Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing pad for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, having a sealing barrier which prevents fluid leakage and moisture accumulation on a window. The polishing pad comprises an upper pad having polishing surface in contact with a wafer, a bottom pad an upper face of which is attached to a lower face of the upper pad and a lower face of which is attached to an upper face of a platen of the CMP apparatus, an aperture through the bottom pad and the upper pad, a transparent window fitted in the aperture in the upper pad, and a sealing barrier, placed between the aperture and an external face of the bottom pad in contact with a fluid, to prevent fluid leakage and accumulation of moisture derived from fluid fed on the polishing surface through the bottom pad.

Abstract: A carrier head of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus has a support, an elastic membrane secured to the support and spaced from the bottom surface of the support so that a pressure chamber is defined between the membrane and the bottom surface of the support; and at least one annular barrier of elastic material extending from the bottom surface of the support. Each barrier has an annular partition portion that extends through the pressure chamber and divides the pressure chamber into respective pressure zones on opposite sides thereof, and an annular contact portion that abuts the membrane such that the barrier contacts the membrane but is not fixedly attached thereto. The contact portion includes a pair of annular flanges extending laterally in opposite directions at the lower end of the partition portion.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing head that is composed of a carrier and a membrane, and is positioned on a polishing pad of a supporting part. The polishing head has a supporter installed at an internal center of the carrier, a chucking ring positioned between the carrier and the supporter, and means for moving the chucking ring up and down in a vertical direction. The supporter forms a sealed space together with the membrane, and the chucking ring chucks the wafer in vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus having a workpiece transfer robot for transferring a workpiece from one operation to the next. The polishing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a polishing section including a top ring for holding a workpiece to be polished and a turntable having a polishing surface for polishing a surface of the workpiece held by the top ring; a cleaning section including a cleaning device for cleaning the workpiece that has been polished in the polishing section; and a workpiece transfer robot for transferring the workpiece to be polished to the polishing section or for transferring the workpiece that has been polished to the cleaning section.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing head that is composed of a carrier and a membrane, and is positioned on a polishing pad of a supporting part. The polishing head has a supporter installed at an internal center of the carrier, a chucking ring positioned between the carrier and the supporter, and means for moving the chucking ring up and down in a vertical direction. The supporter forms a sealed space together with the membrane, and the chucking ring chucks the wafer in vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing head that is composed of a carrier and a membrane, and is positioned on a polishing pad of a supporting part. The polishing head has a supporter installed at an internal center of the carrier, a chucking ring positioned between the carrier and the supporter, and means for moving the chucking ring up and down in a vertical direction. The supporter forms a sealed space together with the membrane, and the chucking ring chucks the wafer in vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer includes a polishing station having a platen on which a polishing pad is installed, a polishing head having a membrane that contacts a surface of the wafer, the membrane securing the wafer and pressuring the wafer against the polishing pad, wherein the polishing station includes a transfer stage for loading the wafer on or unloading the wafer from the polishing head, and wherein the transfer stage includes a pedestal on which the wafer is placed and a fluid supply part for supplying a fluid into a boundary region between the wafer and the membrane to reduce a surface tension between the wafer and the membrane. Preferably, the apparatus further includes a stopper for preventing the wafer placed on the pedestal from being lifted up along with the membrane when the wafer is unloaded from the polishing head onto the pedestal.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing pad for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, having a sealing barrier which prevents fluid leakage and moisture accumulation on a window. The polishing pad comprises an upper pad having polishing surface in contact with a wafer, a bottom pad an upper face of which is attached to a lower face of the upper pad and a lower face of which is attached to an upper face of a platen of the CMP apparatus, an aperture through the bottom pad and the upper pad, a transparent window fitted in the aperture in the upper pad, and a sealing barrier, placed between the aperture and an external face of the bottom pad in contact with a fluid, to prevent fluid leakage and accumulation of moisture derived from fluid fed on the polishing surface through the bottom pad.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing head that is composed of a carrier and a membrane, and is positioned on a polishing pad of a supporting part. The polishing head has a supporter installed at an internal center of the carrier, a chucking ring positioned between the carrier and the supporter, and means for moving the chucking ring up and down in a vertical direction. The supporter forms a sealed space together with the membrane, and the chucking ring chucks the wafer in vacuum.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing head that is composed of a carrier and a membrane, and is positioned on a polishing pad of a supporting part. The polishing head has a supporter installed at an internal center of the carrier, a chucking ring positioned between the carrier and the supporter, and means for moving the chucking ring up and down in a vertical direction. The supporter forms a sealed space together with the membrane, and the chucking ring chucks the wafer in vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, which has a tunnel insulating layer consisting of two or more portions of different thickness, cell transistors, and auxiliary transistors for applying external voltage and for interfacing with peripheral circuits is described. According to the method, the tunnel insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a first insulating layer are sequentially deposited over a semiconductor substrate. The resultant structure is selectively etched to a given depth to form trenches. A second insulating layer is deposited over the substrate including the trenches, and the second insulating layer is selectively removed so as to form element isolation regions consisting of the trenches filled with the second insulating layer. The first insulating layer is selectively removed, and the second insulating layer is selectively removed by a CMP process to expose the conductive layer. The conductive layer is used as the stopping layer during the CMP process.

Abstract: A slurry composition useful for chemical mechanical polishing of the surface of a material layer, e.g., a silicon oxide layer, is disclosed. A first material surface which is exposed to the slurry exhibits hydrophilicity, while a second material layer, e.g., a polysilicon layer, the surface of which is also exposed to the slurry, exhibits hydrophobicity, and accordingly acts as a polishing stopping layer. The slurry composition consists essentially of water, abrasive grains, and a polymer additive having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer includes a polishing station having a platen on which a polishing pad is installed, a polishing head having a membrane that contacts a surface of the wafer, the membrane securing the wafer and pressuring the wafer against the polishing pad, wherein the polishing station includes a transfer stage for loading the wafer on or unloading the wafer from the polishing head, and wherein the transfer stage includes a pedestal on which the wafer is placed and a fluid supply part for supplying a fluid into a boundary region between the wafer and the membrane to reduce a surface tension between the wafer and the membrane. Preferably, the apparatus further includes a stopper for preventing the wafer placed on the pedestal from being lifted up along with the membrane when the wafer is unloaded from the polishing head onto the pedestal.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: A slurry composition useful for chemical mechanical polishing of the surface of a material layer, e.g., a silicon oxide layer, is disclosed. A first material surface which is exposed to the slurry exhibits hydrophilicity, while a second material layer, e.g., a polysilicon layer, the surface of which is also exposed to the slurry, exhibits hydrophobicity, and accordingly acts as a polishing stopping layer. The slurry composition consists essentially of water, abrasive grains, and a polymer additive having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups.