Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising forming an insulating film above a substrate, forming a recess in the insulating film, successively forming an underlying layer, an immediate layer and a resist film above the insulating film having the recess formed thereon, the underlying layer being formed by a process comprising forming a first organic film above the insulating film, chemically mechanically polishing the first organic film to expose a surface of the insulating film and to remain the first organic film selectively in the recess, and forming a second organic film above the insulating film and above the first organic film, and subjecting the resist film to patterning exposure.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate is disclosed, wherein a sidewall surface of a notch portion formed in a circumferential portion of a substrate to be processed is polished by using a cylindrical polishing head rotatable with an axis as a rotational center.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of processing a substrate, which comprises applying a surfactant or a water soluble polymer agent onto a surface of a substrate to be processed, and sliding a circumferential portion of the substrate and a polishing member against each other to polish the circumferential portion of the substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer including an underlying layer including an insulating film having at least one recess therein and a metallic material layer formed over a top surface of the underlying layer and filling the recess, on a semiconductor substrate, is subjected to a polishing treatment while supplying a basic CMP slurry containing metal ions on the semiconductor wafer to at least partially remove the metallic material layer. Then, an organic acid which chelates the metal ions is added to the basic CMP slurry, and polishing is conducted, using the organic acid-added CMP slurry, until a surface of the insulating film is exposed.

Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus is provided for preventing excessive polishing and insufficient polishing, and enabling a quantitative setting of an additional polishing time. The substrate polishing apparatus comprises a mechanism for polishing a substrate to be polished; a film thickness measuring device for measuring the thickness of a thin film deposited on the substrate; an interface for entering a target thickness for the polished thin film; a storage area for preserving past polishing results; and a processing unit for calculating a polishing time and a polishing rate. The substrate polishing apparatus builds an additional polishing database for storing data acquired from the result of additional polishing in the storage area.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes depositing a SiO2 film on the substrate having formed thereon a wiring pattern; coating a SOG film on the SiO2 film; and polishing the SOG film using a slurry containing cerium oxide and cationic surfactant with a chemical-mechanical polishing process.

Abstract: There is disclosed a chemical mechanical polishing method of an organic film comprising forming the organic film above a semiconductor substrate, contacting the organic film formed above the semiconductor substrate with a polishing pad attached to a turntable, and dropping a slurry onto the polishing pad to polish the organic film, the slurry being selected from the group consisting of a first slurry and a second slurry, the first slurry comprising a resin particle having a functional group selected from the group consisting of an anionic functional group, a cationic functional group, an amphoteric functional group and a nonionic functional group, and having a primary particle diameter ranging from 0.05 to 5 &mgr;m, the first slurry having a pH ranging from 2 to 8, and the second slurry comprising a resin particle having a primary particle diameter ranging from 0.05 to 5 &mgr;m, and a surfactant having a hydrophilic moiety.

Abstract: Provided are an aqueous dispersion for chemical mechanical polishing, which planarizes a surface to be polished and has high shelf stability, a chemical mechanical polishing process excellent in selectivity when surfaces of different materials are polished, and a production process of a semiconductor device.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, used to determine the status of a processing operation during the manufacturing process, according to the embodiment of the present invention, comprises: detecting an image of a desired area of a surface of a semiconductor workpiece after it has been subjected to the processing operation, using an image signal detector; detecting image signal intensity at each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the image signal detector; and determining the status of the processing operation based on the relationship between the image signal intensity and the number of pixels at each of certain levels of the image signal intensity. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is made by utilizing the above-described inspection method.

Abstract: In measuring the angle of inclination of a liquid crystal projector with respect to the screen for automatically adjusting a trapezoidal distortion, the calculation of the angle of inclination by determining the distance from the screen using a distance sensor conventionally requires a high distance measurement accuracy and hence an expensive distance sensor. According to the invention, a distance sensor is rotated and the level of the wave reflected from it is observed. The angle of inclination with respect to the screen is detected from the rotational angle associated with the maximum value of the level of the reflected wave thereby to correct the trapezoidal distortion. In this way, the trapezoidal distortion can be adjusted automatically using an inexpensive distance sensor.

Abstract: A method of judging a residual film on a sample by an optical measurement, the sample including a first metal film whose reflectance is changed depending on a wavelength of measuring light, and an insulating film formed above the first metal film, and the residual film being a second metal film above the insulating film, the method comprising irradiating the sample with a measuring light so as to measure a change in intensity of light reflected from the sample depending on the wavelength of the measuring light, thereby obtaining a reflectance spectrum curve, and dividing the reflectance spectrum curve into a plurality of wavelength regions so as to judge presence or absence of the second metal film above the insulating film depending on a waveform in each of the wavelength regions of the reflectance spectrum curve.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece includes a housing unit, a partition wall partitioning an interior of the housing unit into a first chamber and a second chamber, a polishing section disposed in the first chamber and having a turntable with an abrasive cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof and a top ring positioned above the turntable for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the abrasive cloth, and a cleaning section disposed in the second chamber and cleaning the workpiece which has been polished. The polishing apparatus further includes a transferring device for transferring the workpiece which has been polished from the polishing section to the cleaning section through an opening and an exhaust system for exhausting ambient air from each of the polishing section and cleaning section separately and independently.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece includes a housing unit, a partition wall partitioning an interior of the housing unit into a first chamber and a second chamber, a polishing section disposed in the first chamber and having a turntable with an abrasive cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof and a top ring positioned above the turntable for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the abrasive cloth, and a cleaning section disposed in the second chamber and cleaning the workpiece which has been polished. The polishing apparatus further includes a transferring device for transferring the workpiece which has been polished from the polishing section to the cleaning section through an opening and an exhaust system for exhausting ambient air from each of the polishing section and cleaning section separately and independently.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, used to determine the status of a processing operation during the manufacturing process, according to the embodiment of the present invention, comprises: detecting an image of a desired area of a surface of a semiconductor workpiece after it has been subjected to the processing operation, using an image signal detector; detecting image signal intensity at each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the image signal detector; and determining the status of the processing operation based on the relationship between the image signal intensity and the number of pixels at each of certain levels of the image signal intensity. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is made by utilizing the above-described inspection method.

Abstract: To planarize an insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a polishing slurry containing cerium oxide is used to polish the surface of the insulating film. Using the cerium oxide included slurry as a polishing agent, the insulating film is not contaminated by alkali metals during the polishing process. Furthermore, the insulating film is polished at an enhanced polishing rate.

Abstract: To planarize an insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a polishing slurry containing cerium oxide is used to polish the surface of the insulating film. Using the cerium oxide included slurry as a polishing agent, the insulating film is not contaminated by alkali metals during the polishing process. Furthermore, the insulating film is polished at an enhanced polishing rate.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for cleaning workpiece is suitable for cleaning a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate, or a liquid crystal panel to a high level of cleanliness. The method of cleaning a workpiece comprises the steps of holding a workpiece, scrubbing the workpiece with a cleaning member, and rubbing the cleaning member against a member having a rough surface to carry out a self-cleaning of the cleaning member. The cleaning member which is contaminated by having scrubbed the workpiece is rubbed against the rough surface, and the rough surface scrapes the contaminant off the cleaning member. Therefore, the contaminant can effectively be removed from the cleaning member, and hence the cleaning member has a high self-cleaning effect.

Abstract: A semiconductor cleaning method includes scrubbing a semiconductor wafer using a cleaning member made primarily of polyurethane and having micropores in a surface contacting the semiconductor wafer. The micropores have an average diameter ranging from 10 to 200 .mu.m. The cleaning member may be made of either polyurethane foam or non-woven fabric composed of fibers bound together by urethane resin. By this scrubbing step, particles that are strongly attached to the surface of a substrate such as the semiconductor wafer can easily be removed. During cleaning of the substrate, surface irregularities and crystalline protrusions on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer can be scraped off to adjust the surface roughness of the semiconductor wafer to a desired degree for making the semiconductor wafer surface flat.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a planar end point on a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer in a polishing process for polishing the workpiece to a flat mirror finish. The workpiece having an uneven surface is held by a top ring and pressed against a polishing platen. The workpiece is moved relative to the polishing platen to polish the workpiece, and a change in a frictional force between the workpiece and the polishing platen is detected. A reference time when the workpiece having an uneven surface is polished to a flat surface is determined based on the change of the frictional force between the workpiece and the polishing platen. The time when a certain period of polishing time from the reference time elapses is determined as an endpoint on the workpiece.

Abstract: A film formed on a wafer is polished in a CMP unit. Thereafter, the wafer, which is adhered to a wafer holder, is moved to a portion above an optical sensor. A surface of the wafer is radiated with, for example, a visible ray, thereby measuring a thickness of the film which has been polished. A control unit automatically sets a polishing time for polishing a film on a wafer to be polished next.