Slurry recycling apparatus and slurry recycling method for chemical-mechanical polishing technique
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorShuu Kurisawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A first pump collects used slurry which is employed for a CMP technique. A new slurry supply device supplies new slurry having a concentration higher than a concentration of the used slurry, to the used slurry. A sensor measures a concentration of recycled slurry produced by mixing the used slurry with the new slurry. The new slurry supply device stops supplying the new slurry, in a case where the concentration which the sensor measures is equal to or above a predetermined value. A second pump supplies recycled slurry onto a polishing stage, after the used slurry is completely recycled.
Claims15
A slurry recycling apparatus for chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) technique, comprising:
- a first pump which collects used slurry employed for a CMP technique, from a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus;
- a new slurry supply device which supplies, to the used slurry, new slurry having a concentration higher than a concentration of the used slurry;
- a sensor which measures a concentration of recycled slurry produced by mixing the used slurry with the new slurry;
- and
- a second pump which supplies the recycled slurry to the chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus,
- wherein said new slurry supply device stops supplying the new slurry, in a case where the concentration of the recycled slurry which said sensor measures is equal to or above a predetermined value, and
- said second pump supplies the recycled slurry to the chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus, after the slurry is completely recycled.
A slurry recycling method for a CMP technique, comprising:
- collecting used slurry employed for a CMP technique, from a CMP apparatus;
- supplying, to the used slurry, new slurry having a concentration higher than a concentration of the used slurry;
- producing recycled slurry by mixing the used slurry and the new slurry;
- measuring a concentration of the recycled slurry;
- and
- supplying the recycled slurry to the CMP apparatus,
- wherein said supplying the new slurry includes stopping supplying the new slurry, in a case where a concentration of the recycled slurry is equal to or above a predetermined value, and
- said supplying the recycled slurry includes supplying the recycled slurry to the chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus, in a case where the slurry is completely recycled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.