Abstract: A polishing apparatus is disclosed, which is capable of heating and maintaining a temperature distribution of a polishing pad at a predetermined temperature distribution with a simple structure. The polishing apparatus has a pad-temperature regulating apparatus for regulating a temperature of a polishing surface, and the pad-temperature regulating apparatus includes a heating-fluid nozzle arranged above and spaced apart from the polishing surface. The heating-fluid nozzle includes: a nozzle body; a slit formed along a longitudinal direction of the nozzle body for ejecting a heating fluid toward the polishing surface; a header tube which is formed within the nozzle body and into which the heating fluid is supplied; a buffer tube which is formed within the nozzle body and communicates with the slit, and a plurality of branch tubes for coupling the header tube to the buffer tube.

Abstract: A method for estimating a life of a polishing pad includes: polishing a workpiece by pressing the workpiece against a polishing surface of a polishing pad with an elastic membrane forming a pressure chamber provided in a polishing head; controlling a pressure in the pressure chamber on the basis of a measured value of a film thickness of the workpiece while measuring the film thickness during the polishing of the workpiece; inputting time-series pressure data representing a change in the pressure in the pressure chamber during the polishing of the workpiece into a learned model; and outputting a life index of the polishing pad from the learned model.

Abstract: A substrate processing system capable of supplying a processing liquid containing fine bubbles at a high concentration without generating large sized bubbles in a middle of a supply line of the processing liquid is disclosed. There is provided a substrate processing system comprising: a gas dissolved water generation tank; a chemical liquid dilution module; and a substrate processing module. The substrate processing module comprises a processing liquid supply nozzle configured to supply the processing liquid onto a substrate. The processing liquid supply nozzle has a decompression release portion configured to generate fine bubbles of a gas from a diluted chemical liquid. The processing liquid supply nozzle is configured to supply the diluted chemical liquid containing fine bubbles in a process scrubbing the substrate.

Abstract: A polishing method capable of stabilizing a polishing process of a substrate is disclosed. In the polishing method, a fine bubble liquid is supplied onto a polishing pad after finishing polishing the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing method and a polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, such as a wafer. The present invention further relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing the polishing apparatus to perform the polishing method. The polishing method includes: rotating a polishing table (3); and polishing a substrate (W) by pressing the substrate (W) against a polishing surface (2a). Polishing the substrate (W) includes a film-thickness profile adjustment process and a polishing-end-point detection process. The film-thickness profile adjustment process includes adjusting pressing forces on the substrate (W) against the polishing surface (2a) based on a plurality of film thicknesses, and determining a point in time at which a film-thickness index value has reached a film-thickness threshold value. The film-thickness index value is determined from at least one of the plurality of film thicknesses.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a polishing table which supports a polishing pad, a polishing head which polishes a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, a pad temperature measuring device which measures a temperature of the polishing surface, a pad temperature adjusting device which adjusts the temperature of the polishing surface, and a control device which controls the operation of the pad temperature adjusting device based on the temperature of the polishing surface measured by the pad temperature measuring device. The pad temperature adjusting device includes a pad heater which is disposed to be separated upward from the polishing surface, and the pad heater includes a longitudinal portion which extends in a substantially radial direction of the polishing pad and a slit-shaped injection port which is formed in a longitudinal direction of the longitudinal portion and injects a heating fluid toward the polishing surface.

Abstract: There is provided a polishing end point detection method of improving the accuracy of detecting a polishing end point. The polishing end point detection method emits light toward a polishing object including a hybrid film made of a nanocarbon material and a light-transmissive material while polishing the polishing object (Step S102). Then, the polishing end point detection method receives light reflected from the polishing object (Step S103). Then, the polishing end point detection method subjects the received reflected light to signal processing (Step S104). Then, the polishing end point detection method determines the polishing end point of the polishing object based on the result of the signal processing (Step S105), and detects the polishing end point (Step S106).