Dressing apparatus, polishing apparatus having the dressing apparatus, and polishing method
AssigneeEbara Corporation
InventorsSatoshi Nagai, Suguru Ogura, Kaoru Hamaura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dressing apparatus capable of bringing an overall dressing surface of a dresser into uniform sliding contact with a polishing surface of a polishing pad and capable of uniformly dressing the overall polishing surface of the polishing pad is disclosed. The dressing apparatus includes a dresser configured to rub against a polishing surface to dress the polishing surface that is used for polishing a substrate, a dresser shaft that applies a load to the dresser, at least one load-applying device configured to apply a downward load to a part of a peripheral portion of the dresser, and an operation controller configured to control operation of the load-applying device.
Claims16
A dressing apparatus, comprising:
- a dresser configured to rub against a polishing surface to dress the polishing surface that is used for polishing a substrate;
- a dresser shaft that applies a load to the dresser;
- at least one load-applying device configured to apply a downward load to a part of a peripheral portion of the dresser;
- and
- an operation controller configured to control operation of the load-applying device.
(canceled)
A polishing method, comprising:
- rubbing a dresser against a polishing surface while causing the dresser to oscillate on the polishing surface to dress the polishing surface;
- during dressing of the polishing surface, changing a downward load applied to a part of a peripheral portion of the dresser and changing a position of the downward load in accordance with a position of the dresser on the polishing surface, thereby regulating an angle at which a dressing surface of the dresser is tilted with respect to the polishing surface;
- and
- after dressing of the polishing surface is terminated, pressing a substrate against the polishing surface to provide sliding contact between the substrate and the polishing surface, thereby polishing the substrate.
A polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate by bringing the substrate into sliding contact with a polishing surface, the polishing apparatus comprising:
- a top ring configured to press the substrate against the polishing surface;
- and
- a dressing apparatus configured to dress the polishing surface,
- the dressing apparatus including
- (i) a dresser configured to rub against the polishing surface to dress the polishing surface,
- (ii) a dresser shaft that applies a load to the dresser,
- (iii) at least one load-applying device configured to apply a downward load to a part of a peripheral portion of the dresser, and
- (iv) an operation controller configured to control operation of the load-applying device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.