Abstract: A wafer flattening process and system enables a reduction of the surface roughness of a wafer resulting from local etching. A silicon wafer W is brought into close proximity to a nozzle portion 20 to feed SF6 gas to an alumina discharge tube 2, a plasma generator 1 is used to cause plasma discharge and spray a first activated species gas from the nozzle portion 20 to the silicon wafer W side, an X-Y drive mechanism 4 is used to make the nozzle portion 20 scan to perform a local etching step. Then the silicon wafer W is moved away from the nozzle portion 20 and O2 gas and CF4 gas are fed to the alumina discharge tube. At this time, the O2 gas is set to be greater in amount than the CF4 gas. When this mixed gas is made to discharge to generate plasma, a second activated species gas diffuses from the nozzle portion 20 to the entire surface of the silicon wafer W.

Abstract: A wafer flattening process designed to flatten the entire surface of the wafer to a higher precision by projecting the fall in the etching rate at the outer peripheral portion of the wafer and forming the outer peripheral portion of the wafer thinner in advance before plasma etching the entire surface of the wafer, a wafer flattening system, and a wafer flattened by the same. The wafer flattening system is provided with a CMP apparatus 1 and a plasma etching apparatus 2 are provided. The outer peripheral portion Wb of a wafer W held by a carrier 11 is polished thinner than an inside portion Wc of the wafer W by the CMP apparatus 1 having a platen 10 formed with a recessed surface. Specifically, it is polished so that the maximum thickness at the outer peripheral portion Wb of the wafer W becomes not more than the minimum thickness at the inside portion Wc.

Abstract: To provide a small polishing means featuring high machining efficiency that is capable of efficiently and quickly mirror-polishing an outer periphery of a chamfered workpiece (5) by bringing the outer periphery into even contact with a plurality of polishing drums (2, 2) at the same time. In an apparatus for polishing an outer periphery by bringing an outer periphery of the workpiece (5) retained by workpiece retaining means (3a, 3b) into contact with two polishing drums (2, 2) simultaneously to perform mirror polishing, the workpiece retaining means (3a, 3b) are supported by a sliding mechanism (16) such that they may move in a direction in which the two polishing drums (2, 2) are arranged, thereby to form an aligning means. In addition, the workpiece retaining means (3a, 3b) are provided with loading means (30) for absorbing a force applied to the workpiece retaining means in an X direction, the force being generated due to contact between the rotating workpiece (5) and the polishing drums (2, 2).

Abstract: A carrier comprising a disk-shaped body portion having fluid circulation holes, a ring-shaped diaphragm portion expanding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the body portion and having pliability, a ring-shaped edge portion projecting at least downward from an outer edge portion of the diaphragm portion and having an inner diameter of at least an outer diameter of a work piece, a pliable sheet having an outer peripheral portion affixed air tightly to a bottom end portion of said edge portion, the back surface of the sheet defining a single pressure chamber communicating with the fluid circulation holes, and a ring-shaped member surrounding the work piece affixed to the bottom surface of the sheet.

Abstract: Plasma etching method and apparatus for removing relatively thick portions from wafers by etching while measuring an actual etch quantity to thereby manufacture the wafers excellent in flatness quality on a mass-production basis. A conduit 20 of a plasma generator 2 is positioned above a relatively thick portion 111 of the wafer 110 to etch away a wafer material from the relatively thick portion 111 by ejecting a fluorine gas G. A laser beam L0 is emitted from a laser displacement meter 30 of a measuring apparatus 3 to detect an interference state between a reflected light beam L1 from the relatively thick portion 111 and a reflected light beam L2 form a reflecting plate 32 and count periodical changes of the interference state. When the count value m coincides with an integral value derived by dividing a desired etch quantity by a half wavelength of the laser beam L0, etching of the relatively thick portion 111 by the fluorine gas G is terminated.

Abstract: A dresser and a dressing apparatus able to reduce the labor involved in the dressing work and obtain a sufficient dressing effect. The dressing apparatus 1 is provided with a dresser 2 and a dresser drive apparatus 3. The dresser 2 has brushes 11a and 11b formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the dresser body 10 and scrapers 12a and 12b provided in the longitudinal direction of the dresser body 10. The dresser drive apparatus 3 has a swing mechanism for swinging the dresser 2 in the radial direction of the platens. Preferably springs for biasing the scrapers 12a and 12b in the outward direction are provided in the dresser body 10.

Abstract: A slurry recycling system of a CMP apparatus, and a method of the same, which restores the state of agglomeration of the abrasive grains to the initial state to enable reuse of the slurry and thereby reduces the cost of the polishing work and improves the operating rate of the CMP apparatus. Slurry S used in the CMP apparatus 1 is sent to a dispersion chamber 31. A vibration element 40 of an ultrasonic dispersion apparatus 4 mounted in the dispersion chamber 31 is made to vibrate by a vibrator 41 to generate ultrasonic vibration energy, whereby the agglomerated particles in the slurry S are made to disperse. Suitably thereafter, the slurry S is returned to the slurry feed apparatus 300 to enable reuse of the slurry S.

Abstract: To provide a cleaning apparatus capable of easily and positively washing off attachments from a dresser (6) for dressing a lap in a plane polishing apparatus. An air nozzle (15) for bubbling, a first bottom surface brush (18) that comes in slidable contact with a dressing member (9), and second bottom surface brushes (22a and 22b) that come in slidable contact with a portion (6a) other than the dressing member (9) are provided in a cleaning tank (11) for accommodating the dresser (6), which is provided with the dressing member (9) on its bottom surface, in a state where the dresser (6) is immersed in a cleaning solution. Furthermore, a side surface brush (25) that comes in contact with an outer side surface of the dresser (6) is provided.

Abstract: A carrier and polishing apparatus enabling high precision polishing of a workpiece and enabling prevention of leak contamination and damage to the workpiece. A carrier 1 is provided with a carrier body 2, a pressure chamber 3, and a fluid passage portion 4 and a plurality of valve portions 5 are specially provided in the pressure chamber 3. Due to this, when the inside of the pressure chamber 3 becomes a negative pressure state, the valve portions 5 open and the wafer W is picked up by suction, while when it becomes a positive pressure state, the valve portions 5 close and the air in the pressure chamber 3 uniformly presses against the wafer W. Further, since the valve portions 5 close in the positive pressure state, the air in the pressure chamber 3 will not flow to the outside.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet feeding type wafer polishing machine which processes both surfaces of the wafer and outermost periphery of the wafer (edge part) in series, having two platens which are adhered to a polishing pad or a grinding stone and holding a wafer therebetween. The surface of the wafer is processed by rotating at least one of the two platens and wafer, wherein the diameters of the platens are bigger than the radius of the wafer and smaller than the diameter of the wafer, and the wafer is supported by at least three guide rollers which contact to the outermost periphery of the wafer. The present invention also provides an edge polishing and a surface polishing method which are carried out by the wafer processing machine.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus prevents uneven wear of the platen and improves the operating rate of the apparatus. The polishing apparatus provided with a platen 1 divided into an inner peripheral platen portion 11 and an outer peripheral platen portion 13 and with a carrier 5, wherein by making the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the outer peripheral platen portion 13 rotate in opposite directions and setting the rotational speeds of the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the outer peripheral platen portion 13 so that the mean relative speed of a wafer 200 and the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the mean relative speed of the wafer 200 and the outer peripheral platen portion 13 become substantially equal, it becomes possible to make the amount of wear of the polishing pad 11a of the inner peripheral platen portion 11 and the amount of wear of the polishing pad 13a of the outer peripheral platen portion 13 substantially equal.

Abstract: A workpiece surface processing apparatus capable of processing the surface of a workpiece without being limited as to the shape of the workpiece and further capable of measuring the state of polish of the workpiece with a high precision. The workpiece surface processing apparatus includes three platens 1-1 to 1-3 arranged substantially point symmetrically and being rotated in the same direction by motors 17 to 19, a carrier head 2 holding a wafer W and rotating in an opposite direction to the platens 1-1 to 1-3, a rocking mechanism 3 for making the wafer W rock in a diametrical direction of the platen 1-1 so that the entire surface of the wafer W is polished. A measuring device 4 continuously measures the state of polish of the entire surface of the wafer W.

Abstract: A [work] workpiece processing apparatus and a [work] workpiece measuring method are provided in which a [work] workpiece can be processed or planarized without decreasing a processing rate and/or an operating rate of the apparatus. The apparatus can be reduced in size, and can measure the state of planarization of the [work] workpiece at a high degree of accuracy. The apparatus includes a rotatable surface plate, and a carrier 6 for swinging or oscillating a [work] workpiece 200 in a radial direction of the surface plate 1 while pressing the [work] workpiece 200 against the surface plate 1. The surface plate 1 is divided into an inner surface plate member 11, an intermediate surface plate member 12, and an outer surface plate member 13 which are all disposed in a concentric relation and rotatable independently of each other. The intermediate surface plate member 12 is disposed between the inner and outer surface plate members 11 and 13.

Abstract: A polishing amount control system and method for same which can quickly feed back the results of measurement of a coating layer of a workpiece to the next polishing work so as to improve the productivity of the workpieces and further enable high precision polishing work. The thicknesses of the plating layers of the two surfaces of a magnetic disk W polished by a double-side polishing apparatus 1 are measured by an X-ray thickness meter 2. The rotational speeds of the drive motors 15 and 18 of the double-side polishing apparatus 1 are controlled in accordance with the results of the measurement. Specifically, the polishing amounts of the plating layers of the upper surface and lower surface of the magnetic disk W polished next become within 1.8 .mu.m to 2.2 .mu.m by controlling the rotational speeds of the upper platen 13 and the lower platen 11. The thickness difference of the upper and lower surfaces of the same magnetic disk W become within -0.15 .mu.m to +0.15 .mu.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer surface flattening apparatus achieves stable polish characteristics while maintaining a high throughput value and a small footprint. When an index table 22 rotates by a prescribed angle and indicates a rotation position, a first pre-polish semiconductor wafer is moved to a position near a first platen 23. First through third platens 23 through 25 are installed around the index table 22. First through third carriers 46 through 48 are installed for the platens 23 through 25. One of the carriers 46 through 48 is positioned above each of the platens, respectively. The first carrier above the first platen holds and transports the first pre-polish semiconductor wafer. Then the first pre-polish semiconductor wafer is polished. While the first semiconductor wafer is being polished, a second pre-polish semiconductor wafer is supplied to the index table 22.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus enables a workpiece to be rotated at a high speed over a long period, enables the outer and inner circumferences of the workpiece to be cleaned by a simple structure without provision of a special mechanism, and enables avoidance of formation of scratches in the radial direction of the workpiece. Chuck members 1-1 to 1-3 for chucking the outer periphery of a magnetic disk W are driven to rotate by a brush rotation mechanism 4 and are made to rock back and forth in the radial direction of the magnetic disk W by a rocking portion 6 of the brush rotation mechanism 4. Specifically, the rollers 12 of the chuck members 1-1 to 1-3 are formed by polyurethane foam and a plurality of circumferential grooves 14 are formed in the surface of the rollers 12. The rod-shaped brushes 3-1 and 3-2 are formed by attaching sponges 32 having a large number of bumps 30 to the front ends of shafts 31.

Abstract: A single sensor 19 simultaneously measures the thickness and contour of a polishing pad 3 before and after polishing to determine changes in the thickness and contour of the polishing pad 3 caused by polishing. Based on these changes, a reproduction signal for pad reproduction or a replacement signal for pad replacement is output from a controlling means 13 to enable the surface accuracy of the polishing pad to be efficiently controlled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for planarizing works can adjust an urging force or pressure applied to a work with ease in a short period of time, but also avoid wasteful use of rings. Wafers 100 adhered to a block 110 is made into contact with a lower surface plate 1. An annular ring 5 which encloses the wafers 100 is disposed in the peripheral portion of the block 110. The peripheral portion of the block 110 is pressed by a head 4 through an annular ring 5. Simultaneous with this, by rotating the lower surface plate 1 while pressing the central portion of the block 110 at a desired pressure by means of a center-pressing member 6 provided on the head 4, the wafers 100 are planarized.

Abstract: A CMP apparatus has an extended life and improved polishing accuracy and is capable of not only preventing a wafer 100 from dashing out of a carrier 1 and being damaged or wound, but also adjusting the elasticity of a pressure pad to a desired value in a fine manner. The CMP apparatus includes the carrier 1, a suction mechanism 4 having an air passage 40 disposed to open on a lower surface of the carrier 1 for drawing air, and a surface plate 300 having a hard polishing pad 220 and a soft pad 210 adhered thereto. The pressure pad in the form of a porous thin Teflon layer 7 having a thickness of 5 mm is adhered to a lower surface of the carrier 1 which holds the wafer 100. Thus, the rear surface of the wafer 100 is maintained in a horizontal state by the Teflon layer 7, and the warpage and/or irregularities in the thickness of the wafer 100, which appear on the front surface of the wafer 100, can be absorbed by the soft pad 210 and the hard polishing pad 220.

Abstract: A carrier and CMP apparatus which improve the uniformity of polishing in a wafer or other workpiece and increase the margin of the amount of wear of the retainer ring to improve the operating rate of the CMP apparatus. A carrier 1 is constituted by a housing 10, a carrier base 11, a retainer ring 12, a sheet supporter 13, a hard sheet 18, and a soft backing sheet 19. The sheet supporter 13 is formed by a supporter body portion 14 having an air opening 14a communicating with an air outlet/inlet 11b of the carrier base 11, a flexible diaphragm 15, and an edge ring 16. Therefore, a wafer W is uniformly pressed by the air pressure in the pressure chamber R and fluctuation in the force pressing against the outer peripheral rim of the wafer W caused by the wear of the retainer ring 12 is countered by the diaphragm 15.