Patent Grant
8986069
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus suitable for use as a bevel polishing apparatus for polishing a bevel portion of a substrate and as a notch polishing apparatus for polishing a notch portion of a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
From a viewpoint of improving a yield in semiconductor fabrications, management of a surface condition in a periphery of a semiconductor wafer has recently been drawing attention. In semiconductor fabrication processes, a number of materials are deposited on a wafer repeatedly to form multilayer structures. As a result, unwanted films and a roughened surface are formed on a periphery of the wafer which is not used for products. In recent years, it has become more common to transfer the wafer by holding only the periphery of the wafer with arms. Under such circumstances, the unwanted films could come off the periphery onto devices formed on the wafer during several processes, resulting in a lowered yield. Thus, it is conventional to polish the periphery of the wafer using a polishing apparatus so as to remove the unwanted films and the roughened surface.
A polishing apparatus using a polishing tape for polishing a periphery of a substrate has been known as such a type of polishing apparatus. This type of polishing apparatus polishes the periphery of the substrate by bringing a polishing surface of the polishing tape into sliding contact with the periphery of the substrate. Since a type and a thickness of an unwanted film to be removed vary from substrate to substrate, multiple polishing tapes with different roughness are generally used. Typically, rough polishing is performed so as to remove the unwanted film and form a shape of the periphery, and then finish polishing is performed so as to form a smooth surface.
A bevel portion and a notch portion are generally formed in the periphery of the substrate. The bevel portion is a part of the periphery where angular edges have been removed. This bevel portion is formed for the purpose of preventing the substrate from being cracked and preventing production of particles. On the other hand, the notch portion is a cutout portion formed in the periphery of the substrate for the purpose of specifying a crystal orientation. The above-described polishing apparatus for polishing the periphery of the substrate can be classified roughly into a bevel polishing apparatus for polishing the bevel portion and a notch polishing apparatus for polishing the notch portion.
Examples of the conventional bevel polishing apparatus include a polishing apparatus having a single polishing head and a polishing apparatus having multiple polishing heads. In the polishing apparatus having a single polishing head, multistage polishing is performed by replacing a polishing tape with another polishing tape having a different roughness after polishing or by transferring the substrate from a rough-polishing section to a finish-polishing section. On the other hand, in the polishing apparatus having multiple polishing heads, rough polishing and finish polishing can be performed successively.
However, in these conventional apparatuses, a long polishing time is required as a whole, because finish polishing is performed after rough polishing. Specifically, the total polishing time is the sum of a rough-polishing time and a finish-polishing time. In addition, the polishing tape needs to be replaced with a new polishing tape periodically, because the polishing tape is a consumable part. Therefore, there is a demand for easy operation for replacing the polishing tape as a consumable part, and there is also a demand for use of as long a polishing tape as possible in view of reducing frequency of the tape-replacement operations.
On the other hand, as disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2005-252288, a polishing apparatus configured to press plural polishing tapes with different roughness against the periphery of the substrate successively is known as a conventional notch polishing apparatus. However, in this conventional apparatus, polishing heads are close to each other and this arrangement makes it difficult to conduct maintenance of the polishing heads. In addition, since reels each containing the polishing tape are adjacent to each other, it is difficult to replace the polishing tape. As a result, a polishing time including the replacement time of the polishing tapes becomes long.
The present invention has been made in view of the above drawbacks. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a polishing apparatus which can shorten the total polishing time and can make it easy to replace the polishing tape. Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a polishing method using such a polishing apparatus.
One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is to provide a polishing apparatus for polishing a periphery of a substrate. The apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate horizontally and rotate the substrate, plural polishing head assemblies provided around the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism, plural tape supplying and recovering mechanisms configured to supply polishing tapes to the plural polishing head assemblies and recover the polishing tapes from the plural polishing head assemblies, and plural moving mechanisms configured to move the plural polishing head assemblies in radial directions of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism. Each of the plural polishing head assemblies includes a polishing head configured to press the polishing tape against the periphery of the substrate, and a tilt mechanism configured to rotate the polishing head about an axis parallel to a tangent line of the substrate. The polishing head includes a tape-sending mechanism configured to hold the polishing tape and send the polishing tape in its longitudinal direction at a predetermined speed, and guide rollers arranged so as to guide a travel direction of the polishing tape to a direction perpendicular to the tangent line of the substrate. The tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are located outwardly of the plural polishing head assemblies in the radial directions of the substrate, and the tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are fixed in position.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the plural moving mechanisms are operable independently of each other, and the tilt mechanisms of the polishing head assemblies are operable independently of each other.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes an upper supply nozzle configured to supply a polishing liquid onto an upper surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism, a lower supply nozzle configured to supply a polishing liquid onto a lower surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism, and at least one cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the polishing heads.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the rotary holding mechanism includes a holding stage configured to hold the substrate and an elevating mechanism configured to vertically move the holding stage.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the plural polishing head assemblies and the plural tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are located below a horizontal plane lying at a predetermined height, and the elevating mechanism is operable to vertically move the holding stage between a transfer position above the horizontal plane and a polishing position below the horizontal plane.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes a partition wall shaped so as to form a polishing chamber therein. The plural polishing head assemblies and the holding stage are located in the polishing chamber and the plural tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are located outside the polishing chamber.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a travel direction of the polishing tape in at least one of the plural polishing head assemblies is opposite to a travel direction of the polishing tape in another of the plural polishing head assemblies.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes at least one fixed-angle polishing head assembly having a polishing head whose angle of inclination is fixed.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes plural centering guides configured to align a center of the substrate with a rotational axis of the rotary holding mechanism.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the plural centering guides are movable together with the plural polishing head assemblies.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes an eccentricity detector configured to detect at least one of an eccentricity, a notch portion, and an orientation flat of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes a supply nozzle configured to supply a liquid onto the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism, and an operation controller for controlling operations of the plural polishing head assemblies. The operation controller is operable to keep at least one of the polishing heads, that does not perform polishing, away from the substrate during supply of the liquid onto the rotating substrate such that the liquid does not bounce back to the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the operation controller is operable to determine a distance between the substrate and the at least one of the polishing heads based on a rotational speed of the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the operation controller is operable to keep at least one of the polishing heads, that does not perform polishing, inclined during supply of the liquid onto the rotating substrate at such an angle that the liquid does not bounce back to the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the operation controller is operable to determine the angle of the at least one of the polishing heads based on a rotational speed of the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the operation controller is operable to move the at least one of the polishing heads toward the substrate while keeping the angle thereof, and to cause the at least one of the polishing heads to press a polishing tape against the periphery of the substrate.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing apparatus for polishing a periphery of a substrate. The apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate horizontally and to rotate the substrate, at least one polishing head assembly provided so as to face the periphery of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism, at least one tape supplying and recovering mechanism configured to supply a polishing tape to the at least one polishing head assembly and recover the polishing tape from the at least one polishing head assembly, at least one moving mechanism configured to move the at least one polishing head assembly in a radial direction of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism, and a supply nozzle configured to supply a cooling liquid to a contact portion between the polishing tape and the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the at least one polishing head assembly comprises plural polishing head assemblies, the at least one tape supplying and recovering mechanism comprises plural tape supplying and recovering mechanisms, and the least one moving mechanism comprises plural moving mechanisms.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes a cooling liquid supply source configured to supply the cooling liquid to the supply nozzle.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the cooling liquid supply source is configured to produce the cooling liquid having a temperature of at most 10° C.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing method including rotating a substrate by a rotary holding mechanism, polishing a first region in a periphery of the substrate by pressing a polishing tape against the first region, polishing a second region in the periphery of the substrate by pressing the polishing tape against the second region, during the polishing of the second region, cleaning the first region by pressing a cleaning cloth against the first region, and after the polishing of the second region, cleaning the second region by pressing the cleaning cloth against the second region.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing method including rotating a substrate by a rotary holding mechanism, polishing a periphery of the substrate by pressing a polishing tape against the periphery of the substrate, and during the polishing, supplying a cooling liquid having a temperature of at most 10° C. to a contact portion between the substrate and the polishing tape.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing method including rotating a substrate by a rotary holding mechanism, supplying a liquid onto the rotating substrate, during the supplying of the liquid onto the rotating substrate, pressing a polishing tape by a first polishing head against a periphery of the substrate so as to polish the periphery, and during the supplying of the liquid onto the rotating substrate, keeping a second polishing head, that does not perform polishing, away from the substrate such that the liquid does not bounce back to the substrate.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing method including rotating a substrate by a rotary holding mechanism, supplying a liquid onto the rotating substrate, during the supplying of the liquid onto the rotating substrate, pressing a polishing tape by a first polishing head against a periphery of the substrate so as to polish the periphery, and during the supplying of the liquid onto the rotating substrate, keeping a second polishing head, that does not perform polishing, inclined at such an angle that the liquid does not bounce back to the substrate.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a substrate characterized by being polished by the above-described polishing method.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing apparatus for polishing a notch portion of a substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate horizontally and rotate the substrate, plural polishing head modules each configured to polish the substrate using a polishing tape, and a moving mechanism configured to move the plural polishing head modules independently of each other. Each of the plural polishing head modules includes a polishing head configured to bring the polishing tape into sliding contact with the notch portion of the substrate, and a tape supplying and recovering mechanism configured to supply the polishing tape to the polishing head and recover the polishing tape from the polishing head.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism includes a single X-axis moving mechanism and plural Y-axis moving mechanisms configured to move the plural polishing head modules along a X axis and a Y axis which are perpendicular to each other, the X-axis moving mechanism is configured to move the plural polishing head modules synchronously along the X axis, and the plural Y-axis moving mechanisms are configured to move the plural polishing head modules independently of each other along the Y axis.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the moving mechanism is configured to move the polishing head of each of the plural polishing head modules along a single movement axis toward and away from the notch portion of the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the rotary holding mechanism includes a swinging mechanism configured to cause the substrate to perform swinging motion, centered on the notch portion, in a plane parallel to a surface of the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the rotary holding mechanism includes a holding stage configured to hold the substrate and an elevating mechanism configured to vertically moving the holding stage.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the polishing apparatus further includes a notch searching unit configured to detect the notch portion of the substrate. The elevating mechanism is operable to lower the holding stage from a transfer position of the substrate to a polishing position of the substrate and to elevate the holding stage from the polishing position to the transfer position, and the notch searching unit is provided at the same height as the transfer position.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, at least one of the plural polishing head modules includes a tension sensor configured to measure a tension of the polishing tape, and the polishing apparatus further includes a monitoring unit configured to monitor the tension of the polishing tape based on an output signal of the tension sensor.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a polishing apparatus for polishing a notch portion of a substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate horizontally and rotate the substrate, a polishing head module configured to polish the substrate using a polishing tape, and a monitoring unit configured to monitor a tension of the polishing tape. The polishing head module includes a polishing head configured to bring the polishing tape into sliding contact with the notch portion of the substrate, and a tape supplying and recovering mechanism configured to supply the polishing tape to the polishing head and recover the polishing tape from the polishing head, and a tension sensor configured to measure a tension of the polishing tape. The monitoring unit is configured to monitor the tension of the polishing tape based on an output signal of the tension sensor.
According to the present invention, the plural polishing heads holding the polishing tapes with different roughness can be used to polish a substrate. The polishing head, that has terminated its polishing operation, is tilted to another polishing angle via a tilting motion, and another polishing head can further polish the same portion that has been polished. Therefore, without waiting the termination of the polishing operation by one of the polishing head assemblies, another polishing head assembly can polish the same portion that has been polished. Further, since the polishing tapes can be easily replaced, the polishing time as a whole can be shortened.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
The hollow shaft 5 is supported by ball spline bearings (linear motion bearings) 6 which allow the hollow shaft 5 to move vertically. The holding stage 4 has an upper surface having grooves 4a. These grooves 4a are connected to a communication line 7 extending through the hollow shaft 5. This communication line 7 is coupled to a vacuum line 9 via a rotary joint 8 which is provided on a lower end of the hollow shaft 5. The communication line 7 is also coupled to a nitrogen-gas supply line 10 which is used for releasing the processed wafer W from the holding stage 4. By selectively coupling the vacuum line 9 or the nitrogen-gas supply line 10 to the communication line 7, the wafer W is attracted to the upper surface of the holding stage 4 by a vacuum suction or released from the upper surface of the holding stage 4.
The hollow shaft 5 is rotated by the motor M1 via a pulley p1 coupled to the hollow shaft 5, a pulley p2 attached to a rotational shaft of the motor M1, and a belt b1 riding on these pulleys p1 and p2. The rotational shaft of the motor M1 extends parallel to the hollow shaft 5. With these structures, the wafer W, held on the upper surface of the holding stage 4, is rotated by the motor M1.
The ball spline bearing 6 is a bearing that allows the hollow shaft 5 to move freely in its longitudinal direction. The ball spline bearings 6 are mounted on a casing 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, the hollow shaft 5 is allowed to move linearly up and down relative to the casing 12, and the hollow shaft 5 and the casing 12 are to rotate integrally. The hollow shaft 5 is coupled to an air cylinder (elevating mechanism) 15, so that the hollow shaft 5 and the holding stage 4 are elevated and lowered by the air cylinder 15.
A casing 14 is provided so as to surround the casing 12. The casing 12 and the casing 14 are in a concentric arrangement. Radial bearings 18 are provided between the casing 12 and the casing 14, so that the casing 12 is rotatably supported by the radial bearings 18. With these structures, the rotary holding mechanism 3 can rotate the wafer W about a central axis Cr and can elevate and lower the wafer W along the central axis Cr.
As shown in
The tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A includes a supply reel 24 for supplying a polishing tape 23 (i.e., a polishing tool) to the polishing head assembly 1A, and a recovery reel 25 for recovering the polishing tape 23 that has been used in polishing of the wafer W. The supply reel 24 is arranged above the recovery reel 25. Motors M2 are coupled respectively to the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 via couplings 27 (
The polishing tape 23 is a long tape-shaped polishing tool, and one of surfaces thereof constitutes a polishing surface. The polishing tape 23 is wound on the supply reel 24, which is mounted on the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A. Both sides of the wound polishing tape 23 are supported by reel plates so as not to collapse. One end of the polishing tape 23 is attached to the recovery reel 25, so that the recovery reel 25 winds the polishing tape 23 supplied to the polishing head assembly 1A to thereby recover the polishing tape 23. The polishing head assembly 1A includes a polishing head 30 for pressing the polishing tape 23, supplied from the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A, against a periphery of the wafer W. The polishing tape 23 is supplied to the polishing head 30 such that the polishing surface of the polishing tape 23 faces the wafer W.
The tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A has plural guide rollers 31, 32, 33, and 34. The polishing tape 23, to be supplied to and recovered from the polishing head assembly 1A, is guided by these guide rollers 31, 32, 33, and 34. The polishing tape 23 is supplied from the supply reel 24 to the polishing head 30 through an opening 20a formed in the partition wall 20, and the used polishing tape 23 is recovered by the recovery reel 25 through the opening 20a.
As shown in
The polishing apparatus further includes cleaning nozzles 38 each for cleaning the polishing head 30 after the polishing process. Each of the cleaning nozzles 38 is operable to eject cleaning water to the polishing head 30 so as to clean the polishing head 30 used in the polishing process.
The polishing head assembly 1A is contaminated by polishing debris, such as copper, removed from the wafer W during polishing. On the other hand, since the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A is located outside the partition wall 20, the polishing liquid is not attached to the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A. Therefore, replacement of the polishing tape 23 can be conducted outside the polishing room 21 without contacting the polishing liquid and without a need to insert hands into the polishing room 21.
In order to keep the ball spline bearings 6 and the radial bearings 18 in isolation from the polishing room 21 when the hollow shaft 5 is elevated relative to the casing 12, the hollow shaft 5 and an upper end of the casing 12 are coupled to each other by a bellows 19 that is extendible and contractible in vertical directions, as shown in
The tape-sending mechanism 42 of the polishing head 30 includes a tape-sending roller 42a, a tape-holding roller 42b, and a motor M3 configured to rotate the tape-sending roller 42a. The motor M3 is disposed on a side surface of the polishing head 30. The tape-sending roller 42a is coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor M3. The polishing tape 23 is wound about half around the tape-sending roller 42a. The tape-holding roller 42b is located adjacent to the tape-sending roller 42a. The tape-holding roller 42b is supported by a non-illustrate mechanism, which exerts a force on the tape-holding roller 42b in a direction indicated by NF in
The polishing tape 23 is wound on the tape-sending roller 42a, passes between the tape-sending roller 42a and the tape-holding roller 42b, and is held by the tape-sending roller 42a and the tape-holding roller 42b. The tape-sending roller 42a has a contact surface which is to contact the polishing tape 23. This contact surface in its entirety is covered with urethane resin. This configuration increases friction with the polishing tape 23, so that the tape-sending roller 42a can send the polishing tape 23 without slipping. The tape-sending mechanism 42 is located downstream of a polishing point (i.e., the contact portion between the polishing tape 23 and the wafer W) with respect to a traveling direction of the polishing tape 23.
As the motor M3 rotates in a direction indicated by arrow in
The air cylinder 52 is a so-called single rod cylinder. Two air pipes 53 are coupled to the air cylinder 52 through two ports. Electropneumatic regulators 54 are provided in the air pipes 53, respectively. Primary ends (i.e., inlet ends) of the air pipes 53 are coupled to an air supply source 55, and secondary ends (i.e., outlet ends) of the air pipes 53 are coupled to the ports of the air cylinder 52. The electropneumatic regulators 54 are controlled by signals so as to properly adjust air pressure to be supplied to the air cylinder 52. In this manner, a pressing force of the press pad 50 is controlled by the air pressure supplied to the air cylinder 52, and the polishing surface of the polishing tape 23 presses the wafer W at the controlled pressure.
As shown in
As shown in
The linear actuator 67 may comprise an air cylinder or a combination of a positioning motor and a ball screw. The linear actuator 67, the rails 63, and the guides 62 constitute a moving mechanism for linearly moving the polishing head 30 along the radial direction of the wafer W. Specifically, the moving mechanism is operable to move the polishing head 30 along the rails 63 in directions toward and away from the wafer W. On the other hand, the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A is fixed to the base plate 65.
The tilt mechanisms, the pressing mechanisms 41, and the tape-sending mechanisms 42 of the four polishing head assemblies 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D arranged around the wafer W and the moving mechanisms for moving the respective polishing head assemblies are configured to operate independently of each other. Polishing operations, including a position (e.g., a polishing position and a waiting position) of the polishing head 30 in each of the polishing head assemblies 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, an angle of inclination of the polishing head 30, the rotational speed of the wafer W, the traveling speed of the polishing tape 23, and the polishing operation sequence of the polishing head 30, are controlled by an operation controller 69 shown in
In this polishing apparatus as described above, when the polishing head 30 is tilted by the tilt mechanism, a portion of the polishing tape 23 held by the tape-sending roller 42a and the tape-holding roller 42b is tilted as well. Therefore, the portion of the polishing tape 23 contacting the wafer W does not change in its position relative to the polishing head 30 during the tilting motion of the polishing head 30, while the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25, which are fixed in position, wind or supply the polishing tape 23. Similarly, when the polishing head assembly 1A is moved by the moving mechanism in the radial direction of the wafer W, the polishing tape 23 held by the tape-sending roller 42a and the tape-holding roller 42b is also moved together. Therefore, while the polishing head assembly 1A is moved, the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 only wind or supply the polishing tape 23.
Since the position of the polishing tape 23 relative to the polishing head 30 does not change even when the polishing head 30 is tilted and moved linearly, the polishing surface, once used in polishing, is not used in polishing again. Therefore, a new polishing surface of the polishing tape 23 can be used continuously. Further, since the motors M2 and the reels 24 and 25 of the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A do not need to be tilted together with the polishing head 30, the tilt mechanism can be small in size. For the same reason, the moving mechanism can also be compact. Since the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 do not need to be tilted and moved, the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 can be large in size. Therefore, a long polishing tape 23 can be used, thus reducing frequency of replacement operations of the polishing tape 23. Further, since the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 of the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 2A are fixed in position and located outside the polishing room 21, the replacement operations of the polishing tape 23, which is a consumable part, becomes easy.
The polishing apparatus according to the first embodiment as described above is suitable for use in polishing a bevel portion of the wafer W.
In this manner, the polishing head 30 can change its angle of inclination in accordance with the shape of the bevel portion of the wafer W. Therefore, the polishing head 30 can polish a desired area in the bevel portion. When a bevel portion has a curved cross section, it is possible to change the angle of the polishing head 30 little by little during polishing, or to change the angle of the polishing head 30 continuously at a slow speed during polishing.
The rotational center of the tilt mechanism lies in the wafer W as indicated by the axis Ct in
Next, a preferred example of the polishing operations performed by the polishing apparatus according to the embodiment will be described with reference to
As shown in
In this manner, right after rough polishing of a first area in the bevel portion is terminated, rough polishing of a second area and finish polishing of the first area can be started simultaneously. As a result, a total polishing time can be shortened. When the four polishing heads 30 are provided as in this embodiment, it is possible to mount the polishing tapes 23A having rough abrasive grains on two of the four polishing heads 30 and mount the polishing tapes 23B having fine abrasive grains on the other two polishing heads 30. It is also possible to perform multi-step polishing (e.g., three-step polishing or four-step polishing) by bringing multiple polishing tapes having abrasive grains with different roughness into contact with the wafer W successively in the order of decreasing a size of the abrasive grains. Further, it is possible to use plural polishing tapes having abrasive grains with the same roughness. When rough polishing is expected to require a long time, it is possible to perform the rough polishing by the plural polishing head assemblies.
Instead of the polishing tape 23, a tape-like cleaning cloth may be mounted on at least one of the polishing head assemblies 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D. This cleaning cloth is a cleaning tool for removing particles or debris generated by the polishing process. In this case, the cleaning cloth can be used for the finishing process so as to clean the polished portion of the wafer W in the same manner as described above. With this method, polishing and cleaning can be performed in a shortened period of time. The tape-like cleaning cloth may comprise a tape base, such as a PET film, and a layer of polyurethane foam or nonwoven cloth on the tape base.
A polishing tape comprising a tape-like polishing cloth having a layer of polyurethane foam or nonwoven cloth, as with the above-mentioned tape-like cleaning cloth, may be used instead of the polishing tape 23 having the abrasive grains. In this case, a polishing liquid (slurry) containing abrasive grains is supplied onto the wafer W during polishing. The slurry can be supplied onto the upper surface of the wafer W during polishing using a slurry supply nozzle provided in a position similar to the upper supply nozzle 36.
As shown in
As described above, the upper surface of the partition wall 20 has the opening 20c and the louvers 40, and the lower surface of the partition wall 20 has the gas-discharge opening 20e (see
The horizontal plane K is the virtual plane that separates the upper space, which is less contaminated, from a lower space which is contaminated by the polishing debris produced by the polishing process. In other words, the clean upper space and the dirty lower space are divided by the horizontal plane K. After the wafer W and the holding stage 4 are elevated to the clean position (i.e., above the horizontal plane K), the wafer W is transferred. Therefore, the hands of the transfer mechanism are not contaminated. After the polishing process, the wafer W is elevated while the shutter is kept closed, and then the cleaning water (i.e., the cleaning liquid) is ejected from the cleaning nozzles 38 so as to clean the polishing heads 30. With these operations, the dirty polishing heads 30 are cleaned in the less clean position (i.e., below the horizontal plane K) without contaminating the processed wafer W. After cleaning, the shutter is opened and the wafer W is transferred by the transfer mechanism.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The polishing apparatus according to this embodiment is suitable for use in polishing of a notch portion formed in a periphery of a wafer W. As shown in
As shown in
A second hollow shaft 5-2 is provided below the first hollow shaft 5-1. The first hollow shaft 5-1 and the second hollow shaft 5-2 extend parallel to each other. The first hollow shaft 5-1 and the second hollow shaft 5-2 are coupled to each other by a communication line 7 via a rotary joint 76. As with the first embodiment, one end of the communication line 7 is coupled to grooves (see
The second hollow shaft 5-2 is supported by rotary ball spline bearings 77, which allow the second hollow shaft 5-2 to rotate and linearly move. The rotary ball spline bearings 77 are supported by a casing 78, which is fixed to base plate 65. The second hollow shaft 5-2 is coupled to a motor M6 via pulleys p7 and p8 and a belt b4, so that the second hollow shaft 5-2 is rotated by the motor M6.
The stage assembly and the second hollow shaft 5-2 are coupled to each other via an arm 80. The motor M6 is controlled so as to rotate the second hollow shaft 5-2 through a predetermined angle in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction. Therefore, as the motor M6 causes the second hollow shaft 5-2 to rotate in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction, the stage assembly also rotates in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction. An axis of the first hollow shaft 5-1 and an axis of the second hollow shaft 5-2 are not aligned with each other. A notch portion of the wafer W held on the holding stage 4 lies on an extension of the second hollow shaft 5-2. Therefore, as the motor M6 is energized, the wafer W rotates about its notch portion in a horizontal plane through a predetermined angle in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction (i.e., the wafer W swings). In this embodiment, a swinging mechanism for swinging the wafer W around the notch portion thereof is constituted by the pulleys p7 and p8, the belt b4, the motor M6, the second hollow shaft 5-2, the arm 80, and other elements.
The second hollow shaft 5-2 is coupled to air cylinder (elevating mechanism) 15, so that the second hollow shaft 5-2 and the stage assembly are elevated and lowered by the air cylinder 15. This air cylinder 15 is mounted on a frame 81 that is fixed to the base plate 65. As shown in
The rotary holding mechanism 3 further includes a rinsing-liquid supply nozzle 83 and a chemical-liquid supply nozzle 84. A ringing liquid, such as pure water, is supplied from the rinsing-liquid supply nozzle 83 onto the wafer W on the holding stage 4, and a chemical liquid is supplied from the chemical-liquid supply nozzle 84 onto the wafer W on the holding stage 4. These rinsing-liquid supply nozzle 83, the chemical-liquid supply nozzle 84, and the holding stage 4 are rotated integrally about the notch portion through the predetermined angle by the swinging mechanism.
A notch searching unit 82 for detecting the notch portion formed in the wafer W is provided at the transfer position of the wafer W. A non-illustrated actuator is provided for moving the notch searching unit 82 between a notch searching position and a waiting position, as shown in
Conventionally, a notch searching unit is provided at the polishing position. As a result, a rinsing liquid and a chemical liquid can be attached to the notch searching unit, causing an error in detecting the position of the notch portion. According to the embodiment of the present invention, because the notch searching unit 82 is located at the transfer position above the polishing position, the rinsing liquid and the chemical liquid are not attached to the notch searching unit 82. Hence, the detection error in the notch searching unit 82 due to the rinsing liquid or the chemical liquid can be prevented.
As shown in
The polishing head module 70A includes a polishing head 90 configured to bring a polishing tape 75 into sliding contact with the notch portion of the wafer W, a supply reel 24 for supplying the polishing tape 75 to the polishing head 90, and a recovery reel 25 for recovering the polishing tape 75 that has been used in polishing of the wafer W. The supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 are arranged outwardly of the polishing head 90 with respect to a radial direction of the wafer W. The supply reel 24 is arranged above the recovery reel 25. Motors M2 are coupled respectively to the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25 via couplings 27. Each of the motors M2 is configured to generate a constant torque in a predetermined rotational direction so as to apply a predetermined tension to the polishing tape 75. In this embodiment also, a tape supplying and recovering mechanism is constituted by the supply reel 24, the recovery reel 25, the couplings 27, the motors M2, and other elements.
Guide rollers 31, 32, and 33 and a tension sensor 91 are arranged between the polishing head 90 and the supply reel 24. A guide roller 34 is arranged between the polishing head 90 and the recovery reel 25. The tension (i.e. a polishing load) exerted on the polishing tape 75 is measured by the tension sensor 91. An output signal of the tension sensor 91 is sent to a monitoring unit 92, which monitors the tension of the polishing tape 75. The polishing tape 75, which is used in this embodiment, is narrower than the polishing tape 23 that is used in the first embodiment.
The oscillation shaft 98 is coupled to a motor M7 via pulleys p9 and p10 and a belt b5. The oscillation shaft 98 is rotated by the motor M7, and the eccentric shaft 98a of the oscillation shaft 98 performs eccentric rotation. This eccentric rotation of the eccentric shaft 98a is converted into a linear reciprocating motion of the oscillation plate 93 by the linear guide 95, whereby the polishing head 90, that is secured to the oscillation plate 93, performs a linear reciprocating motion, i.e., an oscillating motion. An oscillating direction of the polishing head 90 is a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction of the wafer W. In this embodiment, an oscillation mechanism is constituted by the oscillation shaft 98, the pulleys p9 and p10, the belt b5, the motor M7, the oscillation-receiving block 97, and other elements.
The oscillation shaft 98 extends through a hollow tilt shaft 100, and is rotatably supported by bearings 101 and 102 secured to an inner surface of the tilt shaft 100. This tilt shaft 100 is rotatably supported by bearings 103 and 104. The tilt shaft 100 is coupled to a motor M8 via pulleys p11 and p12 and a belt b6. Therefore, the tilt shaft 100 is rotated by the motor M8 independently of the oscillation shaft 98.
A tilt plate 94 is fixed to the tilt shaft 100. Therefore, the rotation of the tilt shaft 100 causes the rotation of the oscillation plate 93 coupled to the tilt plate 94 via the linear guide 95, thus causing the rotation of the polishing head 90 fixed to the oscillation plate 93. The motor M8 is controlled so as to rotate through a predetermined angle in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction. Therefore, as the motor M8 is energized, the polishing head 90 rotates about a contact portion between the polishing tape 75 and the wafer W through a predetermined angle (i.e., the polishing head 90 is tilted), as shown in
The polishing head module 70A is installed on an X-axis moving mechanism and a Y-axis moving mechanism provided on the base plate 65. The X-axis moving mechanism includes X-axis rails 106 extending in a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the notch portion and the center of the wafer W on the holding stage 4, and X-axis guides 108 slidably attached to the X-axis rails 106. The Y-axis moving mechanism includes Y-axis rails 107 extending in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis rails 106, and Y-axis guides 109 slidably mounted on the Y-axis rails 107. The X-axis rails 106 are fixed to the base plate 65, and the X-axis guides 108 are coupled to the Y-axis rails 107 via a coupling plate 110. The Y-axis guides 109 is fixed to the polishing head module 70A. An X axis and a Y axis are virtual moving axes which cross at right angles in a horizontal plane.
The two polishing head modules 70A and 70B are arranged along the X axis and are parallel to each other. These polishing head modules 70A and 70B are coupled to an X-axis air cylinder (X-axis actuator) 113 via a single coupling shaft 111. The X-axis air cylinder 113 is fixed to the base plate 65. This X-axis air cylinder 113 is configured to move the two polishing head modules 70A and 70B synchronously in the X-axis direction. The polishing head modules 70A and 70B are coupled to Y-axis air cylinders (Y-axis actuators) 114, respectively, which are fixed to the coupling plate 110. These Y-axis air cylinders 114 are configured to move the two polishing head modules 70A and 70B independently of each other in the Y-axis direction.
With this arrangement, the two polishing head modules 70A and 70B can move on a plane parallel to the wafer W held by the rotary holding mechanism 3, and the polishing heads 90 of the polishing head modules 70A and 70B can move toward and away from the notch portion of the wafer W independently of each other. Because the polishing head modules 70A and 70B move synchronously in the X-axis direction, switching between the polishing head modules 70A and 70B can be performed in a reduced time. The tape supplying and recovering mechanism of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that the tape supplying and recovering mechanism constitutes part of the polishing head module and is configured to move together with the polishing head 90.
Next, operations of the polishing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.
The wafer W is transferred by the transfer mechanism into the housing 71 through the transfer opening 71a. The holding stage 4 is elevated and the wafer W is held on the upper surface of the holding stage 4 by a vacuum suction. In this state, the notch searching unit 82 detects the position of the notch portion formed in the wafer W. The rotary holding mechanism 3 lowers the wafer W to the polishing position, while rotating the wafer W such that the notch portion faces the polishing head modules 70A and 70B. At the same time, the rinsing-liquid supply nozzle 83 starts supplying the rinsing liquid, or the chemical-liquid supply nozzle 84 starts supplying the chemical liquid.
Then, the polishing head module 70A moves toward the notch portion, and the polishing head 90 brings the polishing tape 75 into sliding contact with the notch portion to thereby polish the notch portion. More specifically, the polishing head 90 performs the oscillating motion so as to bring the polishing tape 75 into sliding contact with the notch portion. During polishing, the swinging mechanism causes the wafer W to perform the swinging motion, centered on the notch portion, in the horizontal plane, and the polishing head 90 performs the tilting motion centered on the notch portion.
After the polishing process by the polishing head module 70A is terminated, the polishing head module 70A moves away from the wafer W, and instead, the polishing head module 70B moves toward the notch portion of the wafer W. Then, the polishing head 90 performs the oscillating motion so as to bring the polishing tape 75 into sliding contact with the notch portion in the same manner to thereby polish the notch portion. During polishing, the swinging mechanism causes the wafer W to perform the swinging motion, centered on the notch portion, in the horizontal plane, and the polishing head 90 performs the tilting motion centered on the notch portion. After polishing, the supply of the ringing liquid or the chemical liquid is stopped. Then, the holding stage 4 is elevated and the wafer W is removed by the transfer mechanism and carried out through the transfer opening 71a.
The polishing tape used in the polishing head module 70A may be different from the polishing tape used in the polishing head module 70B. For example, the polishing head module 70A may use a polishing tape having rough abrasive grains so as to perform rough polishing, and the polishing head module 70B may use a polishing tape having fine abrasive grains so as to perform finish polishing after rough polishing. By using different types of polishing tapes, rough polishing and finish polishing can be performed while the wafer W is kept on the holding stage 4. Hence, the total polishing time can be shortened.
The tension of the polishing tape 75 (i.e., the polishing load) is kept constant by the motors M2 coupled to the supply reel 24 and the recovery reel 25. During polishing, the monitoring unit 92 monitors the output signal from the tension sensor 91 (i.e., the tension of the polishing tape 75), and determines whether the tension of the polishing tape 75 exceeds a predetermined threshold. A change in tension of the polishing tape 75 may be caused by deterioration of components with time. By monitoring the change in tension of the polishing tape 75, it is possible to determine the end of the service life of each component. In addition, because a maximum and a minimum of the polishing load can be found, it is also possible to detect a polishing failure caused by an excessively high load polishing.
It is also possible to detect the output signal of the tension sensor 91 by the monitoring unit 92 right before polishing and adjust an output torque of the motor M2, coupled to the supply reel 24, based on the output signal so as to exert a desired tension on the polishing tape 75.
The replacement operation of the polishing tape 75 can be easily conducted by moving one of the polishing head modules 70A and 70B toward the holding stage 4. For example, if the polishing tape 75 mounted on the polishing head module 70A is to be replaced, the polishing head module 70B is moved toward the holding stage 4, and in this state the polishing tape 75 on the polishing head module 70A is replaced. The replacement operation of the polishing tape 75 is conducted through the operation window 71b by an operator.
A ball-screw support 120 is secured to the coupling shaft 111. A ball screw 121 is threaded through the ball-screw support 120. An end of the ball screw 121 is coupled to an X-axis drive motor M9 via a coupling 122. With this arrangement, the polishing head modules 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are moved synchronously in the X-axis direction by the X-axis drive motor M9. On the other hand, the four polishing head modules 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D can be moved in the Y-axis direction independently of each other by Y-axis moving mechanisms each including the Y-axis rails 107, the Y-axis guides 109, and the Y-axis air cylinder 114.
As shown in
The two polishing head modules 70A and 70B are moved linearly by these linear moving mechanisms, respectively. Specifically, each of the polishing head modules 70A and 70B is moved along a single movement axis. The movement directions of the polishing head modules 70A and 70B are not parallel to each other. The polishing heads 90 of the two polishing head modules 70A and 70B are moved independently of each other by the linear moving mechanisms in directions toward and away from the notch portion of the wafer W on the holding stage 4 without contacting each other, as shown in
As shown in
A tape supplying and recovering mechanism 142 has the same structure as the supplying and recovering mechanisms 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, but is located above the polishing head 141, as shown in
The tape-sending mechanism 146 has a tape-sending roller 147, a tape-holding roller 148, and a motor M10 configured to rotate the tape-sending roller 147. The tape-sending roller 147 and the motor M10 are spaced from each other, and are coupled to each other via a belt b7. Specifically, the tape-sending roller 147 is rotated by the motor M10 via the belt b5 to thereby cause the polishing tape 23 to move in its longitudinal direction. A linear actuator 150 is coupled to a lower portion of the polishing head 141. This linear actuator 150 is operable to move the polishing head 141 toward and away from the wafer W. An air cylinder or a combination of a positioning motor and a ball screw can be used as the linear actuator 150.
The arrangement and combination of the polishing head assemblies 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D each having the polishing head with a variable angle of inclination (hereinafter, they will be referred to as variable-angle polishing head assemblies) and the polishing head assembly 140 having the polishing head with the fixed angle of inclination (hereinafter, this will be referred to as a fixed-angle polishing head assembly) are not limited to the example shown in
A tape supplying and recovering mechanism for supplying the polishing tape 23 to the fixed-angle polishing head assembly 140C and recovering the polishing tape 23 from the fixed-angle polishing head assembly 140C has the same structure as the tape supplying and recovering mechanism 142 shown in
By using the increased number of polishing heads, the polishing time can be shortened and the throughput can be improved. One example of the installation angle of the polishing head 141 in each fixed-angle polishing head assembly is an angle corresponding to a portion that requires a relatively long polishing time. The angles of the polishing heads 141 in the fixed-angle polishing head assemblies 140A, 140B, 140C, 140D, and 140E may be different from each other or may be the same as each other. Because the fixed-angle polishing head assemblies 140A, 140B, 140C, 140D, and 140E do not require tilt motors for tilting the polishing heads 141 (see
The purpose of supplying the cooling liquid during polishing is to remove heat generated by friction between the wafer W and the polishing tape 23. Typically, the polishing tape 23 comprises abrasive grains (e.g., diamond, silica, or ceria), a resin (a binder) for binding the abrasive grains, and a tape base such as a PET sheet. The production process of the polishing tape 23 is generally as follows. The abrasive grains are dispersed in a melted resin, and a surface of the tape base is coated with the resin containing the abrasive grains. Then, the resin is dried to thereby form the polishing surface. If the resin softens with heat generated during polishing, the polishing performance is lowered. This seems to be due to the fact that a force of the resin for binding the abrasive grains is lowered. Further, if the resin softens, the abrasive grains could be detached from the resin.
Thus, in this embodiment, the cooling liquid is supplied to a contact portion between the polishing tape 23 and the wafer W during polishing so as to cool the polishing tape 23. More specifically, the cooling liquid is supplied onto the wafer W being rotated by the rotary holding mechanism 3, and is moved on the surface of the wafer W by a centrifugal force to contact the polishing tape 23. The cooling liquid removes heat, generated during polishing, from the polishing tape 23. As a result, the polishing performance of the polishing tape 23 can be maintained, and the polishing speed (removal rate) is prevented from being lowered.
Next, results of several experiments conducted using the cooling liquid for cooling the polishing tape will be described. In a first experiment, ultrapure water having an ordinary temperature (18° C.) was used as the cooling liquid. Polishing of a wafer was performed several times using one polishing head assembly, two polishing head assemblies, three polishing head assemblies, and four polishing head assemblies, separately. The results showed that the polishing performance was hardly lowered in the polishing processes using one polishing head assembly and two polishing head assemblies. On the other hand, in the polishing process using three polishing head assemblies, the polishing performance was lowered. In the polishing process using four polishing head assemblies, the polishing performance was remarkably lowered.
In the second experiment, polishing was conducted while cooling the polishing tape with ultrapure water (i.e., the cooling liquid) having a temperature of 10° C. The specific manner of polishing was the same as that in the above-described experiment. The experiment results showed that the polishing tape exhibited its original polishing performance in both polishing processes using three polishing head assemblies and four polishing head assemblies. Specifically, in the polishing process using three polishing head assemblies, the polishing performance was three times the polishing performance in the case of using one polishing head assembly. In the polishing process using four polishing head assemblies, the polishing performance was four times the polishing performance in the case of using one polishing head assembly.
Further, using one polishing head assembly, polishing was conducted while gradually decreasing the temperature of the ultrapure water from the ordinary temperature. The results of this experiment showed that use of the ultrapure water with a lower temperature resulted in a higher removal rate and a smaller variation in removal rate.
In addition to the above-mentioned experiments, polishing was conducted under various polishing conditions. The results showed that a relationship between the temperature of the cooling liquid and the removal rate depends on a physical property of the polishing tape, a rotational speed of the wafer (i.e., a relative speed between the polishing tape and the wafer), and the size of the abrasive grains of the polishing tape. In particular, the effect of the cooling liquid was remarkable when using a polishing tape having abrasive grains (e.g., silica particles or diamond particles) that exhibit a large mechanical polishing action, when using a polishing tape having small-sized abrasive grains (i.e., fine abrasive grains), and when the relative speed between the wafer and the polishing tape was high.
From the above experimental results, it can be seen that use of the cooling liquid having a temperature of at most 10° C. can prevent a decrease in removal rate and can stabilize the removal rate. Moreover, the experimental results further showed that a gradient of these effects was small when using the cooling liquid having a temperature of at most 10° C. Therefore, it is preferable to supply the cooling liquid having a temperature of at most 10° C. to the polishing tape during polishing. It is preferable that the cooling-liquid supply unit 160 be configured to selectively supply a low-temperature cooling liquid or an ordinary-temperature cooling liquid to the upper supply nozzle 36 and the lower supply nozzle 37. For example, the low-temperature cooling liquid may be supplied to the wafer during polishing, and the ordinary-temperature cooling liquid may be supplied to the wafer during cleaning of the wafer after polishing.
As shown in
The wafer W is transferred into the polishing room 21 by a pair of hands 171 of the transfer mechanism, with the periphery of the wafer W being grasped by plural claws 171a of the hands 171. In this state, the hands 171 are lowered slightly, and then the centering guides 165 move toward the wafer W. The centering guides 165 move until the guide surfaces 165a thereof contact the outermost edge surface of the wafer W, so that the wafer W is held by the centering guides 165. The center of the wafer W in this state lies on the rotational axis of the rotary holding mechanism 3. Then, the hands 171 move away from the wafer W. Subsequently, the holding stage 4 of the rotary holding mechanism 3 is elevated so as to hold the rear surface of the wafer W by the vacuum attraction. Then, the centering guides 165 move away from the wafer W, and the holding stage 4 is lowered to the polishing position together with the wafer W.
Because the centering guides 165 are incorporated in the polishing apparatus, centering of the wafer W is performed in the same structural unit as the rotary holding mechanism 3. Therefore, an accuracy of centering can be improved. Since the centering guides 165 are coupled to the linear actuators 67 for moving the polishing head assemblies 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, it is not necessary to provide moving mechanisms dedicated to moving the centering guides 165. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In order to perform the centering of the wafer W, at least three centering guides are required. In a case where only two polishing head assemblies are provided, centering of the wafer cannot be performed with the structures in this embodiment. Thus, a moving mechanism dedicated to the centering guide 165 may be provided so as to move the centering guide 165 independently of the polishing head assemblies.
The hands 171 of the transfer mechanism are not limited to the example as shown in
The eccentricity detector 170 detects the eccentricity of the wafer W as follows. After the wafer W is held by the rotary holding mechanism 3, the centering guides 165 are moved slightly away from the wafer W. Then, the rotary holding mechanism 3 rotates the wafer W. In this state, the light-emitting section 170a emits the light toward the light-receiving section 170b, and the light-receiving section 170b receives the light. If the length of the part of the light blocked by the periphery of the wafer W is constant, it indicates that the center of the wafer W is on the rotational axis of the rotary holding mechanism 3. On the other hand, if the length of the part of the light blocked by the periphery of the wafer W fluctuates, it indicates that the center of the wafer W is not on the rotational axis of the rotary holding mechanism 3, i.e., the wafer W is in an eccentric position.
If the eccentricity of the wafer W is beyond a predetermined threshold, the polishing apparatus generates an alarm so as to urge that centering of the wafer W should be performed again or the positions of the centering guides 165 should be adjusted. With the operations as described above, the wafer W can be polished precisely. Moreover, damage to the wafer W during polishing due to the eccentricity thereof can be prevented.
The eccentricity detector 170 according to this embodiment can also be used to detect the notch portion or an orientation flat formed in the periphery of the wafer W. When detecting the eccentricity of the wafer W, the eccentricity detector 170 excludes a notch portion and the orientation flat from the periphery of the wafer W in order to measure the length of the part of the light blocked by the wafer W. It is preferable to detect the notch portion or the orientation flat before transferring the wafer W and to slightly rotate the wafer W such that the detected notch portion or the orientation flat does not face the hands of the transfer mechanism. With this operation, a transferring error, that could be caused by holding of the notch portion or the orientation flat by the hands of the transfer mechanism, can be prevented.
As shown in
The shroud cover 175 has openings (or gaps) in positions corresponding to the polishing heads 30 of the polishing head assemblies 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, so that the polishing heads 30 can access the wafer W through these openings. The shroud cover 175 is located close to the periphery of the wafer W, and a gap between the shroud cover 175 and the wafer W is several millimeters.
The shroud cover 175 has an upper edge in a position higher than the surface of the wafer W in the polishing position by about 10 mm. The purpose of providing this shroud cover 175 is to prevent the polishing liquid (typically pure water), supplied onto the upper surface and the lower surface of the rotating wafer W during polishing, from scattering and further to prevent the polishing liquid from bouncing back to the wafer W.
However, the polishing liquid could impinge upon the polishing head 30 that is not in the polishing operation and could bounce back to the wafer W, as shown in
In an example shown in
Instead of the distance of the polishing head 30, it is possible to adjust the angle of inclination of the polishing head 30 so as to prevent the polishing liquid from bouncing back. Specifically, as shown in
When polishing the periphery of the wafer W, the polishing head 30 is moved toward the wafer W until the polishing tape 23 is brought into contact with the periphery of the wafer W by the polishing head 30, while the angle of inclination of the polishing head 30 shown in
The notch polishing unit 255, the bevel polishing unit 256, the cleaning unit 260, and the drying unit 265 (hereinafter, these units will be referred to as processing units) are arranged on a linear line, and the transfer mechanism 270 is arranged along an arrangement direction of these processing units. The transfer mechanism 270 has hand units 270A, 270B, and 270C each having a pair of hands 171 for holding the wafer W. These hand units 270A, 270B, and 270C are operable to transfer the wafer W between the neighboring processing units. More specifically, the hand unit 270A is to remove the wafer W from the notch polishing unit 255 and transfer it to the bevel polishing unit 256, the hand unit 270B is to remove the wafer W from the bevel polishing unit 256 and transfer it to the cleaning unit 260, and the hand unit 270C is to remove the wafer W from the cleaning unit 260 and transfer it to the drying unit 265. These hand units 270A, 270B, and 270C are movable linearly along the arrangement direction of the processing units.
The hand units 270A, 270B, and 270C are operable to remove the wafers W simultaneously, move the wafers W linearly together with each other, and transfer the wafers W simultaneously to the downstream processing units. As can be seen from
Next, flow of the wafer W will be described. When the wafer cassette, which is capable of storing plural wafers (e.g., twenty-five wafers) W therein, is mounted on the loading port 240, this wafer cassette is automatically opened so that the wafers W can be loaded into the substrate processing apparatus. After the wafer cassette is opened, the first transfer robot 245 removes a wafer W from the wafer cassette, and transfers the wafer W onto the notch aligner 248. The notch aligner 248 is moved together with the wafer W by the notch-aligner moving mechanism 250 to a position near the second transfer robot 257. During this movement, the notch aligner 248 detects the position of the notch portion of the wafer W and rotates the wafer W such that the notch portion is in a predetermined position.
Then, the second transfer robot 257 receives the wafer W from the notch aligner 248, and transfers the wafer W into the notch polishing unit 255. Since the positioning of the notch portion has been already performed by the notch aligner 248, the wafer W is transferred into the notch polishing unit 255, with the notch portion lying in the predetermined position. Instead of the notch aligner 248, the notch polishing unit 255 may perform the positioning of the wafer W as described above.
The wafer W is processed in the notch polishing unit 255, and is then transferred to the bevel polishing unit 256, the cleaning unit 260, and the drying unit 265 successively in this order by the hand units 270A, 270B, and 270C, so that the wafer W is processed in these processing units. After processed in the drying unit 265, the wafer is transferred by the first transfer robot 245 into the wafer cassette on the loading port 240.
In this substrate processing apparatus shown in
The substrate processing apparatus of this example is configured to polish a wafer using four polishing heads with polishing tapes each having rough abrasive grains in an upstream bevel polishing unit 256A, and polish the wafer using four polishing heads with polishing tapes each having fine abrasive grains in a downstream bevel polishing unit 256B. According to this substrate processing apparatus, a processing capability of the apparatus (i.e., the number of wafers W that can be processed per unit time) can be increased. The combination of the processing units in this example can be applied to a process that does require notch polishing.
It is also possible to polish a wafer using the polishing tapes each having abrasive grains fixed on the tape base in the upstream bevel polishing unit 256A, and polish the wafer using tape-like polishing cloths while supplying a slurry (i.e., free abrasive grains) to the wafer in the downstream bevel polishing unit 256B. Further, it is also possible to polish a wafer by the abrasive grains of the polishing tape, polish the wafer by the slurry, and clean the wafer by a tape-like cleaning cloth, attached to one of the polishing heads, successively in the downstream bevel polishing unit 256B.
The transfer mechanism 270 is configured to transfer and receive two wafers W simultaneously in the upstream bevel polishing unit 256A and the downstream bevel polishing unit 256B. Therefore, the wafers W can be transferred quickly. In this case also, as described above, the polishing heads can be cleaned when the wafer W lie in the clean space above the horizontal plane K. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the wafer W from the bevel polishing unit in order to clean the polishing heads, and it is therefore possible to clean the polishing heads each time polishing of the wafer W is performed.
The previous description of embodiments is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the present invention. Moreover, various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles and specific examples defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope as defined by limitation of the claims and equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-312724 | Dec 2007 | JP | national |
| 2008-292193 | Nov 2008 | JP | national |
This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/292,662, filed Nov. 24, 2008 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,187,055.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 12292662 | Nov 2008 | US |
| Child | 13459421 | US |
