Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a turntable having a polishing surface, a top ring for holding a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface to polish the workpiece, at least three cleaning apparatuses for cleaning polished workpieces, and a transfer structure for transferring the polished workpieces between at least three cleaning apparatuses. The transfer structure comprises a plurality of robots and is capable of changing transfer routes between the three cleaning apparatuses.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus has a turntable with a polishing surface, a top ring for pressing a workpiece against the polishing surface under a given pressure to polish the workpiece, and a dresser for dressing the polishing surface. The polishing surface has an outer circumferential edge portion cut off or the dresser has a predetermined outside diameter, such that the polishing surface has an outer circumferential edge positioned in alignment with or radially inwardly of an outer circumferential edge of the dresser in the radial direction of the turntable when the polishing surface is dressed by the dresser.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus polishes a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a storage cassette for storing workpieces to be polished, at least two polishing units each having at least a turntable with a polishing cloth mounted thereon and a top ring for supporting a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the polishing cloth, and a cleaning unit for cleaning a workpiece which has been polished by either one of the polishing units in such a state that the workpiece is removed from the top ring. The polishing apparatus further includes a transfer robot for transferring a workpiece between two of the storage cassette, the polishing units and the cleaning unit.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus comprises a top ring for holding a workpiece to be polished, and a polishing table movable relatively to the top ring. The polishing table has a polishing surface for polishing the workpiece held by the top ring. The polishing apparatus further comprises a polishing liquid supply device for supplying a polishing liquid to the polishing surface. At least one of the top ring and the polishing table reciprocates linearly in a first direction. The workpiece can be polished uniformly by the polishing surface because at least one of the top ring and the polishing table reciprocates linearly in the first direction.

Abstract: This invention relates to a polishing machine for polishing an article such as a semiconductor wafer. A movable arm is located at a liquid supply position for supplying a liquid such as a polishing liquid onto a polishing surface of a turntable. The arm is also adapted to be moved to and held at a retracted position radially outside the polishing surface. At the liquid supply position, liquid supply nozzles supported on the arm are brought into a condition such that the nozzles are close to a position on the polishing surface where the liquid is to be supplied, whereby the liquid is accurately supplied onto the position. Holding the arm at the retracted position makes it easy to conduct a maintenance work for the polishing surface and so on.

Abstract: A workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is held by a top ring, and a lower surface of the workpiece is polished to a flat mirror finish by being pressed against a polishing surface of the turntable while the top ring and the turntable are rotated. While the workpiece is being polished, at least one of the pressure and the flow rate of a fluid which is supplied to an upper surface of the workpiece is detected. When at least one of the detected pressure and the detected flow rate changes, the polishing of the workpiece is stopped.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a cleaning device for critical cleaning of a top ring or a dressing tool to obtain high quality polishing by minimizing surface damage caused by contaminants originating from the top ring and/or dressing tool. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table; a workpiece holding member for pressing a workpiece onto the polishing table; a dressing tool for conditioning a work surface provided on the polishing table. A cleaning device is provided for cleaning the dressing tool and/or the workpiece holding member. The cleaning device is provided with a spray nozzle for directing a cleaning solution toward at least an upper surface of the workpiece holding member or the dressing tool.

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, a top ring for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface, and a transferring device for transferring the workpiece between the top ring and the transferring device. The transferring device includes a stage having a support surface for supporting the workpiece, an actuating unit for moving the stage in a vertical direction, and a guide member disposed radially outwardly of the stage and having a guide surface of an inverted conical shape. The centering of the workpiece is conducted by bringing a periphery of the workpiece into contact with the guide surface, and then the workpiece is transferred from the transferring device to the top ring by raising the stage.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus polishes a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a storage cassette for storing workpieces to be polished, at least two polishing units each having at least a turntable with a polishing cloth mounted thereon and a top ring for supporting a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the polishing cloth, and a cleaning unit for cleaning a workpiece which has been polished by either one of the polishing units in such a state that the workpiece is removed from the top ring. The polishing apparatus further includes a transfer robot for transferring a workpiece between two of the storage cassette, the polishing units and the cleaning unit.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus has a pusher for transferring the workpiece between a top ring of a polishing apparatus and the pusher. The polishing apparatus includes a turntable having a polishing surface, a top ring for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface, and a pusher for transferring the workpiece between the top ring and the pusher. The pusher comprises a workpiece support for supporting the workpiece, an actuating unit for moving the workpiece support in a vertical direction, a sliding mechanism movable within a horizontal plane, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the workpiece support and the top ring with respect to each other in association with the sliding mechanism when the workpiece is transferred between the workpiece support and the top ring.

Abstract: A carrier device is adapted for use in a polishing apparatus with a turntable having a polishing surface. The carrier device includes a carrier for carrying an article to be polished and a control device operatively associated with the carrier. The control device includes an actuator operable to cause the carrier to urge the article against the polishing surace of the turntable to polish the article, a sensor operatively associated with the actuator and operable to sense a pressure as applied to the article when the article is urged against the polishing surface of the turntable and a control unit operatively associated with the actuator and the sensor so as to monitor the pressure during a polishing operation. The control unit is operable to control operation of the actuator in response to the pressure as monitored so as to keep the pressure at a target level and halt the polishing operation when the pressure is deviated from a predetermined range over a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a top ring for holding a workpiece to be polished on a lower surface thereof, a turntable having a polishing surface for polishing a surface of the workpiece held by the top ring, and a dressing tool for dressing the polishing surface of the turntable. The top ring is movable to a first maintenance position therefor, and the dressing tool is movable to a second maintenance position therefor. The top ring, the turntable, and the dressing tool are housed in a single chamber having a plurality of side faces. The polishing surface, the first maintenance position, and the second maintenance position are positioned closely to one of the side faces of the chamber. Such one side face serves as a maintenance face for approaching the polishing surface, the first maintenance position, and the second maintenance position for maintenance of the polishing surface, the top ring and the dressing tool.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus 70 is used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish by a combination of chemical polishing and mechanical polishing. The polishing apparatus includes a turntable 73 with a polishing 74 cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof, a top ring 75 for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the polishing cloth, and a dressing tool 79 for dressing the polishing cloth on the turntable. The polishing apparatus further includes a cover 10 which covers an upper surface of the turntable for preventing liquid on the turntable from being scattered, and inserting holes 17 and 21 formed in an upper wall of the cover for inserting the top ring and the dressing tool therethrough.

Abstract: A polishing plant includes a polishing apparatus having a top ring for holding a workpiece and a turn table for polishing a surface of the workpiece held by the top ring. A cleaning apparatus has cleaning machines for cleaning the workpiece polished by the polishing apparatus. At least one drainage pipe connected to the polishing apparatus discharges a waste liquid from the polishing apparatus, and at least one drainage pipe connected to the cleaning apparatus to discharges a waste liquid from the cleaning apparatus are provided as separate plural of drainage pipe lines, depending on the type of waste liquid. By use of the polishing plant of the present invention, treatment waste liquids can be efficiently conducted.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer includes a polishing section for polishing a surface of the workpiece held by the top ring, and a cleaning section for cleaning the workpiece which has been polished in the polishing section. The polishing apparatus further includes a workpiece transfer robot for transferring the workpiece to be polished to the polishing section or the workpiece which has been polished in the cleaning section. The workpiece transfer robot has a robot body, at least one arm operatively coupled to the robot body by at least one joint, a holder mechanism mounted on the: arm for holding a workpiece, and a sealing mechanism provided at the joint for preventing liquid from entering an interior of the joint.

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 polishing section for polishing a surface of a workpiece, a cleaning section for cleaning the workpiece which has been polished, a first liquid leakage sensor provided in the polishing section for detecting a liquid leakage which occurs in the polishing section, and a second liquid leakage sensor provided in the cleaning section for detecting a liquid leakage which occurs in the cleaning section. The polishing apparatus further includes a controlling device for stopping the supply of liquid to the polishing section or the cleaning section in which the liquid leakage occurs when either one of the first and second liquid leakage sensors detects the liquid leakage.

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 thereon, and a top ring for holding a workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface on the turntable. A pusher is disposed in a position for transferring the workpiece to and from the top ring, and has a workpiece support which can be lifted to a position close to the top ring for transferring the workpiece to and from the top ring. When the workpiece support receives a polished workpiece and is lowered, a cleaning liquid is ejected substantially simultaneously from three cleaning nozzle units that are disposed in respective three positions to clean the upper and lower surfaces of the workpiece and the lower surface of the top ring.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes an enclosing structure having an outer wall and at least one door, a polishing section enclosed by the enclosing structure for polishing a surface of a workpiece by holding the workpiece and pressing the workpiece against a polishing surface of a turntable, a sensor for detecting an opening or closing of the door, and an exhaust system for exhausting ambient air from an interior of the enclosing structure. The polishing apparatus further includes an adjusting mechanism for adjusting an amount of air which is exhausted from the interior of the enclosing structure. The amount of air exhausted from the interior of the enclosing structure is reduced by the adjusting mechanism when the door is closed, and the amount of air exhausted from the interior of the enclosing structure is increased by the adjusting mechanism when the door is opened.

Abstract: A robotic transport apparatus is capable of providing an effective waterproofing function of working components without using mechanical seals. The robotic transport apparatus includes a robot body, an arm assembly extendably attached to the robot body, and a workpiece holding section attached to the arm assembly. A pan member for waterproofing of the robot body is provided between the workpiece holding section and the robot body and has an area not smaller than the workpiece holding section.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dry/wet work turning-over machine which can be used with both a dry hand and a wet hand and in which, even when the dry hand having a vacuum suction mechanism is inserted into a water-proof cover surrounding a work turning-over device, liquid is not adhered to the hand. In the dry/wet work turning-over machine, the work turning-over device is surrounded by the water-proof cover. An opening is formed in the water-proof cover at an upper surface of a front side thereof and a front part of an upper surface thereof. A screen for closing the opening is attached to the opening. The screen is rotated in a downward direction by a rotation driving mechanism.