Abstract: Electric conductivity is enhanced without causing coagulation or precipitation of polishing abrasive grains. In addition, good planarization is realized without inducing defects in a metallic film or a wiring which are to be polished. In an electropolishing method for planarizing the surface of a metallic film to be polished by moving a polishing pad (15) in sliding contact with the metallic film surface while oxidizing the metallic film surface through an electrolytic action in an electropolishing liquid E, the electropolishing liquid E contains at least polishing abrasive grains and an electrolyte for maintaining an electrostatically charged state of the polishing abrasive grains. Since the electropolishing liquid having a high electric conductivity is used, it is possible to obtain a high electrolyzing current and to enlarge the distance between electrodes.

Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus by which excess portions of a metallic film 18 can be removed easily and efficiently in planarizing the metallic film 18 by polishing and which is high in accuracy of polishing, are provided. Also, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by use of the polishing method and the polishing apparatus is provided. A substrate 17 provided with the metallic film 18 and a counter electrode 15 are disposed oppositely to each other in an electrolytic solution E, an electric current is passed to the metallic film 18 through the electrolytic solution E, and the surface of the metallic film 18 is polished with a hard pad 14.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical waveguide device including a cladding having first and second surfaces opposite to each other, a core laminated to the first surface of the cladding for guiding light in a longitudinal direction thereof, the core having a pair of light incident and emergent portions at the opposite ends, and a pair of light collimating or focusing members bonded to the second surface of the cladding at the opposite ends corresponding to the light incident and emergent portions of the core.

Abstract: An etching solution includes an anticorrosive for copper or a benzotriazole based anticorrosive in a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution. An etching method makes use of the etching solution set out above. Moreover, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which should include the step of removing copper by the etching method. The method includes the steps of forming copper through a barrier layer made of a metal or metal compound, which is greater in ionization tendency than copper, so as to bury a wiring groove formed in an insulating film with the copper, followed by polishing additional copper and barrier layer formed on the insulating film, and etching a surface layer of the insulating film by use of the etching solution to remove an insulating defective layer made mainly of the barrier layer on the insulating film along with the surface layer of the insulating film.

Abstract: A photoelectric transducer has an optical waveguide and a photoelectric transducer element array of photoelectric transducer elements optically coupled to the optical waveguide. The photoelectric transducer element array has a common conductive layer, and the photoelectric transducer elements are mounted on the common conductive layer in alignment with entrance or exit ends of the optical waveguide. The photoelectric transducer elements having respective first poles, and the photoelectric transducer element array has a second pole disposed in opposite relation to the first poles and connected as a reference potential setting electrode through the common conductive layer to at least two of the photoelectric transducer elements.

Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus by which excess portions of a metallic film 18 can be removed easily and efficiently in planarizing the metallic film 18 by polishing and which is high in accuracy of polishing, are provided. Also, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by use of the polishing method and the polishing apparatus is provided. A substrate 17 provided with the metallic film 18 and a counter electrode 15 are disposed oppositely to each other in an electrolytic solution E, an electric current is passed to the metallic film 18 through the electrolytic solution E, and the surface of the metallic film 18 is polished with a hard pad 14.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus and a polishing method by which it is possible to restrain variations in the composition of an electrolytic solution 2 between a wafer 3 and a counter electrode 5, and the like, and to make current density distribution substantially constant in the plane of the wafer. The polishing apparatus, for planarizing a surface to be polished 3a by electrolytic combined polishing composed of a combination of electropolishing and mechanical polishing, includes a voltage impressing means 5 disposed oppositely to the surface to be polished 3a, and a discharging means for discharging foreign matter intermediately present between the voltage impressing means 5 and the object of polishing.

Abstract: The object is to make it possible to pass an electric current to the object of polishing with a stable current density distribution up to the end point of polishing, to use the same plating apparatus, cleaning apparatus and other apparatuses as those conventionally used, and to carry out the conventional manufacturing process flow. A substrate (1) provided with a metallic film (2) and a opposite electrode (3) are disposed oppositely to each other with a predetermined distance therebetween in an electrolytic solution, and an electric current is passed to the metallic film (2) through the electrolytic solution by an anode (4) set out of contact with the metallic film (2), so as to electropolish the metallic film (2). Simultaneously with the electropolishing, wiping is conducted by sliding a pad on the metallic film.

Abstract: An etching solution includes an anticorrosive for copper or a benzotriazole based anticorrosive in a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution. An etching method makes use of the etching solution set out above. Moreover, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which should include the step of removing copper by the etching method. The method includes the steps of forming copper through a barrier layer made of a metal or metal compound, which is greater in ionization tendency than copper, so as to bury a wiring groove formed in an insulating film with the copper, followed by polishing additional copper and barrier layer formed on the insulating film, and etching a surface layer of the insulating film by use of the etching solution to remove an insulating defective layer made mainly of the barrier layer on the insulating film along with the surface layer of the insulating film.

Abstract: There are provided a polishing method and a polishing apparatus for appropriately controlling the potential of an acting electrode to perform an accurate and stable electrolytic polishing process. There is also provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the polishing method and the polishing apparatus. In the polishing method according to the present invention, a substrate with a metal film formed thereon and a counter electrode are disposed in facing relation to each other in an electrolytic liquid, and a current is supplied to the metal film through the electrolytic liquid based on the potential of the metal film with respect to a reference electrode.

Abstract: Electric conductivity is enhanced without causing coagulation or precipitation of polishing abrasive grains. In addition, good planarization is realized without inducing defects in a metallic film or a wiring which are to be polished.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polishing system used for polishing a surface to be polished of an object to be polished by a polishing pad, which is capable of improving uniformity of the surface to be polished of the object to be polished by positively, accurately adjusting a polishing pressure, and a polishing method using the polishing system. Concretely, the surface to be polished of a wafer as the object to be polished is polished by relatively moving, along a plane, a polishing surface of the rotating polishing pad and the surface to be polished of the wafer in slide-contact with each other, and adjusting a pressing force applied from the polishing pad to the wafer in accordance with a polishing pressure previously set depending on a relative-positional relationship between the polishing surface of the polishing pad and the surface to be polished of the wafer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polishing system used for polishing a surface to be polished of an object to be polished by a polishing pad, which is capable of improving uniformity of the surface to be polished of the object to be polished by positively, accurately adjusting a polishing pressure, and a polishing method using the polishing system. Concretely, the surface to be polished of a wafer as the object to be polished is polished by relatively moving, along a plane, a polishing surface of the rotating polishing pad and the surface to be polished of the wafer in slide-contact with each other, and adjusting a pressing force applied from the polishing pad to the wafer in accordance with a polishing pressure previously set depending on a relative-positional relationship between the polishing surface of the polishing pad and the surface to be polished of the wafer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polishing system used for polishing a surface to be polished of an object to be polished by a polishing pad, which is capable of improving uniformity of the surface to be polished of the object to be polished by positively, accurately adjusting a polishing pressure, and a polishing method using the polishing system. Concretely, the surface to be polished of a wafer as the object to be polished is polished by relatively moving, along a plane, a polishing surface of the rotating polishing pad and the surface to be polished of the wafer in slide-contact with each other, and adjusting a pressing force applied from the polishing pad to the wafer in accordance with a polishing pressure previously set depending on a relative-positional relationship between the polishing surface of the polishing pad and the surface to be polished of the wafer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polishing method including the step of: polishing a surface of a member to be polished by rotating and sliding an abrasive wheel holding fixed abrasive grains on the surface of the wheel while supplying free abrasive grains to the surface of the member to be polished; wherein the abrasive wheel is formed by binding the fixed abrasive grains with a soft binder and a pore forming agent. This polishing method is effective to obtain a high flatness of a polished surface and improve surface characteristics of the polished surface, and also to obtain a high continuous-workability by stably keeping a polishing ability for a long period of time.