Abstract: A method of polishing substrates enables the size of a polishing table to be reduced. A surface of a substrate to be polished is brought into contact with a polishing surface of a polishing table in such a manner that a portion of the surface of the substrate extends outwardly from an outer periphery of the polishing surface. The substrate is rotated about its center axis while keeping its surface in contact with the polishing surface of the polishing table. The attitude of the substrate carrier is controlled so that the surface of the substrate is kept parallel with the polishing surface of the polishing table during a polishing operation.

Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus wherein a semiconductor substrate is held by a top ring 10-2 or 11-2 and is pressed against a polishing surface of a polishing table 10-1 or 10-2. A surface to be polished of the semiconductor substrate is polished by a relative movement between the semiconductor substrate and the polishing surface. The apparatus includes a pressing force changing mechanism for changing a pressing force for pressing the semiconductor substrate, a relative movement seed changing mechanism for changing the number of revolutions of the top ring and/or the polishing table, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism performs the polishing through plural polishing processes on the polishing table 10-1 or 10-2 while changing the pressing force and the number of revolutions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device has an embedded interconnect structure in which an electric conductor, such as copper or silver, is embedded in fine recesses formed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and also has a protective film formed on surfaces of exposed interconnects that define the interconnect structure, to protect the interconnects. The protective film has a flattened surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the polishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.

Abstract: An electrolytic processing apparatus is used to remove a metal film formed on a surface of a substrate. The electrolytic processing apparatus includes a feeding electrode 31 for feeding electricity to a metal film 6 on a substrate W, a processing electrode 32 for processing the metal film 6, a substrate carrier 11 for holding the substrate W, a first supply passage 51 for supplying a first electrolytic processing liquid, a second supply passage 52 for supplying a second electrolytic processing liquid, an insulating member 36 for electrically isolating the first electrolytic processing liquid and the second electrolytic processing liquid, a table 12 on which the feeding electrode 31, the processing electrode 32, and the insulating member 36 are disposed, and a relative movement mechanism 17 for making a relative movement between the table 12 and the substrate carrier 11.

Abstract: An electrolytic processing method is used to remove a metal film formed on a surface of a substrate. The electrolytic processing method includes providing a feeding electrode 31 and a processing electrode 32 on a table 12, providing an insulating member 36 between the feeding electrode and the processing electrode, holding the substrate W by a substrate carrier 11, bringing the substrate into contact with the insulating member, supplying first and second electrolytic processing liquids to gaps between the feeding electrode and the substrate and between the processing electrode and the substrate, respectively, while the first and second electrolytic processing liquids are electrically isolated, applying voltage between the feeding electrode and the processing electrode, and making a relative movement between the substrate carrier and the table to electrically process the metal film.

Abstract: A method is suitable for cleaning substrates, after polishing, that require a high degree of cleanliness, such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, or liquid crystal displays. The method includes polishing a substrate using an abrasive liquid containing abrasive particles, and cleaning a polished surface of the substrate by supplying a cleaning liquid having substantially the same pH as the abrasive liquid or similar pH to the abrasive liquid so that a pH of the abrasive liquid attached to the polished surface of the substrate is not rapidly changed.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus and method has a function of polishing a surface of a film formed on a substrate to a flat mirror finish and a function of polishing unnecessary metal film such as copper film deposited on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to remove such unnecessary metal film. The polishing apparatus comprises a surface polishing mechanism comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for holding the substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface of the polishing table to thereby polish a surface of the substrate, and an outer periphery polishing mechanism for polishing an outer peripheral portion of the substrate.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for chemical mechanical polishing a copper (Cu) layer formed on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and then cleaning the polished substrate. The polishing apparatus has a polishing section having a turntable with a polishing surface and a top ring for holding a substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface to polish a surface having a semiconductor device thereon, and a cleaning section for cleaning the substrate which has been polished. The cleaning section has an electrolyzed water supply device for supplying electrolyzed water to the substrate to clean the polished surface of the substrate while supplying electrolyzed water to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the ppolishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device has an embedded interconnect structure in which an electric conductor, such as copper or silver, is embedded in fine recesses formed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and also has a protective film formed on surfaces of exposed interconnects that define the interconnect structure, to protect the interconnects. The protective film has a flattened surface.

Abstract: A holding unit holds a substrate to enable a surface of the substrate to be processed. The unit has a vacuum suction member that comes into contact with a peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate and sucks the substrate. A processing apparatus holds the wafer stably and allows an edge, a bevel portion and/or a back surface of the wafer to be processed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the polishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.

Abstract: A workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is polished by pressing the workpiece against a polishing surface under a predetermined pressure. A polished surface of the workpiece is processed by pressing the workpiece against a processing surface under a predetermined pressure while the processing surface makes circulatory translational motion along a predetermined path. The processing surface comprises a surface of a polishing cloth or a surface of an abrading plate, and the polished surface of the workpiece is further polished or cleaned.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device has an embedded interconnect structure in which an electric conductor, such as copper or silver, is embedded in fine recesses formed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and also has a protective film formed on surfaces of exposed interconnects that define the interconnect structure, to protect the interconnects. The protective film has a flattened surface.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, and has a sensor capable of continuously detecting the thickness of an electrically conductive layer. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring for holding and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface to polish the surface of the substrate. A sensor such as an eddy-current sensor is disposed below the polishing surface of the polishing table for measuring the thickness of a conductive layer formed on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate comprises a turntable having a polishing surface, a substrate holder for holding a substrate and bringing the substrate into contact under pressure with the polishing surface, a dresser including a dresser tool adapted to be brought into contact under a pressure with the polishing surface to dress or condition the polishing surface and a pressure device connected to the dresser for moving the dresser between a raised position where the dresser is spaced away from the polishing surface and a dressing position where the dresser rests on the polishing surface such that the dresser tool is in contact with the polishing surface under a pressure exerted by the weight of the dresser itself, the dresser comprising a follow-up mechanism allowing each one of dressing element to move up and down relative to a flange portion so as to follow a contour of the polishing surface of the turntable.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer has a turntable with a polishing surface, and a top ring for holding a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface under a first pressing. The polishing apparatus has a pressurized fluid source for supplying pressurized fluid, and a plurality of openings provided in the holding surface of the top ring for ejecting the pressurized fluid supplied from the pressurized fluid source. A plurality of areas each having the openings are defined on the holding surface so that the pressurized fluid is selectively ejectable from the openings in the respective areas.