Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a stage for holding a wafer, a catalyst processing member for processing the surface of the wafer using a catalyst, a pressing mechanism for pressing the catalyst processing member against the wafer, a relative motion mechanism for causing the catalyst processing member and the wafer to make a relative movement, and a supply mechanism for supplying a process liquid to the surface the wafer. The catalyst processing member has a processing surface opposed to the wafer, and includes a base material on which a groove is formed on the processing surface and the catalyst. The processing surface of the base material includes a plurality of regions sectioned by the groove. The catalyst processing member holds different types of catalysts in the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A polishing head system capable of precisely controlling a film-thickness profile of a workpiece, such as a wafer, substrate, or panel, is disclosed. The polishing head system includes a polishing head having a plurality of piezoelectric elements configured to apply pressing forces to a workpiece, and an operation controller configured to determine instruction values of voltages to be applied to the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: Planarization is performed on heterogeneous films with high accuracy. According to one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is provided. The substrate is formed of an insulating film layer where a groove is formed, a barrier metal layer, and a wiring metal layer in order from a bottom in at least a part of a region. The method includes (3) while the wiring metal layer, the barrier metal layer, and the insulating film layer are exposed to the surface of the substrate: a step of bringing the surface of the substrate into contact with a catalyst; a step of supplying a process liquid between the catalyst and the surface of the substrate; and a step of flowing a current between the catalyst and the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a stage for holding a substrate with a surface to be processed upward; a catalyst holding head for holding a catalyst to process the surface to be processed of the substrate; a pushing mechanism for pushing the catalyst holding head against the surface to be processed of the substrate; a swing mechanism for swinging the catalyst holding head in a radial direction of the substrate; and a pushing force control unit configured to adjust a pushing force of the catalyst holding head by the pushing mechanism according to a position of the catalyst holding head or a contact area between the substrate and the catalyst when the catalyst projects to outside the substrate by the swing of the catalyst holding head.

Abstract: To planarize a substrate having irregularities on its surface. Provided is a method of chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate. The method includes the step of polishing the substrate using a processing solution, and the step of changing concentration of an effective component in the processing solution, which contributes to the polishing of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention simulates polishing amount taking into account pressure concentration that occurs in the vicinity of the edge of a substrate when a small-diameter buffing pad overhangs the substrate to be buffed. One embodiment of the invention provides a method for simulating polishing amount in a case where a polishing pad of a smaller size than a substrate is used to buff the substrate. The method includes measuring distributions of pressure that is applied from the polishing pad to the substrate according to each overhang amount of the polishing pad relative to the substrate by using a pressure sensor, and correcting the pressure that is used in the polishing amount simulation in accordance with the overhang amounts and the measured pressure distributions.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is provided. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing unit configured to polish a substrate by bringing a polishing tool into contact with the substrate and moving the substrate relatively to the polishing tool; a cleaning unit; and a first transfer robot configured to transfer the substrate before polishing to the polishing unit and/or configured to transfer the substrate after polishing from the polishing unit to the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes: at least one cleaning module, a buff processing module configured to perform a buff process to the substrate, and a second transfer robot configured to transfer the substrate between the cleaning module and the buff processing module, the second transfer robot being different from the first robot.

Abstract: The invention simulates polishing amount taking into account pressure concentration that occurs in the vicinity of the edge of a substrate when a small-diameter buffing pad overhangs the substrate to be buffed. One embodiment of the invention provides a method for simulating polishing amount in a case where a polishing pad of a smaller size than a substrate is used to buff the substrate. The method includes measuring distributions of pressure that is applied from the polishing pad to the substrate according to each overhang amount of the polishing pad relative to the substrate by using a pressure sensor, and correcting the pressure that is used in the polishing amount simulation in accordance with the overhang amounts and the measured pressure distributions.

Abstract: Planarization is performed on heterogeneous films with high accuracy. According to one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is provided. The substrate is formed of an insulating film layer where a groove is formed, a barrier metal layer, and a wiring metal layer in order from a bottom in at least a part of a region. The method includes (3) while the wiring metal layer, the barrier metal layer, and the insulating film layer are exposed to the surface of the substrate: a step of bringing the surface of the substrate into contact with a catalyst; a step of supplying a process liquid between the catalyst and the surface of the substrate; and a step of flowing a current between the catalyst and the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing device for appropriately retaining a polishing member in an appropriate state in polishing. The polishing device for partially polishing a substrate includes a polishing member having a processing surface which comes into contact with the substrate and which is smaller than the substrate, a conditioning member for performing conditioning on the polishing member, a first pressing mechanism for pressing the conditioning member against the polishing member in polishing the substrate, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the polishing device. The control unit is configured to control the first pressing mechanism when the substrate is partially polished by the polishing member.

Abstract: An operation control unit includes a storage device storing a program which includes commands of: obtaining a correlation between a supply position of the polishing liquid in the radial direction of the polishing pad using the liquid injection nozzle and an average polishing rate of the substrate and an distribution of the polishing rate within the substrate; determining a movable range of the liquid injection nozzle according to a predetermined range of an allowable average polishing rate and the correlation between the supply position of the polishing liquid and the average polishing rate; determining an optimal supply position of the polishing liquid from the correlation between the supply position of the polishing liquid and the distribution of the polishing rate within the substrate within the determined movable range of the liquid injection nozzle; and moving the liquid injection nozzle to the determined supply position to polish the substrate.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve a substrate processing apparatus using the CARE method. The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus for polishing a processing target region of a substrate by bringing the substrate and a catalyst into contact with each other in the presence of processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate, a catalyst holding unit configured to hold the catalyst, and a driving unit configured to move the substrate holding unit and the catalyst holding unit relative to each other with the processing target region of the substrate and the catalyst kept in contact with each other. The catalyst is smaller than the substrate.

Abstract: To quickly grasp a film thickness distribution of a film to be processed on a substrate after CMP and realize high-speed substrate processing, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for specifying an area to be partially polished by a partial polishing device in a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate polishing device that polishes an entire surface of a film to be processed formed on at least one surface of the substrate. The substrate polishing device includes a film thickness sensor. The substrate processing apparatus further includes the partial polishing device that further partially polishes the film to be processed of the substrate polished by the substrate polishing device. The method includes specifying an area to be partially polished by the partial polishing device based on film thickness distribution data of the film to be processed obtained from the film thickness sensor of the substrate polishing device.

Abstract: A catalyst that is less poisoned is provided. The catalyst is used for catalyst-referred etching and includes: a first element for promoting etching of a processing object; and a second element for preventing an etching product generated by the etching from being adsorbed.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus capable of increasing an added value is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table configured to support a polishing pad, a top ring configured to press a substrate against the polishing pad, and a liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a liquid onto the polishing pad. The liquid supply mechanism includes a nozzle arm configured to be movable in a radial direction of the polishing table, and a liquid ejection nozzle attached to the nozzle arm. The liquid ejection nozzle is a fan-shaped nozzle having a liquid throttle surface having a tapered shape.

Abstract: One object is to provide a polishing machine and a polishing method capable of improving a processing accuracy on the surface of an object. A method of polishing an object is provided. Such a method comprises a first step of polishing an object by moving the object and a first polishing pad having a smaller dimension than that of the object relative to each other while the first polishing pad is made to contact the object, a second step of polishing the object, after the first step of polishing, by moving the object and a second polishing pad having a larger dimension than that of the object relative to each other while the second polishing pad is made to contact the object, and a step of detecting the state of the surface of the object before the first step of polishing.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve a substrate processing apparatus using the CARE method. The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus for polishing a processing target region of a substrate by bringing the substrate and a catalyst into contact with each other in the presence of processing liquid. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate, a catalyst holding unit configured to hold the catalyst, and a driving unit configured to move the substrate holding unit and the catalyst holding unit relative to each other with the processing target region of the substrate and the catalyst kept in contact with each other. The catalyst is smaller than the substrate.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes a table provided with a substrate holding surface for holding a substrate, a pad for processing the substrate held on the table, a head for holding the pad, an actuator for moving the head in a direction perpendicular to the substrate holding surface of the table, and a mechanical stopper device for stopping a movement of the head in the direction perpendicular to the substrate holding surface.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate is provided. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table holding a polishing pad; a top ring configured to press the substrate against the polishing pad; first and second optical heads each configured to apply the light to the substrate and to receive reflected light from the substrate; spectroscopes each configured to measure at each wavelength an intensity of the reflected light received; and a processor configured to produce a spectrum indicating a relationship between intensity and wavelength of the reflected light. The first optical head is arranged so as to face a center of the substrate, and the second optical head is arranged so as to face a peripheral portion of the substrate.

Abstract: An even step elimination performance is obtained even when steps of various dimensions exist which are caused due to pattern structures existing in a chip or film forming methods. A planarizing apparatus is provided which is configured to planarize a surface of a substrate, and this planarizing apparatus includes a surface roughening unit configured to roughen a target processing surface of the substrate by use of roughening particles and a CMP unit configured to polish chemically and mechanically (CMP) the roughened target processing surface of the substrate.