US 7,066,787 B2Granted

Substrate processing apparatus

AssigneesEbara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsMasayuki Nakanishi, You Ishii, Kenro Nakamura

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Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus is used for removing surface irregularities occurring on a peripheral portion (a bevel portion, an edge portion, and a notch) of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, and films deposited as a contaminant on the peripheral portion of such a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes an edge-portion polisher for pressing a polishing tape against an edge portion of a substrate and causing relative movement between the polishing tape and the substrate to polish the edge portion of the substrate, and a bevel-portion polisher for pressing a polishing tape against a bevel portion of the substrate and causing relative movement between this polishing tape and the substrate to polish the bevel portion of the substrate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A substrate processing apparatus for polishing a substrate, said substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a loading/unloading stage on which a cassette having a plurality of substrates is to be placed;
a polishing unit for polishing a substrate, said polishing unit including
(i) an edge-portion polisher for pressing a first polishing tape against an edge portion of the substrate and causing relative movement between the first polishing tape and the substrate to polish the edge portion of the substrate;
(ii) a bevel-portion polisher for pressing a second polishing tape against a bevel portion of the substrate and causing relative movement between the second polishing tape and the substrate to polish the bevel portion of the substrate,
(iii) a notch polisher for pressing a third polishing tape against a notch formed in the substrate and causing relative movement between the third polishing tape and the substrate to polish the notch of the substrate, and
(iv) a cleaning device for conducting a primary cleaning of a polished substrate;
a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between a cassette, when on said loading/unloading stage, and said polishing unit;
and
an air supply system for supplying air so that pressure of said loading/unloading stage is greater than pressure of said polishing unit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/765,147Filed 28 Jan 2004
Priority: JP 2003-0263673 Feb 2003
Published: US 2004/0185751 A123 Sep 2004
Granted: 27 Jun 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

B24B 9/065
Of non-metallic inorganic material, e.g. stone, ceramics, porcelain: of thin, brittle parts, e.g. semiconductors, wafers
B24B 21/002
Machines or devices using grinding or polishing belts ; Accessories therefor: for grinding edges or bevels
B24B
Machines, devices, or processes for grinding or polishing