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 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 liquid thermosetting resin composition comprises (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a curing catalyst, and (C) a filler and is characterized by exhibiting a viscosity at 25° C. of not more than 1,500 dPa.s, a gel time of not less than 300 seconds at a temperature at which the composition exhibits a melt viscosity of not more than 10 dPa.s, and a gel time at 130° C. of not more than 600 seconds. In the production of a printed wiring board by superposing an interlaminar resin insulating layer and a conductive circuit on the surface of the wiring board having a conductive circuit pattern including hole parts, a hole filling process is performed by filling the hole parts mentioned above with the composition mentioned above, effecting precure of the composition by heating, then polishing and removing parts of the precured composition protruding from a surface defining the hole parts, and further heating the precured composition till final curing.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a turntable having a polishing surface, and a top ring having a pressing surface for holding a workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface of the turntable. At least one of the polishing surface of the turntable and the pressing surface of the top ring is a curved surface such as a convex surface or a concave surface.

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 has a feed reel for feeding a polishing tape wound thereon and having a polishing surface, a take-up reel for reeling up the polishing tape from the feed reel, a presser for pressing the polishing tape between the feed reel and the take-up reel against a surface, to be polished, of a workpiece, and a motor for rotating the take-up reel. The feed reel, the take-up reel, and the presser are housed in a cartridge, which is detachably held by a cartridge holder.

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

Abstract: A polishing apparatus can strictly control the degree of material removal by providing close control over the operating temperature in the polishing table (12). The polishing apparatus has a polishing table (12) and a workpiece holder (14) for pressing a workpiece (W) towards the polishing table (12). The polishing table (12) has a polishing section (30) or a polishing tool attachment section at a surface thereof and a thermal medium passage (32) formed along the surface. The thermal medium passage (32) has a plurality of temperature adjustment passages provided respectively in a plurality of temperature adjustment regions which are formed by radially dividing a surface area of the polishing table (12).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plant diseases controlling composition containing as active ingredients: the pyrazolinone derivative represented by Chemical Formula: wherein R1 represents halogen or methyl optionally substituted with halogen, R2 represents hydrogen, halogen or methyl optionally substituted with halogen, R3 represents isopropyl, sec-butyl, 1-ethylpropyl, 1-methylbutyl, tert-butyl or 1,1-dimethylpropyl, R4 representing oxygen or sulfur, R5 represents C1-C5 alkyl, C2-C5 alkynyl or C3-C5 alkenyl, and at least one imide compound selected from N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-1,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1,2-dicarboximide, 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-N-(1-methylethyl)-2,4-dioxo-1-imidazolidinecarboxamide and 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-methyl-5-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidine-2,4-dione; and a plant diseases controlling method comprising applying said pyrazolinone derivative with said imide compound. The present invention can effectively control plant diseases.

Abstract: An electroplating apparatus and method that can detect the film thickness of a plated film, which is being deposited on the surface, to be plated, of a substrate, consecutively in real time, thereby enabling the detection of the end point of plating. The electroplating apparatus for plating a substrate by filling a plating solution between the substrate held by a substrate holding portion and an anode, and applying a voltage between the substrate and the anode, includes at least one of a voltage monitor for monitoring the voltage applied between the substrate and the anode, thereby detecting the end point of the electroplating, and a current monitor for monitoring an electric current that flows through a detection circuit, which is formed by connecting at least two cathode electrodes and to which a constant voltage is applied, thereby detecting the end point of the electroplating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece to be polished, 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 to be polished 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 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 an electroless plating apparatus which can easily form a plated film having more uniform thickness on a surface, to be plate, of a material to be plated. The present invention comprises a holding portion having a heating portion for holding a material to be plated in such a state that a surface to be plated faces downward, and a plating bath for introducing an electroless plating liquid having a predetermined temperature into a plating chamber, and holding the electroless plating liquid while allowing the electroless plating liquid to overflow an overflow dam, wherein the material, to be plated, held by the holding portion is brought into contact with the plating liquid in the plating bath to plate the material.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a plate-like workpiece by way of a relative sliding motion between the plate-like workpiece and a polishing surface. The polishing apparatus comprises a carrier for holding the plate-like workpiece.

Abstract: A workpiece carrier holds a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer and presses the workpiece against a polishing surface on a polishing table. The workpiece carrier has a top ring body for holding the workpiece, and a retainer ring for holding an outer circumferential edge of the workpiece. A fluid chamber which is supplied with a pressurized fluid such as a compressed air is provided in the top ring body and covered by a resilient membrane. A plurality of pressing members are fixed to the resilient membrane for applying a pressing force through the resilient membrane to the workpiece under the pressure of the fluid in the fluid chamber.

Abstract: A workpiece carrier has a top ring body for holding a workpiece, a drive shaft for rotating the top ring body and moving the top ring body toward a turntable to press the workpiece against a polishing surface, and a universal joint for transmitting a pressing force from the drive shaft to the top ring body while allowing the drive shaft and the top ring body to be tilted relative to each other. The universal joint includes two members having curved surfaces formed along arcs having a predetermined radius of curvature from a center positioned on a surface of the workpiece which is held in contact with the polishing surface on the turntable, and four rollers held in rolling contact with the curved surfaces. Two of the rollers held in rolling contact with each respective two of the curved surfaces to allow the top ring body to be tilted relative to the drive shaft about a point positioned on the surface which is held in contact with the polishing surface on the turntable.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer has a turntable with an abrasive cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof, and a top ring for holding a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the abrasive cloth under a first pressing force to polish the workpiece. A guide ring is vertically movably disposed around the top ring, and pressed against the abrasive cloth under a variable second pressing force. The first and second pressing forces are variable independently of each other, and the second pressing force is determined based on the first pressing force.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer has a turntable with a polishing cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof, and a top ring for holding a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the polishing cloth under a first pressing force to polish the workpiece. The top ring has a recess defined therein for accommodating the workpiece therein. A presser ring is vertically movably disposed around the top ring, and is pressed against the polishing cloth under a variable second pressing force. The first and second pressing forces are variable independently of each other, and the second pressing force is determined based on the first pressing force. Relative rotation between the top ring and the presser ring is achieved during polishing.

Abstract: A turntable with an abrasive cloth mounted thereon and a top ring positioned above the turntable are independently rotatably provided. The top ring holds a workpiece to be polished and presses the workpiece against the abrasive cloth. The turntable and the top ring are rotated to polish the surface of the workpiece to a flat mirror finish on the abrasive cloth. A rotatable brush pressed against the abrasive cloth is rotated about an axis substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the abrasive cloth, and oscillated substantially radially between radially inner and outer positions over the abrasive cloth. A cleaning solution is sprayed from a nozzle onto the abrasive cloth. The turntable has a bank along an outer circumferential edge thereto for preventing a protective solution, which is supplied to the abrasive cloth to keep the abrasive cloth wet and prevent it, from flowing off the turntable when the turntable is stationary.