first conditioning disk, the first cantilever member connected to the first temperature controller, anda second cantilever member attached to the second conditioning disk, the second cantilever member connected to the second temperature controller.

4. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 3, wherein the disk container includes a first magnet disposed inside of the first cantilever member and a second magnet inside the second cantilever member, the first magnet attaches the first conditioning disk to the first cantilever member, and the second magnet attaches the second conditioning disk to the second cantilever member.

5. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 1, wherein the first conditioning disk includes first protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the first conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad, andwherein the second conditioning disk includes second protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the second conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad.

6. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 5, further comprising: a third conditioning disk stored in the disk container, the third conditioning disk having the first temperature, wherein the third conditioning disk does not include the first protrusions; anda fourth conditioning disk stored in the disk container, the fourth conditioning disk having the second temperature, wherein the fourth conditioning disk does not include the second protrusions,wherein the disk transfer manipulator is further configured to provide one of the first to fourth conditioning disks to the disk holder, andwherein each of the temperature of the slurry solution and the temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first to fourth conditioning disks when provided to the disk holder.

7. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 1, wherein each of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk includes metal.

8. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 1, further comprising a third temperature controller connected to the disk holder, the third temperature controller controlling at least one of the temperature of the first conditioning disk attached to the disk holder and the temperature of the second conditioning disk attached to the disk holder.

9. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 1, further comprising a fifth conditioning disk stored in the disk container, the fifth conditioning disk having a third temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature, wherein the disk transfer manipulator is further configured to provide one of the first, second, and fifth conditioning disks to the disk holder, andwherein the fifth conditioning disk when provided to the disk holder does not control the temperature of the slurry solution and the temperature of the polishing pad.

10. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 1, wherein the polishing pad includes a first region, a second region surrounding the first region, and a third region surrounding the second region, and wherein the disk holder is configured to selectively move to the second region of the polishing pad to control each of the temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the second region of the polishing pad and to the third region of the polishing pad to control each of the temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the third region of the polishing pad.

11. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 10, wherein the wafer includes a center region and an edge region surrounding the center region, and wherein the center region of the wafer overlaps with the second region of the polishing pad in a vertical direction, at least a part of the edge region of the wafer overlaps with the third region of the polishing pad in the vertical direction.

12. An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprising: a polishing pad for polishing a wafer;a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the disk container including a first temperature controller controlling the first conditioning disk to the first temperature and a second temperature controller controlling the second conditioning disk to the second temperature,a disk holder disposed on an upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein the disk holder is configured to attach the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad; anda disk transfer manipulator configured to provide one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk stored in the disk container to the disk holder,wherein each of the first and second conditioning disks includes metal, andwherein a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk when provided to the disk holder.

13. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 12, further comprising a slurry solution provided on the upper surface of the polishing pad, wherein a temperature of the slurry solution is controlled using one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk when provided to the lower surface of the disk holder.

14. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 12, wherein the first conditioning disk includes first protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the first conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad, and wherein the second conditioning disk includes second protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the second conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad.

15. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 14, further comprising: a third conditioning disk stored in the disk container, the third conditioning disk having the first temperature, wherein the third conditioning disk does not include the first protrusions; anda fourth conditioning disk stored in the disk container, the fourth conditioning disk having the second temperature, wherein the fourth conditioning disk does not include the second protrusions,wherein the disk transfer manipulator is further configured to provide one of the first to fourth conditioning disks to the disk holder, andwherein the temperature of the polishing pad is controlled using one of the first to fourth conditioning disks when provided to the lower surface of the disk holder.

16. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 15, wherein the first temperature controller controls the third conditioning disk to be at the first temperature, and the second temperature controller controls the fourth conditioning disk to be at the second temperature.

17. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 12, further comprising a third temperature controller connected to the disk holder, the third temperature controller controlling at least one of the temperature of the first conditioning disk to be provided to the disk holder to be at the first temperature and the temperature of the second conditioning disk to be provided to the disk holder to be at the second temperature.

18. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 12, further comprising a fifth conditioning disk stored in the disk container, the fifth conditioning disk having a third temperature between the first and second temperatures, wherein a temperature of the fifth conditioning disk is not controlled by the first temperature controller or the second temperature controller, wherein the disk transfer manipulator is configured to provide one of the first, second and fifth conditioning disks to the disk holder, andwherein the fifth conditioning disk when provided to the lower surface of the disk holder does not control the temperature of the polishing pad.

19. The apparatus for polishing a wafer of claim 12, wherein the polishing pad includes a first region, a second region surrounding the first region, and a third region surrounding the second region, and wherein the disk holder is configured to move to the second region of the polishing pad to control a temperature of the second region of the polishing pad and to the third region of the polishing pad to control a temperature of the third region of the polishing pad.

20. An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprising: a polishing pad for polishing a wafer;a slurry solution provided on an upper surface of the polishing pad;a polishing head disposed on the upper surface of the polishing pad, the wafer positioned on a lower surface of the polishing head facing the upper surface of the polishing pad;a disk container storing a first conditioning disk having a first temperature and a second conditioning disk having a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the disk container including a first temperature controller to control the first conditioning disk to be at the first temperature and a second temperature controller to control the second conditioning disk to be at the second temperature;a disk holder spaced apart from the polishing head in a horizontal direction on the upper surface of the polishing pad and configured to attach one of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk on a lower surface of the disk holder facing the upper surface of the polishing pad; anda disk transfer manipulator configured to provide one of the first and second conditioning disks stored in the disk container to the disk holder,wherein each of the first conditioning disk and the second conditioning disk includes metal,wherein the first conditioning disk includes first protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the first conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad, and the second conditioning disk includes second protrusions projecting from a lower surface of the second conditioning disk and configured to form a groove on the upper surface of the polishing pad, andwherein each of a temperature of the slurry solution and a temperature of the polishing pad is controlled when one of the first and second conditioning disk is attached to the lower surface of the disk holder.