阅读说明：本技术 用于保持基板的顶环及基板处理装置 (Top ring for holding substrate and substrate processing apparatus ) 是由 石井游 佐鸟博俊 柏木诚 古泽磨奈人 于 2020-11-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种用于保持基板的顶环及基板处理装置,顶环能够将基板均匀地按压于研磨垫。用于保持基板(WF)的顶环(302)包括：基座部件(301),该基座部件与顶环轴(18)连结；弹性膜(320),该弹性膜安装于基座部件(301),在该弹性膜与基座部件(301)之间形成用于对基板(WF)进行加压的加压室(322)；以及基板吸附部件(330),该基板吸附部件保持于弹性膜(320),并包括多孔质部件(334),该多孔质部件具有用于吸附基板(WF)的基板吸附面(334a)和与减压单元(31)连通的减压部(334b)。(The invention provides a top ring for holding a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus. A top ring (302) for holding a substrate (WF) is provided with: a base member (301) connected to the top ring shaft (18); an elastic membrane (320) that is attached to the base member (301), and that forms a pressure chamber (322) between the elastic membrane and the base member (301) for pressurizing the substrate (WF); and a substrate suction member (330) which is held by the elastic film (320) and which includes a porous member (334) having a substrate suction surface (334a) for sucking the substrate (WF) and a decompression section (334b) communicating with the decompression unit (31).)

1. A top ring for holding a substrate, comprising:

a base member coupled to the rotary shaft;

an elastic membrane attached to the base member, and forming a pressure chamber for pressurizing a substrate between the elastic membrane and the base member; and

and a substrate suction member that is held by the elastic film and includes a porous member having a substrate suction surface for sucking the substrate and a decompression section communicating with the decompression unit.

2. The top ring of claim 1,

the substrate adsorption member includes: the porous member; and a shielding member configured to shield a surface of the porous member opposite to the substrate suction surface from a side surface of the porous member.

3. The top ring of claim 2,

the shielding member includes a hole formed so as to expose the porous member,

the relief portion is provided at a position where the hole is formed.

4. The top ring of claim 1,

the substrate adsorption member includes: a plurality of the porous members; and a shielding member configured to shield a surface of each of the plurality of porous members opposite to the substrate suction surface,

the shielding member includes a plurality of holes formed so as to expose the porous members,

the decompression portions are respectively arranged at positions where the plurality of holes are formed.

5. The top ring according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the base member includes: a lower guide member provided so as to surround the periphery of the substrate suction member; and an upper guide member provided on an upper portion of the lower guide member,

the elastic film includes: a central portion covering a surface of the substrate suction member opposite to the substrate suction surface; and an end portion sandwiched between the upper guide member and the lower guide member.

6. The top ring according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the elastic membrane comprises a plurality of elastic membranes,

the plurality of elastic films include a central portion connected to a surface of the substrate suction member opposite to the substrate suction surface, and end portions fixed to different positions of the base member, and a plurality of pressure chambers for pressurizing the substrate are formed between the base member and the plurality of elastic films.

7. The top ring according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

further comprising a plurality of stopper members connected to the substrate suction member at an end of the substrate suction member via the elastic film and having a flange portion protruding outward from the substrate suction member,

the base member includes: a lower guide member provided so as to surround the periphery of the substrate suction member; and an upper guide member provided on an upper portion of the lower guide member,

the upper guide member and the lower guide member have regulating surfaces for regulating the vertical movement of the flange portion of the stopper member.

8. A top ring for holding a substrate, comprising:

a base member coupled to the rotary shaft;

an elastic membrane attached to the base member, and forming a pressure chamber for pressurizing a substrate between the elastic membrane and the base member; and

and a substrate holding member which is held by the elastic film and includes an elastic plate-like member mirror-finished so that an arithmetic average roughness Ra of a substrate holding surface for holding the substrate is 5 [ mu ] m or less.

9. A substrate processing apparatus includes:

the top ring of any one of claims 1 to 8; and

a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad.

10. A top ring for holding a substrate, comprising:

a base member coupled to the rotary shaft;

a substrate suction member including a porous member having a substrate suction surface for sucking a substrate and a decompression portion communicating with a decompression unit, a shielding member configured to shield a surface and a side surface of the porous member opposite to the substrate suction surface, and a frame member provided to the shielding member so as to surround at least a part of the base member; and

an elastic member that connects at least a part of the base member surrounded by the frame member and the frame member.

11. The top ring of claim 10,

the shielding member includes a suction hole formed so as to communicate with the porous member,

the decompression portion is disposed at a position where the suction hole is formed.

12. The top ring of claim 11,

the suction holes are formed in the shielding member so as to communicate with a peripheral edge portion of an upper surface of the porous member or a side surface of the porous member.

13. The top ring according to any one of claims 10 to 12,

the frame member includes: a lower frame member provided at a peripheral edge portion of an upper surface of the shielding member; and an upper frame member provided on the lower frame member,

the base member includes: a flange coupled to the rotating shaft; an upper guide member provided at a lower portion of the flange and having a smaller planar size than the flange; and a frame-shaped lower guide member provided below the upper guide member,

the elastic member is a plate-like member and has: an inner end portion sandwiched between the upper guide member and the lower guide member; and an outer end portion sandwiched between the lower frame member and the upper frame member.

14. The top ring of claim 13,

the upper frame member or the lower frame member includes a frame member protrusion protruding in a direction of the base member,

the upper guide member or the lower guide member includes a guide member protrusion that protrudes in a direction of the upper frame member or the lower frame member at a height position different from the frame member protrusion and overlaps with the frame member protrusion.

15. The top ring of claim 13,

the upper frame member or the lower frame member includes a stopper that connects different portions of the upper frame member or the lower frame member in an arch shape across the frame interior,

the upper guide member or the lower guide member includes a pad overlapping the stopper at a different height position from the stopper.

16. The top ring according to any one of claims 10 to 15,

the substrate suction device further includes a plurality of elastic films configured to form a plurality of pressure chambers for pressurizing the substrate between the base member and the substrate suction member.

17. The top ring according to any one of claims 10 to 16,

the base member further includes a belt connecting an outer side surface of a portion of the base member not surrounded by the frame member with an outer side surface of the frame member.

18. A substrate processing apparatus includes:

the top ring of any one of claims 10 to 17; and

a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a top ring for holding a substrate and a substrate processing apparatus. The present application claims priority based on japanese patent application No. 2019-208865, applied on day 11/19 in 2019, and japanese patent application No. 2020-167306, applied on day 1/10 in 2020. The entire disclosures including the specification, the claimed range, the drawings and the abstract of japanese patent application No. 2019-208865 and japanese patent application No. 2020-167306 are incorporated by reference in their entirety into the present application.

Background

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) apparatus is used to planarize the surface of a substrate. In many cases, a substrate used for manufacturing a semiconductor device has a disk shape. In addition, there is an increasing demand for flatness when planarizing the surface of a rectangular substrate such as a CCL substrate (Copper Clad Laminate), a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), a photomask substrate, or a display panel, as well as a semiconductor device. In addition, there is an increasing demand for planarizing the surface of a package substrate such as a PCB substrate on which electronic components are arranged.

A substrate processing apparatus such as a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a top ring for holding a substrate. For example, as described in patent document 1, the top ring includes a rotating shaft, a flange portion connected to the rotating shaft, a porous suction plate fitted to the flange portion, and a shielding plate attached to an upper surface of the suction plate. The top ring is configured to suck the substrate through the fine holes of the suction plate by vacuum suction and to press the substrate against the polishing pad by applying pressure to the shield plate.

In addition, a substrate processing apparatus such as a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a top ring for holding a substrate. For example, as described in patent document 1, the top ring includes a rotary shaft, a flange connected to the rotary shaft, a porous suction plate fitted into an opening formed in the center of the lower surface of the flange, and a shielding plate attached to the upper surface of the suction plate. The top ring is configured to suck the substrate through the fine holes of the suction plate by vacuum suction and to press the substrate against the polishing pad by applying pressure to the shield plate.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 3668529

In the technique described in patent document 1, there is room for improvement in a top ring that can uniformly press a substrate against a polishing pad and achieve compactness.

That is, the substrate processing apparatus may tilt the top ring or the platen to which the polishing pad is attached due to manufacturing tolerances of the respective members. In contrast, in the top ring described in patent document 1, the suction plate is fitted in the opening of the flange. Therefore, when the top ring or the platen is inclined, the surface to be polished of the substrate held by the top ring and the polishing surface of the polishing pad do not come into parallel contact with each other, and as a result, the substrate may not be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad.

In this regard, it is conceivable that the suction plate is not fitted to the opening of the flange, but that the frame-shaped member of the flange forming the opening and the suction plate are connected via the elastic film. It is considered that, even if the top ring or the platen is inclined, the suction plate can be caused to follow the polishing surface of the polishing pad by the elasticity of the elastic film, and the substrate can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad.

However, if the suction path for vacuum suction from the suction plate is drawn and wound through the frame-shaped member of the top ring, the planar size of the top ring increases due to the restriction of the space of the frame-shaped member, which may hinder the top ring from being compact.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a top ring and a substrate processing apparatus capable of uniformly pressing a substrate against a polishing pad.

According to an embodiment, there is disclosed a top ring for holding a substrate, the top ring including: a base member coupled to the rotary shaft; an elastic membrane attached to the base member and forming a pressure chamber for pressurizing a substrate between the elastic membrane and the base member; and a substrate suction member that is held by the elastic film and includes a porous member having a substrate suction surface for sucking the substrate and a decompression section communicating with the decompression unit.

According to an embodiment, there is disclosed a top ring for holding a substrate, the top ring including: a base member coupled to the rotary shaft; a substrate suction member including a porous member having a substrate suction surface for sucking a substrate and a decompression portion communicating with a decompression unit, a shielding member configured to shield a surface and a side surface of the porous member opposite to the substrate suction surface, and a frame member provided to the shielding member so as to surround at least a part of the base member; and an elastic member that connects at least a part of the base member surrounded by the frame member and the frame member.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a structure of a polishing unit according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a cross section taken along line 5-5 of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the substrate suction member.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a modification of the substrate suction member.

Fig. 9 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view schematically showing a part of a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing a structure of a polishing unit according to an embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a sectional perspective view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a top ring according to an embodiment.

Fig. 19 is a plan view schematically showing a pattern region and a non-pattern region of a substrate according to an embodiment, and a plan view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment.

Fig. 21 is an enlarged view of the AA region in fig. 20.

Description of the symbols

18 top ring shaft (rotating shaft)

31 decompression unit (vacuum source)

300 grinding unit

301 base member

302 top ring

303 flange

304 spacer

305 upper guide member

305a, 306a limiting surface

306 lower guide member

320. 402, 420 elastic film

322 pressurized chamber

330 substrate adsorption component

332 shield member

334 porous member

334a substrate adsorption surface

334b pressure reducing part

352 grinding pad

430 substrate holding member

431 elastic plate-like member

431a substrate holding surface

1000 substrate processing apparatus

2-18 top ring shaft (rotating shaft)

2-31 decompression unit (vacuum source)

2-301 base part

2-302 top ring

2-303 flange

2-305 upper guide member

2-305a guide member projection

2-306 lower guide member

2-309 pad

2-312 suction path

2-314 suction port

2-320 elastic film

2-330 substrate adsorption component

2-332 shield member

2-332-1 lower shield member

2-332-2 Upper shield Member

2-334 porous member

2-334a substrate adsorption surface

2-334b pressure reducing part

2-334c opposite to the substrate suction surface 334a

2-334d side surface

2-336 suction hole

2-340 elastic parts

2-340a inner end

2-340b outer end

2-342 upper frame member

2-342a frame member projection

2-343 lower frame member

2-344 frame parts

2-345 band

2-346 stop

2-1000 substrate processing apparatus

WF substrate

Detailed Description

Embodiments of a top ring and a substrate processing apparatus including the top ring according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and the description of the same or similar elements may be omitted in the description of the respective embodiments. Note that the features shown in the respective embodiments can be applied to other embodiments as long as they are not contradictory to each other.

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in fig. 1 includes a loading unit 100, a transfer unit 200, a polishing unit 300, a drying unit 500, and an unloading unit 600. In the illustrated embodiment, the conveying unit 200 has two conveying units 200A, 200B, and the polishing unit 300 has two polishing units 300A, 300B. In one embodiment, these respective cells can be formed independently. By forming these units independently, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 having different structures can be easily formed by arbitrarily combining the number of the units. The substrate processing apparatus 1000 includes a control device 900, and each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 is controlled by the control device 900. In one embodiment, the control device 900 may be a general computer including an input/output device, an arithmetic device, a storage device, and the like.

< load cell >

The loading unit 100 is a unit for introducing the substrate WF into the substrate processing apparatus 1000 before polishing, cleaning, and the like. In one embodiment, the loading unit 100 is configured in accordance with the mechanical Equipment interface standard (IPC-SMEMA-9851) of SMEMA (Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association).

In the illustrated embodiment, the conveying mechanism of the loading unit 100 has a plurality of conveying rollers 202 and a plurality of roller shafts 204 on which the conveying rollers 202 are mounted. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, three conveying rollers 202 are attached to each roller shaft 204. The substrate WF is disposed on the conveying rollers 202, and is conveyed by the rotation of the conveying rollers 202. The mounting position of the transport roller 202 on the roller shaft 204 may be any position as long as it can stably transport the substrate WF. However, since the conveying roller 202 is in contact with the substrate WF, the conveying roller 202 should be disposed in contact with a region where there is no problem even if it is in contact with the substrate WF to be processed. In one embodiment, the conveyor rollers 202 of the loading unit 100 can be composed of a conductive polymer. In one embodiment, the transport roller 202 is electrically grounded via a roller shaft 204 or the like. This is to prevent the substrate WF from being charged and damaging. In one embodiment, an ionizer (not shown) may be provided in the loading unit 100 in order to prevent the substrate WF from being charged.

< transport Unit >

The substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in fig. 1 includes two conveyance units 200A and 200B. Since the two conveyance units 200A and 200B can have the same configuration, the conveyance unit 200 will be described below.

The illustrated conveyance unit 200 includes a plurality of conveyance rollers 202 for conveying the substrate WF. By rotating the conveying roller 202, the substrate WF on the conveying roller 202 can be conveyed in a predetermined direction. The conveying roller 202 of the conveying unit 200 may be formed of a conductive polymer or may be formed of a polymer having no conductivity. The conveying roller 202 is driven by a motor not shown. The substrate WF is transported to the substrate transfer position by the transport rollers 202.

In one embodiment, the delivery unit 200 has a cleaning nozzle 284. The cleaning nozzle 284 is connected to a supply source of a cleaning liquid, not shown. The cleaning nozzle 284 is configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the substrate WF conveyed by the conveying roller 202.

< grinding unit >

Fig. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a polishing unit 300 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in fig. 1 includes two polishing units 300A and 300B. Since the two polishing units 300A and 300B can have the same configuration, the following description will be given together as the polishing unit 300.

As shown in fig. 2, the polishing unit 300 includes a polishing table 350 and a top ring 302, and the top ring 302 constitutes a polishing head that holds a substrate as an object to be polished and presses the substrate against a polishing surface on the polishing table 350. The polishing table 350 is coupled to a polishing table rotation motor (not shown) disposed therebelow via a table shaft 351 and is rotatable about the table shaft 351. A polishing pad 352 is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 350, and a surface 352a of the polishing pad 352 constitutes a polishing surface of the polishing substrate. In one embodiment, the polishing pad 352 may be attached via a layer for facilitating peeling from the polishing table 350. Such a layer includes, for example, a silicone layer, a fluorine-based resin layer, and the like, and a layer described in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2014-176950 may be used.

A polishing liquid supply nozzle 354 is provided above the polishing table 350, and the polishing liquid is supplied to the polishing pad 352 on the polishing table 350 through the polishing liquid supply nozzle 354. As shown in fig. 2, a passage 353 for supplying the polishing liquid is provided in the polishing table 350 and the table shaft 351. The passage 353 communicates with the opening 355 on the surface of the polishing table 350. A through hole 357 is formed in the polishing pad 352 at a position corresponding to the opening 355 of the polishing table 350, and the polishing liquid passing through the passage 353 is supplied from the opening 355 of the polishing table 350 and the through hole 357 of the polishing pad 352 to the surface of the polishing pad 352. The opening 355 of the polishing table 350 and the through-hole 357 of the polishing pad 352 may be one or plural. The positions of the opening 355 of the polishing table 350 and the through hole 357 of the polishing pad 352 are arbitrary, but in one embodiment, the openings are disposed near the center of the polishing table 350.

Although not shown in fig. 2, in one embodiment, the polishing unit 300 includes an atomizer 358 (see fig. 1) for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a liquid and a gas toward the polishing pad 352. The liquid sprayed from sprayer 358 is, for example, pure water, and the gas is, for example, nitrogen.

The top ring 302 is connected to a top ring shaft 18, and the top ring shaft 18 is moved up and down with respect to the swing arm 360 by an up-and-down moving mechanism 319. The entire top ring 302 is moved up and down with respect to the swing arm 360 by the up and down movement of the top ring shaft 18, and is positioned. The top ring shaft 18 is rotated by driving a top ring rotating motor, not shown. The top ring 302 rotates about the top ring shaft 18 by the rotation of the top ring shaft 18. Further, a rotary joint 323 is attached to the upper end of the top ring shaft 18.

Further, as a polishing pad available on the market, there are various structures, for example, SUBA800 (manufactured by Nitta Haas corporation, the "SUBA" being a registered trademark), IC-1000/SUBA400 (double-layer cloth), Surfin xxx-5, Surfin 000 (manufactured by Fuji corporation, Japan), and the like ("Surfin" being a registered trademark). SUBA800, Surfin xxx-5, Surfin 000 are non-woven fabrics using polyurethane resin to cure fibers, and IC-1000 is rigid foamed polyurethane (single layer). The foamed polyurethane is porous (porous) and has a large number of fine recesses or pores on the surface thereof.

The top ring 302 can hold a substrate having a quadrangular shape on its lower surface. The swing arm 360 is configured to be pivotable about a pivot shaft 362. The top ring 302 can move between the substrate transfer position of the transfer unit 200 and the position above the polishing table 350 by the swing arm 360. By lowering the top ring shaft 18, the top ring 302 is lowered to press the substrate against the surface (polishing surface) 352a of the polishing pad 352. At this time, the top ring 302 and the polishing table 350 are rotated, and the polishing liquid is supplied onto the polishing pad 352 from the polishing liquid supply nozzle 354 provided above the polishing table 350 and/or from the opening 355 provided in the polishing table 350. In this way, the substrate WF can be pressed against the polishing surface 352a of the polishing pad 352 to polish the surface of the substrate. The arm 360 may be fixed or swung so that the top ring 302 passes through the center of the polishing pad 352 (so as to cover the through hole 357 in the polishing pad 352) during polishing of the substrate WF.

The vertical movement mechanism 319 for vertically moving the top ring shaft 18 and the top ring 302 includes: the top ring shaft 18 is rotatably supported by a bridge 28 via a bearing 321, a ball screw 32 attached to the bridge 28, a support base 29 supported by the support column 130, and an AC servomotor 38 provided on the support base 29. The support base 29 supporting the servo motor 38 is fixed to the swing arm 360 via a support column 130.

The ball screw 32 includes a screw shaft 32a connected to the servo motor 38 and a nut 32b screwed to the screw shaft 32 a. The top ring shaft 18 moves up and down integrally with the bridge 28. Therefore, when the servo motor 38 is driven, the bridge 28 moves up and down via the ball screw 32, and the top ring shaft 18 and the top ring 302 move up and down. The polishing unit 300 includes a distance measuring sensor 70 as a position detecting unit, and the distance measuring sensor 70 detects a distance to the lower surface of the bridge 28, that is, a position of the bridge 28. The position of the top ring 302 can be detected by detecting the position of the bridge 28 by the distance measuring sensor 70. The distance measuring sensor 70 constitutes an up-down moving mechanism 319 together with the ball screw 32 and the servo motor 38. The distance measuring sensor 70 may be a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an eddy current sensor, or a linear scale sensor. The respective devices in the polishing unit, represented by the distance measuring sensor 70 and the servo motor 38, are controlled by the controller 900.

The polishing unit 300 according to one embodiment includes a dressing unit 356 that dresses the polishing surface 352a of the polishing pad 352. The trimming unit 356 includes: a dresser 50 in sliding contact with the polishing surface 352a, a dresser shaft 51 to which the dresser 50 is connected, an air cylinder 53 provided at an upper end of the dresser shaft 51, and a swing arm 55 rotatably supporting the dresser shaft 51. The dresser 50 has a dressing member 50a at a lower portion thereof, and needle-shaped diamond particles are adhered to a lower surface of the dressing member 50 a. The air cylinder 53 is disposed on a support base 57 supported by support columns 56, and these support columns 56 are fixed to the swing arm 55.

The swing arm 55 is configured to be driven by a motor, not shown, and to swing around a support shaft 58. The dresser shaft 51 is rotated by driving of a motor, not shown, and the rotation of the dresser shaft 51 causes the dresser 50 to rotate around the dresser shaft 51. The air cylinder 53 moves the dresser 50 up and down via the dresser shaft 51, and presses the dresser 50 against the polishing surface 352a of the polishing pad 352 with a predetermined pressing force.

The polishing surface 352a of the polishing pad 352 is dressed as follows. The dresser 50 is pressed against the polishing surface 352a by the air cylinder 53, and at the same time, pure water is supplied to the polishing surface 352a from a pure water supply nozzle not shown. In this state, the dresser 50 rotates about the dresser shaft 51, and the lower surface (diamond particles) of the dressing member 50a is brought into sliding contact with the polishing surface 352 a. Thus, the polishing pad 352 is shaved off by the dresser 50, and the polishing surface 352a is dressed.

< drying Unit >

The drying unit 500 is a device for drying the substrate WF. In the substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in fig. 1, the drying unit 500 dries the substrate WF cleaned by the cleaning unit of the transfer unit 200 after being polished by the polishing unit 300. As shown in fig. 1, the drying unit 500 is disposed downstream of the conveying unit 200.

The drying unit 500 has a nozzle 530 for ejecting gas toward the substrate WF conveyed on the conveying roller 202. The gas may be, for example, compressed air or nitrogen. The substrate WF can be dried by blowing water droplets on the transported substrate WF by the drying unit 500.

< unload Unit >

The unloading unit 600 is a unit for carrying out the substrate WF after the polishing, cleaning, and other processes to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1000. In the substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in fig. 1, the unloading unit 600 receives the substrate dried by the drying unit 500. As shown in fig. 1, the unloading unit 600 is disposed downstream of the drying unit 500.

In one embodiment, the unloading unit 600 is configured in accordance with the mechanical Equipment interface standard (IPC-SMEMA-9851) of SMEMA (Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association).

< Top Ring >

Next, the top ring 302 in the polishing unit 300 according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring 302 according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 3, the top ring 302 includes a base member 301 coupled to the top ring shaft (rotation shaft) 18. Specifically, the base member 301 includes: a flange 303 connected to the top ring shaft (rotation shaft) 18, a spacer 304 attached to the lower surface of the flange 303, a frame-shaped upper guide member 305 attached to the peripheral edge portion of the lower surface of the spacer 304, and a frame-shaped lower guide member 306 attached to the lower surface of the upper guide member 305. The flange 303, the spacer 304, and the upper guide member 305 are fixed by a bolt 307. The upper guide member 305 and the lower guide member 306 are fixed by a bolt 308.

The top ring 302 includes an elastic membrane 320 attached to the base member 301 and a substrate suction member 330 held by the elastic membrane 320. The lower guide member 306 is disposed to surround the periphery of the substrate suction member 330. A pressure chamber 322 for pressurizing the substrate WF is formed between the elastic membrane 320 and the base member 301. The spacer 304 and the upper guide member 305 are coupled via a sealing material 309, thereby maintaining airtightness of the pressure chamber 322. The elastic membrane 320 may be formed of a rubber material such as silicon rubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), FKM (fluoro rubber), but is not limited thereto. The elastic membrane 320 can be formed of a material having a strength capable of receiving a load applied to the elastic membrane 320 by the weight of the substrate suction member 330 and the substrate WF when the substrate WF is transported and not being broken within a range in which the movement of the substrate suction member 330 is restricted by the stopper member 310 and the lower guide member 306, which will be described later, and an elasticity capable of providing a degree of freedom in the angle of the substrate suction member 330 with respect to the base member 301.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a cross section taken along line 5-5 of fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 3 to 6, the substrate adsorption member 330 includes a porous member 334 and a shielding member 332. The porous member 334 may be made of, for example, a resin porous material as long as it can vacuum-adsorb the substrate WF by evacuation using the decompression means (vacuum source) 31. The porous member 334 is formed in a plate shape in the present embodiment, and includes a substrate suction surface 334a for sucking the substrate WF and a decompression unit 334b communicating with the decompression means (vacuum source) 31.

The shielding member 332 may be an airtight member capable of shielding the flow of gas, and may be formed of a resin plate such as relatively soft PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), for example. In the present embodiment, the shielding member 332 is formed to shield the surface 334c and the side surface 334d of the porous member 334 opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a. However, the shielding member 332 may be formed to shield at least the surface 334c of the porous member 334 opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a. By providing the shielding member 332, when the porous member 334 is evacuated by the pressure reducing means (vacuum source) 31, a negative pressure can be efficiently formed on the substrate suction surface 334 a. This enables the substrate WF to be reliably attracted to the substrate suction member 330, thereby preventing the substrate WF from flying (slipping) outward during polishing. Fig. 7 and 8 are views showing modifications of the substrate suction member 330. As shown in fig. 7, the substrate adsorption part 330 may include: the porous member 334; a shielding member 332 configured to shield a surface 334c of the porous member 334 opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a; and a sealing material 333 configured to shield the side surface 334d of the porous member 334. The sealing material 333 may be a chemical-resistant adhesive or the like, and may fill the gap of the side surface 334d to seal. According to this configuration, when the porous member 334 is evacuated by the pressure reducing means (vacuum source) 31, a negative pressure can be efficiently formed on the substrate suction surface 334a, and thus the substrate WF can be reliably sucked to the substrate suction member 330. In addition, as shown in fig. 8, the substrate adsorption part 330 may include: the porous member 334; a shielding member 332 configured to shield a surface 334c of the porous member 334 opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a; and a sealing material 333 configured to shield the side surface 334d of the porous member 334 and the peripheral edge of the substrate suction surface 334 a. With this configuration, since the phenomenon of an atmospheric short circuit can be reduced when the porous member 334 is evacuated by the vacuum unit (vacuum source) 31, the suction force of the substrate WF to the substrate suction member 330 can be increased. In the present embodiment, the example in which the shielding member 332 is included in the substrate suction member 330 is shown, but the substrate suction member 330 may be formed only of the porous member 334. In this case, the substrate suction surface 334a and the surfaces other than the holes 336 of the porous member 334 are preferably sealed in the same manner as the side surface 334d of the porous member 334 in fig. 7 and 8.

The shielding member 332 includes a hole 336 formed to expose the porous member 334. The decompression portion 334b of the porous member 334 is provided at a position where the hole 336 is formed. Further, a plurality of holes 338 are formed in the end portion of the shielding member 332 in the circumferential direction. A stopper 310, which will be described later, is attached to the portion where the hole 338 is formed.

The elastic film 320 includes: a center portion 324 covering a surface 332c of the substrate suction member 330 on the side opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a; and an end portion 326 extending outward from the central portion 324 to the substrate suction member 330. The end 326 is clamped between the upper guide member 305 and the lower guide member 306. The end 326 of the elastic membrane 320 is fixed between the upper guide member 305 and the lower guide member 306 in the entire circumferential direction. Thereby, a pressurizing chamber 322 is formed between the spacer 304, the upper guide member 305, and the elastic membrane 320. The pressurizing chamber 322 communicates with the pressure adjustment portion 30. The pressure adjustment portion 30 has a pressure adjustment function of adjusting the pressure of the pressure fluid supplied to the pressurizing chamber 322. According to the present embodiment, the porous member 334 is brought into a negative pressure by using the pressure reducing unit 31, so that the substrate WF can be adsorbed on the substrate adsorption surface 334a, and the pressurizing chamber 322 is pressurized by the pressure adjusting portion 30, so that the substrate WF can be pressed against the polishing pad 352.

In addition, the top ring 302 includes a plurality of stopper members 310 for restricting the movement of the substrate suction member 330 in the vertical direction. The stopper member 310 is a plate-like member that is connected to the substrate suction member 330 at an end of the substrate suction member 330 via the elastic film 320. The stopper 310 is coupled to the substrate suction member 330 by screwing the bolt 312 into the hole 338 of the shielding member 332. The stopper member 310 has a flange portion 311 protruding outward from the substrate suction member 330.

On the other hand, the upper guide member 305 and the lower guide member 306 have regulating surfaces 305a, 306a that abut against the flange portion 311 of the stopper member 310 to regulate the movement of the stopper member 310 in the vertical direction. When the substrate suction member 330 moves upward, the flange portion 311 comes into contact with the regulating surface 305a to regulate the upward movement of the substrate suction member 330. On the other hand, when the substrate suction member 330 moves downward, the flange portion 311 comes into contact with the regulating surface 306a to regulate the downward movement of the substrate suction member 330. This can limit the vertical movement range of the substrate suction member 330 to a desired range.

According to the present embodiment, even when the top ring 302, the polishing table 350 to which the polishing pad 352 is attached, or the like is inclined due to manufacturing tolerances of the components constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1000 or the like, the substrate WF can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad 352. That is, according to the present embodiment, the substrate suction member 330 is not fixed to the base member 301 but is held by the elastic film 320. Therefore, even if the top ring 302 or the polishing table 350 is inclined and the substrate WF and the polishing pad 352 are unevenly contacted, the substrate suction member 330 can follow the polishing surface of the polishing pad 352 by the elasticity of the elastic film 320, and as a result, the substrate WF and the polishing pad 352 can be contacted in parallel. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the substrate WF can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad 352.

In the present embodiment, the lower guide member 306 is disposed around the substrate suction member 330. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the force applied to the substrate suction member 330 in the lateral direction during polishing of the substrate WF can be supported by the lower guide member 306. In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the substrate suction member 330 can suck the substrate WF, the substrate WF can be prevented from slipping out without providing a stopper member for preventing the substrate WF from slipping out (slipping out) during polishing. In particular, with the recent thinning of the substrate WF, there is a possibility that the substrate WF may slip out during polishing even when a guard member is provided. In addition, when the substrate WF has a square shape, the corner of the substrate WF may contact the guard member during polishing, and the substrate WF or the top ring may be damaged. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, since the substrate WF can be pressed against the polishing pad 352 while vacuum-sucking the substrate WF by the substrate sucking member 330, the substrate WF during polishing can be prevented from slipping out, and the substrate WF or the top ring can be prevented from being damaged during polishing.

Next, a modified example of the top ring 302 of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a plan view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 9, the substrate adsorption member 330 may have a plurality of decompression portions 334 b. Specifically, the substrate suction member 330 includes a plurality of porous members 334 and a shielding member 332, and the shielding member 332 is configured to shield a surface 334c of each of the plurality of porous members 334 on the side opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a. The shielding member 332 includes a plurality of holes 336 formed to expose the plurality of porous members 334. The relief portions 334b are respectively provided at positions where a plurality of holes 336 are formed.

By providing the plurality of decompression sections 334b in the substrate suction member 330 in this manner, the entire substrate suction member 330 can be decompressed by the decompression means (vacuum source) 31. As a result, even in the case of a large-sized substrate WF, the substrate WF can be firmly adsorbed to the substrate adsorbing member 330, and thus the substrate WF can be prevented from slipping out of the top ring 302 during polishing. In the present embodiment, an example in which one decompression portion 334b and one hole 336 are provided for each of the plurality of porous members 334 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the substrate suction member 330 having one porous member 334 as shown in fig. 3, a plurality of decompression portions 334b may be provided for one porous member 334 by forming a plurality of holes 336 in the shielding member 332. With this configuration, even when the substrate WF is large and the porous member 334 is large, the substrate WF can be uniformly adsorbed on the substrate adsorbing member 330.

Next, a modified example of the top ring 302 of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a sectional view schematically showing a part of a top ring 302 according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 10, the top ring 302 of the present embodiment is provided with a frame-shaped first elastic film spacer 314 and a frame-shaped second elastic film spacer 316 in the vertical direction between the upper guide member 305 and the lower guide member 306. Further, a frame-shaped or ring-shaped elastic film holder 318 is attached to the lower surface of the central portion of the upper guide member 305. The first elastic membrane spacer 314, the second elastic membrane spacer 316, and the elastic membrane holder 318 can be regarded as components constituting the base member 301.

In another aspect, the elastic membrane 320 includes a plurality of elastic membranes 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, 320-4. The elastic films 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, 320-4 respectively include: a central portion connected to a surface 332c of the substrate suction member 330 on the side opposite to the substrate suction surface 334 a; and end portions extending from the central portion and fixed to different positions of the base member 301.

Specifically, the center portion 320-1a of the elastic membrane 320-1 is connected to the surface 332c of the substrate suction member 330 on the side opposite to the substrate suction surface 334a, and the end portion 320-1b of the elastic membrane 320-1 is sandwiched between the second elastic membrane spacer 316 and the lower guide member 306. The central portion 320-2a of the elastic membrane 320-2 is connected with the central portion 320-1a of the elastic membrane 320-1, and the end portion 320-2b of the elastic membrane 320-2 is sandwiched between the first elastic membrane spacer 314 and the second elastic membrane spacer 316. The central portion 320-3a of the elastic membrane 320-3 is connected with the central portion 320-1a of the elastic membrane 320-1, and the end portion 320-3b of the elastic membrane 320-3 is clamped between the upper guide member 305 and the first elastic membrane spacer 314. The central portion 320-4a of the elastic membrane 320-4 is connected to the central portion 320-1a of the elastic membrane 320-1, and the end portion 320-4b of the elastic membrane 320-4 is sandwiched between the upper guide member 305 and the elastic membrane holder 318.

With the structure of the plurality of elastic membranes 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, and 320-4, a plurality of pressurizing chambers 322a, 322b, 322c, and 322d for pressurizing the substrate WF are formed between the base member 301 and the plurality of elastic membranes 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, and 320-4.

According to the present embodiment, the pressing force of the substrate WF against the polishing pad 352 can be controlled for each region by forming the plurality of concentric pressurizing chambers 322a, 322b, 322c, 322 d. Further, according to the present embodiment, the substrate suction member 330 has elasticity to a certain extent (to the extent that the pressure difference of each pressurizing chamber can be reflected in the substrate pressing pressure difference), and therefore, the contour control can be performed by applying different pressures to each pressurizing chamber.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring 302 according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 11, the top ring 302 of the present embodiment includes a base member 301 coupled to the top ring shaft (rotation shaft) 18. Specifically, the base member 301 includes: a flange 303 connected to the top ring shaft (rotation shaft) 18; a spacer 304 mounted to a lower surface of the flange 303; an upper guide member 305 including a plate-like member 305a attached to the lower surface of the spacer 304 and a frame-like member 305b provided on the peripheral edge portion of the lower surface of the plate-like member 305 a; and a lower guide member 306 attached to the lower surface of the frame-like member 305b and having a frame shape.

In addition, the top ring 302 includes an elastic membrane 402 attached to the base member 301. The elastic film 402 includes a base film 402a provided in a space formed by the upper guide member 305, and a plurality of partition walls 402b formed concentrically on the base film 402 a. The upper end portions of the partition walls 402b are fixed to the plate-like member 305 a. Thus, a plurality of concentric pressurizing chambers 434, 436, 438 for pressurizing the substrate WF are formed between the elastic membrane 402 and the base member 301. By forming the pressurizing chambers 434, 436, 438, the pressing force of the substrate WF against the polishing pad 352 can be controlled for each region.

The top ring 302 includes a substrate holding member 430 held by the elastic membrane 402. The substrate holding member 430 can be attached to the lower surface of the base film 402 a. The substrate holding member 430 includes an elastic plate member 431 having a mirror-finished substrate holding surface 431a for holding the substrate WF. The elastic plate member 431 can be formed of a rubber material such as silicone rubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), FKM (fluoro rubber), or the like. The substrate holding surface 431a is mirror-finished so as to hold the substrate WF. Here, the mirror-finished surface means a surface having an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 5 μm or less. In one example, the substrate holding member 430 can be molded using a mold having an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the substrate holding surface 431a of 5 μm or less. The elastic film 402 and the substrate holding member 430 may be integrally formed of the same material. In this case, the adhesion of the elastic film 402 to the substrate holding member 430 is not required.

According to the present embodiment, by mirror-finishing the substrate holding surface 431a of the substrate holding member 430, the frictional force between the substrate WF and the substrate holding surface 431a can be increased, and the substrate WF can be held on the substrate holding surface 431 a. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the substrate WF can be prevented from slipping out during polishing without using a guard member for protecting the periphery of the substrate WF.

In the present embodiment, the lower guide member 306 is disposed around the substrate holding member 430. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the force applied to the substrate holding member 430 in the lateral direction during polishing of the substrate WF can be supported by the lower guide member 306.

The substrate holding member 430 has a plurality of holes 432 formed therethrough the substrate holding surface 431a and a surface opposite to the substrate holding surface 431 a. By forming the hole 432, the pressure chamber 436 is switched to a negative pressure when the substrate WF is transported between the transporting unit 200 and the polishing unit 300, and thus the substrate WF can be chucked to the substrate holding member 430. After the substrate WF is polished and conveyed to the conveyance unit 200, the substrate WF held by the substrate holding member 430 can be easily removed by applying, for example, air pressure to the holes 432.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring 302 according to an embodiment. The top ring 302 shown in fig. 12 has a different structure of the elastic membrane than the top ring 302 shown in fig. 11, and the other structures are the same. Therefore, only the configuration different from the top ring 302 shown in fig. 11 will be described.

As shown in fig. 12, the top ring 302 of the present embodiment is provided with a frame-shaped first elastic film spacer 314 and a frame-shaped second elastic film spacer 316 in the vertical direction between the upper guide member 305 and the lower guide member 306. Further, a frame-shaped or ring-shaped elastic film holder 318 is attached to the lower surface of the central portion of the upper guide member 305. The first elastic membrane spacer 314, the second elastic membrane spacer 316, and the elastic membrane holder 318 can be regarded as components constituting the base member 301.

The elastic membrane 420 includes a plurality of elastic membranes 420-1, 420-2, 420-3, 420-4. The elastic membrane 420-1, 420-2, 420-3, 420-4 includes: a central portion connected to a surface 431b of the substrate holding member 430 on the opposite side of the substrate holding surface 431 a; and end portions fixed at different positions of the base member 301.

Specifically, the central portion 420-1a of the elastic membrane 420-1 is connected to the surface 431b of the substrate holding member 430 on the side opposite to the substrate holding surface 431a, and the end portion 420-1b of the elastic membrane 420-1 is sandwiched between the second elastic membrane spacer 316 and the lower guide member 306. The central portion 420-2a of the elastic membrane 420-2 is connected to the central portion 420-1a of the elastic membrane 420-1, and the end portion 420-2b of the elastic membrane 420-2 is sandwiched between the first elastic membrane spacer 314 and the second elastic membrane spacer 316. The central portion 420-3a of the elastic membrane 420-3 is connected to the central portion 420-2a of the elastic membrane 420-2, and the end portion 420-3b of the elastic membrane 420-3 is clamped between the upper guide part 305 and the first elastic membrane spacer 314. The central portion 420-4a of the elastic membrane 420-4 is connected to the central portion 420-3a of the elastic membrane 420-3, and the end portion 420-4b of the elastic membrane 420-4 is clamped between the upper guide member 305 and the elastic membrane holder 318. Further, the elastic film 420-1 and the substrate holding member 430 can be integrally formed of the same material. In this case, the connection of the elastic membrane 420-1 to the substrate holding member 430 is not required.

With the structure of the plurality of elastic membranes 420-1, 420-2, 420-3, and 420-4, a plurality of pressure chambers 434, 436, 438, and 440 for pressurizing the substrate WF are formed between the base member 301 and the plurality of elastic membranes 420-1, 420-2, 420-3, and 420-4.

According to the present embodiment, the pressing force of the substrate WF against the polishing pad 352 can be controlled for each region by forming the plurality of concentric pressurizing chambers 434, 436, 438, and 440. In addition, according to the present embodiment, the elastic plate member 431 has a certain degree of elasticity (a degree that the pressure difference in each pressurizing chamber can be reflected in the substrate pressing pressure difference) although it has a thickness, and therefore, the contour control can be performed by applying different pressures to each pressurizing chamber.

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 2 to 1000 according to one embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 2-1000 shown in fig. 13 has a loading unit 2-100, a conveying unit 2-200, a polishing unit 2-300, a drying unit 2-500, and an unloading unit 2-600. In the illustrated embodiment, the conveyor unit 2-200 has two conveyor units 2-200A, 2-200B, and the finishing unit 2-300 has two finishing units 2-300A, 2-300B. In one embodiment, these respective cells can be formed independently. By forming these units independently, the substrate processing apparatuses 2 to 1000 having different configurations can be easily formed by arbitrarily combining the number of the units. The substrate processing apparatus 2 to 1000 includes a control device 2 to 900, and each component of the substrate processing apparatus 2 to 1000 is controlled by the control device 2 to 900. In one embodiment, the control devices 2 to 900 may be constituted by a general computer provided with an input/output device, an arithmetic device, a storage device, and the like.

< load cell >

The loading unit 2-100 is a unit for introducing the substrate WF before the polishing, cleaning, and other processes into the substrate processing apparatus 2-1000. In one embodiment, the loading units 2-100 are configured in accordance with the mechanical Equipment interface standard of SMEMA (Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association) (IPC-SMEMA-9851).

In the illustrated embodiment, the transport mechanism of the loading unit 2-100 has a plurality of transport rollers 2-202 and a plurality of roller shafts 2-204 on which the transport rollers 2-202 are mounted. In the embodiment shown in fig. 13, three conveying rollers 2 to 202 are mounted on each roller shaft 2 to 204. The substrate WF is disposed on the conveying rollers 2 to 202, and is conveyed by the rotation of the conveying rollers 2 to 202. The mounting position of the transport rollers 2 to 202 on the roller shafts 2 to 204 may be any position as long as the substrate WF can be stably transported. However, since the conveying rollers 2 to 202 are in contact with the substrate WF, the conveying rollers 2 to 202 should be arranged so as to be in contact with a region where there is no problem even if they are in contact with the substrate WF to be processed. In one embodiment, the conveyor rollers 2-202 of the loading units 2-100 can be constructed of an electrically conductive polymer. In one embodiment, the conveyor rollers 2-202 are electrically grounded via rollers 2-204, etc. This is to prevent the substrate WF from being charged and damaging. In one embodiment, an ionizer (not shown) may be provided in the loading units 2 to 100 to prevent the substrate WF from being charged.

< transport Unit >

The substrate processing apparatus 2-1000 shown in fig. 13 includes two transfer units 2-200A, 2-200B. The two conveyance units 2 to 200A and 2 to 200B can have the same configuration, and therefore, the conveyance units 2 to 200 will be described below.

The illustrated conveyance unit 2-200 includes a plurality of conveyance rollers 2-202 for conveying the substrate WF. By rotating the conveying rollers 2 to 202, the substrate WF on the conveying rollers 2 to 202 can be conveyed in a predetermined direction. The conveyor rollers 2 to 202 of the conveyor units 2 to 200 may be formed of a conductive polymer or may be formed of a polymer having no conductivity. The conveying rollers 2 to 202 are driven by a motor not shown. The substrate WF is transported to the substrate transfer position by the transport rollers 2-202.

In one embodiment, the delivery unit 2-200 has a cleaning nozzle 2-284. The cleaning nozzles 2 to 284 are connected to a supply source of a cleaning liquid, not shown. The cleaning nozzles 2 to 284 are configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the substrate WF conveyed by the conveying rollers 2 to 202.

< grinding unit >

Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the polishing unit 2 to 300 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 2-1000 shown in FIG. 13 includes two polishing units 2-300A, 2-300B. Since the two polishing units 2 to 300A and 2 to 300B can have the same configuration, the following description will be given together as the polishing units 2 to 300.

As shown in fig. 14, the polishing unit 2-300 includes a polishing table 2-350 and a top ring 2-302 constituting a polishing head for holding a substrate as an object to be polished and pressing the substrate against a polishing surface on the polishing table 2-350. The polishing tables 2 to 350 are coupled to a polishing table rotating motor (not shown) disposed therebelow via table shafts 2 to 351 and are rotatable about the table shafts 2 to 351. The polishing pad 2-352 is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 2-350, and the surface 2-352a of the polishing pad 2-352 constitutes the polishing surface of the polishing substrate. In one embodiment, the polishing pad 2-352 may be attached via a layer for facilitating peeling from the polishing table 2-350. Such a layer includes, for example, a silicone layer, a fluorine-based resin layer, and the like, and a layer described in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2014-176950 may be used.

A polishing liquid supply nozzle 2-354 is provided above the polishing table 2-350, and the polishing liquid is supplied to the polishing pad 2-352 on the polishing table 2-350 through the polishing liquid supply nozzle 2-354. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, passages 2 to 353 for supplying the polishing liquid are provided in the polishing tables 2 to 350 and the table shafts 2 to 351. The passages 2 to 353 communicate with the openings 2 to 355 on the surface of the polishing tables 2 to 350. The polishing pad 2-352 has a through-hole 2-357 formed at a position corresponding to the opening 2-355 of the polishing table 2-350, and the polishing liquid passing through the passage 2-353 is supplied from the opening 2-355 of the polishing table 2-350 and the through-hole 2-357 of the polishing pad 2-352 to the surface of the polishing pad 2-352. One or more openings 2-355 of the polishing table 2-350 and one or more through-holes 2-357 of the polishing pad 2-352 may be provided. The positions of the openings 2 to 355 of the polishing tables 2 to 350 and the through holes 2 to 357 of the polishing pads 2 to 352 are arbitrary, but in one embodiment, they are arranged near the center of the polishing tables 2 to 350.

Although not shown in fig. 14, in one embodiment, the polishing unit 2 to 300 includes an atomizer 2 to 358 (see fig. 13) for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a liquid and a gas toward the polishing pad 2 to 352. The liquid sprayed from the sprayers 2-358 is, for example, pure water, and the gas is, for example, nitrogen.

The top ring 2-302 is connected to a top ring shaft 2-18, and the top ring shaft 2-18 is moved up and down with respect to the swing arm 2-360 by an up-and-down moving mechanism 2-319. By the up-and-down movement of the top ring shaft 2-18, the entirety of the top ring 2-302 is moved up and down and positioned with respect to the swing arm 2-360. The top ring shafts 2 to 18 are rotated by driving a top ring rotating motor, not shown. The top ring 2-302 rotates centering on the top ring shaft 2-18 by the rotation of the top ring shaft 2-18.

The top ring 2-302 can hold a substrate of a quadrangular shape on its lower surface. The swing arms 2 to 360 are configured to be pivotable about a pivot shaft 362. The top ring 2-302 can be moved between the substrate transfer position of the above-described transfer unit 2-200 and above the polishing table 2-350 by the swing of the swing arm 2-360. By lowering the top ring shaft 2-18, the top ring 2-302 is lowered to press the substrate against the surface (polishing surface) 2-352a of the polishing pad 2-352. At this time, the top ring 2-302 and the polishing table 2-350 are rotated, respectively, and the polishing liquid is supplied onto the polishing pad 2-352 from the polishing liquid supply nozzle 2-354 provided above the polishing table 2-350 and/or from the opening 2-355 provided in the polishing table 2-350. Thus, the substrate WF can be pressed against the polishing surface 2-352a of the polishing pad 2-352 to polish the surface of the substrate. The arm 2-360 may be fixed or swung so that the top ring 2-302 passes through the center of the polishing pad 2-352 (so as to cover the through hole 2-357 of the polishing pad 2-352) during polishing of the substrate WF.

The vertical movement mechanism 2-319 for vertically moving the top ring shaft 2-18 and the top ring 2-302 is provided with: a bridge 2-28 rotatably supporting the top ring shaft 2-18 via a bearing 2-321, a ball screw 2-32 mounted on the bridge 2-28, a support table 2-29 supported by a support column 2-130, and an AC servo motor 2-38 provided on the support table 2-29. The support table 2-29 supporting the servo motor 2-38 is fixed to the swing arm 2-360 via a column 2-130.

The ball screw 2-32 includes: a screw shaft 2-32a connected to the servo motor 2-38, and a nut 2-32b screwed to the screw shaft 2-32 a. The top ring shaft 2-18 moves up and down integrally with the bridge 2-28. Therefore, when the servo motors 2 to 38 are driven, the bridge 2 to 28 moves up and down via the ball screws 2 to 32, and the top ring shaft 2 to 18 and the top ring 2 to 302 move up and down.

The polishing unit 2-300 according to an embodiment includes a dressing unit 2-356 that dresses the polishing surface 2-352a of the polishing pad 2-352. The trimming unit 2-356 includes: a dresser 2-50 in sliding contact with the polishing surface 2-352a, a dresser shaft 2-51 to which the dresser 2-50 is connected, an air cylinder 2-53 provided at an upper end of the dresser shaft 2-51, and a swing arm 2-55 for rotatably supporting the dresser shaft 2-51. The lower part of the dresser 2-50 is constituted by a dressing member 2-50a, and needle-like diamond particles are adhered to the lower surface of the dressing member 2-50 a. The air cylinders 2 to 53 are disposed on support tables 2 to 57 supported by support columns 2 to 56, and these support columns 2 to 56 are fixed to the swing arms 2 to 55.

The swing arm 55 is configured to be driven by a motor, not shown, and to swing about the support shafts 2 to 58. The dresser shaft 2-51 is rotated by driving of a motor, not shown, and the dresser 2-50 is rotated around the dresser shaft 2-51 by the rotation of the dresser shaft 2-51. The air cylinder 2-53 moves the dresser 2-50 up and down via the dresser shaft 2-51, and presses the dresser 2-50 against the polishing surface 2-352a of the polishing pad 2-352 with a predetermined pressing force.

The dressing of the polishing surface 2-352a of the polishing pad 2-352 is performed as follows. The dresser 2-50 is pressed against the polishing surface 2-352a by the cylinder 2-53, and at the same time, pure water is supplied to the polishing surface 2-352a from a pure water supply nozzle not shown. In this state, the dresser 2-50 is rotated about the dresser shaft 2-51, and the lower surface (diamond particles) of the dressing member 2-50a is brought into sliding contact with the abrasive surface 2-352 a. Thus, the polishing pad 2-352 is shaved off by the dresser 50, and the polishing surface 2-352a is dressed.

< drying Unit >

The drying units 2 to 500 are devices for drying the substrate WF. In the substrate processing apparatus 2-1000 shown in fig. 13, the drying unit 2-500 dries the substrate WF cleaned by the cleaning section of the transport unit 2-200 after being polished by the polishing unit 2-300. As shown in fig. 13, the drying unit 2-500 is disposed downstream of the conveying unit 2-200. The drying unit 2-500 has a nozzle 2-530 for ejecting gas toward the substrate WF conveyed on the conveying roller 2-202. The gas may be, for example, compressed air or nitrogen. The substrate WF can be dried by blowing water droplets on the transported substrate WF by the drying unit 2-500.

< unload Unit >

The unloading unit 2-600 is a unit for carrying out the substrate WF after the polishing, cleaning, and other processes to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 2-1000. In the substrate processing apparatus 2-1000 shown in fig. 13, the unloading unit 2-600 receives the substrate dried by the drying unit 2-500. As shown in fig. 13, the unloading unit 2-600 is disposed downstream of the drying unit 2-500. In one embodiment, the off-load units 2-600 are configured in accordance with the mechanical Equipment interface standard of SMEMA (Surface Equipment Manufacturers Association) (IPC-SMEMA-9851).

< Top Ring >

Next, the top ring 2 to 302 in the polishing unit 2 to 300 according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 15 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring 2-302 according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 15, the top ring 2-302 includes a base member 2-301 coupled to a top ring shaft (rotation shaft) 2-18. Specifically, the base member 2-301 includes: a flange 2-303 coupled to the top ring shaft 2-18, an upper guide member 2-305 provided at a lower portion of the flange 2-303, and a lower guide member 2-306 provided at a lower portion of the upper guide member 2-305. The upper guide member 2-305 has a smaller planar size than that of the flange 2-303, and protrudes downward from the lower surface of the flange 2-303. The lower guide member 2-306 is provided in a frame shape on the peripheral edge portion of the lower surface of the upper guide member 2-305. Further, the planar dimension of the upper guide member 2-305 or the flange 2-303 refers to the size of the upper guide member 2-305 or the flange 2-303 when the upper guide member 2-305 or the flange 2-303 is viewed from above (as viewed in the direction along the top ring axis 2-18).

The top ring 2-302 includes a substrate suction member 2-330 for sucking the back surface of the substrate WF with the surface to be polished facing downward. The substrate suction members 2 to 330 are disposed below the base members 2 to 301. The substrate adsorption member 2-330 includes a porous member 2-334. The porous members 2 to 334 may be any member capable of vacuum-adsorbing the substrate WF by evacuation using the pressure reducing means (vacuum source) 2 to 31, and may be made of a resin porous material having a large number of pores formed in a resin such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The porous member 2-334 is formed in a plate shape in the present embodiment, and has a substrate suction surface 2-334a for sucking the substrate WF and a pressure reducing portion 2-334b communicating with the pressure reducing means (vacuum source) 2-31.

In addition, the substrate adsorption part 2-330 includes a shielding part 2-332. The shielding members 2 to 332 may be airtight members capable of shielding the flow of gas, and may be formed of a resin sheet such as relatively soft PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), or PVC (polyvinyl chloride), for example. In the present embodiment, the shielding members 2 to 332 are formed to shield the surfaces 2 to 334c and the side surfaces 2 to 334d of the porous members 2 to 334 on the opposite side to the substrate suction surface 2 to 334 a. The shielding member 2-332 includes suction holes 2-336 formed so as to communicate with the porous member 2-334. The decompression section 2-334b is provided at a position where the suction hole 2-336 is formed. In the present embodiment, the suction holes 2 to 336 are formed in the shielding member 2 to 332 so as to communicate with the side surfaces 2 to 334d of the porous member 2 to 334, and the pressure reducing portions 2 to 334b are provided in the side surfaces 2 to 334 d. One end of the suction hole 2-336 is connected to the side surface 2-334d of the porous member 2-334, and the other end is connected to the pressure reduction unit 2-31 via the suction passage 2-312.

By providing the shielding members 2 to 332, when the porous members 2 to 334 are evacuated by the pressure reducing means (vacuum source) 2 to 31, the negative pressure can be efficiently formed on the substrate suction surfaces 2 to 334 a. Thus, the substrate WF can be reliably adsorbed to the substrate adsorption members 2 to 330, and thus the substrate WF can be prevented from being thrown (slipped) outward during polishing without providing a guard member around the substrate WF. In particular, with the recent thinning of the substrate WF, there is a possibility that the substrate WF may slip out during polishing even when a guard member is provided. In addition, when the substrate WF has a square shape, the corner of the substrate WF may contact the guard member during polishing, and the substrate WF or the top ring may be damaged. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, since the substrate WF can be pressed against the polishing pads 2 to 352 while being vacuum-sucked by the substrate suction members 2 to 330, the substrate WF during polishing can be prevented from slipping out, and the substrate WF or the top ring can be prevented from being damaged during polishing.

In the present embodiment, since the relief portions 2 to 334b are provided on the side surfaces 2 to 334d of the porous members 2 to 334, the polishing profile of the substrate WF can be made uniform. That is, the portion where the decompression section 2-334b is provided is partially made negative pressure by being evacuated by the decompression unit 2-31. Here, when the decompression sections 2 to 334b are provided on the surfaces 2 to 334c of the porous members 2 to 334 on the opposite side to the substrate suction surfaces 2 to 334a, the pressing force against the substrate WF is less likely to act than on other portions because the portions are locally negative pressure, and as a result, the polishing profile may become uneven. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the decompression portions 2 to 334b are provided on the side surfaces 2 to 334d of the porous members 2 to 334, a local negative pressure is less likely to be generated on the surfaces 2 to 334c of the porous members 2 to 334 opposite to the substrate suction surfaces 2 to 334a, and thus the polishing profile of the substrate WF can be made uniform.

As shown in fig. 15, the substrate suction member 2 to 330 includes a frame member 2 to 344 provided to the shielding member 2 to 332 so as to surround at least a part of the base member 2 to 301 (specifically, the upper guide member 2 to 305 and the lower guide member 2 to 306). The frame member 2-344 includes a lower frame member 2-343 provided in a frame shape at a peripheral edge portion of an upper surface of the shield member 2-332, and a frame-shaped upper frame member 2-342 provided above the lower frame member 2-343. The lower frame member 2-343 and the shielding member 2-332 are coupled via a sealing member 2-341. In the present embodiment, the sealing material 2 to 341 is formed in a film shape covering the upper surface of the substrate suction member 2 to 330, but is not limited to this, and may be a frame shape having only a peripheral edge portion for sealing the lower frame member 2 to 343 and the shielding member 2 to 332.

The upper frame member 2-342 includes a frame member protrusion 2-342a protruding in the direction of the base member 2-301 (specifically, the upper guide member 2-305). In addition, the upper guide member 2-305 includes a guide member protrusion 2-305a protruding in the direction of the upper frame member 2-342 at a height position different from the frame member protrusion 2-342 a. The frame member projections 2 to 342a and the guide member projections 2 to 305a overlap each other in a predetermined area when the top ring 2 to 302 is viewed from above. Therefore, the movement of the substrate adsorption members 2 to 330 in the height direction can be restricted by the contact of the frame member protrusions 2 to 342a with the guide member protrusions 2 to 305 a.

The substrate adsorption member 2-330 includes an elastic member 2-340 connecting at least a part of the base member 2-301 surrounded by the frame member 2-344 and the frame member 2-344. Specifically, the elastic member 2 to 340 is a frame-shaped plate member having an inner end 2 to 340a sandwiched between the upper guide member 2 to 305 and the lower guide member 2 to 306 and an outer end 2 to 340b sandwiched between the lower frame member 2 to 343 and the upper frame member 2 to 342. The elastic members 2 to 340 may be formed of a rubber material such as silicon rubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), FKM (fluoro rubber), but are not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 15, the top ring 2-302 includes an elastic membrane 2-320, and the elastic membrane 2-320 is configured to form a plurality of pressurizing chambers for pressurizing the substrate WF between the base member 2-301 and the substrate suction member 2-330. Specifically, the elastic film 2-320 includes a plurality of elastic films 2-320-1, 2-320-2, 2-320-3 having different areas and laminated. The elastic films 2-320-1, 2-320-2, 2-320-3 respectively include a central portion contacting the upper surface of the shielding member 2-332, and end portions extending from the central portion and fixed to different positions of the lower surface of the upper guide member 2-305. A plurality of concentric pressure chambers for pressurizing the substrate WF are formed between the base member 2-301 and the plurality of elastic membranes 2-320-1, 2-320-2, and 2-320-3 by the plurality of elastic membranes 2-320-1, 2-320-2, and 2-320-3. The plurality of pressurizing chambers communicate with the pressure adjustment portions 2 to 30 via pressurizing paths 2 to 313, respectively. The pressure adjustment portions 2 to 30 have a pressure adjustment function of adjusting the pressure of the pressure fluid supplied to the respective pressurizing chambers. By forming a plurality of pressure chambers, the pressing force of the substrate WF against the polishing pads 2 to 352 can be controlled for each area via the substrate suction members 2 to 330. According to the present embodiment, the substrate WF can be adsorbed to the substrate adsorption surface 2-334a by making the porous member 2-334 negative pressure using the pressure reducing means 2-31, and the substrate WF can be pressed against the polishing pad 2-352 via the substrate adsorption member 2-330 by pressurizing the pressurizing chamber with the pressure adjusting portion 2-30.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 15, the top ring 2-302 further includes a band 2-345, and the band 2-345 connects the outer side of the portion (specifically, the flange 2-303) of the base member 2-301 that is not surrounded by the frame member 2-344 and the outer side of the frame member 2-344. The strap 2-345 is mounted across from the outside side of the flange 2-303 to the outside side of the upper frame member 2-342. The belt 2-345 allows displacement of the substrate adsorption member 2-330 relative to the base member 2-301 and prevents the slurry or the like from infiltrating into the space between the substrate adsorption member 2-330 and the base member 2-301.

According to the present embodiment, even when the top ring 2-302, the polishing table 2-350 to which the polishing pad 2-352 is attached, or the like is inclined due to a manufacturing tolerance or the like of each member constituting the substrate processing apparatus 2-1000, the substrate WF can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad 2-352. That is, according to the present embodiment, the substrate suction members 2 to 330 are not fixed to the base members 2 to 301 but held by the elastic members 2 to 340. Therefore, even if the top ring 2-302 or the polishing table 2-350 is inclined so that the substrate WF and the polishing pad 2-352 are unevenly contacted, the substrate suction member 2-330 can follow the polishing surface of the polishing pad 2-352 by the elasticity of the elastic member 2-340, and as a result, the substrate WF and the polishing pad 2-352 can be contacted in parallel. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the substrate WF can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pads 2 to 352.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, a compact top ring can be realized. That is, when the substrate suction member is supported by the base member via the elastic member, it is conceivable to: for example, an opening is provided in the center of the lower surface of the base member, a substrate suction member is provided in the opening, and a frame-shaped member forming the peripheral edge of the opening is connected to the substrate suction member by an elastic member. However, in such a configuration, if the suction path for vacuum suction from the porous member is drawn and wound through the frame-shaped member of the top ring, the planar size of the top ring increases due to the restriction of the space of the frame-shaped member, which may hinder the top ring from being compact.

In contrast, in the top ring 2-302 of the present embodiment, the substrate suction member 2-330 includes the frame member 2-344 surrounding at least a part of the base member 2-301, and the frame member 2-344 and the base member 2-301 are connected by the elastic member 2-340. Therefore, as in the present embodiment, the decompression sections 2 to 334b are provided on the side surfaces 2 to 334d of the porous members 2 to 334, and even when the suction passages 2 to 312 are drawn and wound through the outer peripheral portions of the top rings 2 to 302, it is not necessary to increase the planar dimensions of the frame members 2 to 344, and as a result, the top rings 2 to 302 can be manufactured compactly. Further, the planar dimension of the top ring 2-302 or the frame member 2-344 refers to the size of the top ring 2-302 or the frame member 2-344 when looking down on the top ring 2-302 or the frame member 2-344 (viewed from a direction along the top ring axis 2-18).

Next, another embodiment of the top ring 2 to 302 of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 16 is a sectional perspective view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment. Fig. 17 is a sectional view schematically showing a top ring according to an embodiment. Fig. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a top ring according to an embodiment. In the embodiment shown in fig. 16 to 18, the description of the overlapping structure with the embodiment of fig. 15 is omitted.

As shown in fig. 16 and 17, the base member 2 to 301 includes: a flange 2-303 coupled to the top ring shaft 2-18; spacers 2-304 mounted to the lower surfaces of the flanges 2-303; an upper guide member 2-305 mounted to a lower surface of the spacer 2-304; and a frame-shaped lower guide member 2-306 attached to the lower surface of the upper guide member 2-305. The flange 2-303, the spacer 2-304 and the upper guide member 2-305 are fixed by bolts 2-307. The upper guide member 2-305 and the lower guide member 2-306 are fixed by bolts 2-326 sandwiching the elastic member 2-340 (the fixing manner is schematically simplified in the figure). The shielding members 2 to 332, the upper frame members 2 to 342, and the lower frame members 2 to 343 are fixed by bolts 2 to 308. The ends of the elastic membranes 2-320-1, 2-320-2, 2-320-3 are fixed to different positions of the lower surface of the upper guide member 2-305 by bolts 2-325 via respective holders, respectively (the fixing means are schematically simplified in the drawing).

As shown in fig. 18, the shielding member 2-332 includes a frame-shaped lower shielding member 2-332-1 and an upper shielding member 2-332-2, the lower shielding member 2-332-1 surrounds the periphery of the side surface 2-334d of the porous member 2-334, and the upper shielding member 2-332-2 covers the lower shielding member 2-332-1 and the upper surface (the surface 2-334c on the side opposite to the substrate suction surface 2-334 a) of the porous member 2-334. In the present embodiment, the pressure relief portion 2-334b of the porous member 2-334 is provided at the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the porous member 2-334. One end of the suction hole 2-336 is connected to the pressure reducing section 2-334b, extends in the outer circumferential direction between the lower shielding member 2-332-1 and the upper shielding member 2-332-2, passes through the lower frame member 2-343 and the upper frame member 2-342, and extends upward, and the other end is connected to the suction port 2-314 provided in the upper frame member 2-342.

Fig. 19 is a plan view schematically showing a pattern region and a non-pattern region of a substrate according to an embodiment, and a plan view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment. Fig. 19(a) schematically shows a pattern region and a non-pattern region of a substrate according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 19(a), the substrate WF of the present embodiment has pattern regions 2 to 10 where wiring, functional chips, and the like are provided, and non-pattern regions 2 to 20 where wiring, functional chips, and the like are not provided. As shown in fig. 19(a), the non-pattern regions 2 to 20 are provided in the peripheral portion of the substrate WF, and are linearly provided so as to divide the regions other than the peripheral portion into two upper and lower portions. The pattern areas 2-10 are disposed in the area surrounded by the non-pattern areas 2-20. As shown in fig. 19(B), the pressure relief portions 2 to 334B of the porous members 2 to 334 are provided corresponding to the non-pattern regions 2 to 20 of the substrate WF. In the present embodiment, the decompression section 2 to 334b is connected to suction holes 2 to 336 provided at four places. In the present embodiment, the decompression sections 2 to 334b are provided corresponding to the non-pattern regions 2 to 20 of the substrate WF, and therefore, even if the region where the decompression sections 2 to 334b are provided is locally at a negative pressure and the pressing force on the substrate WF is hard to act, the polishing profile in the pattern regions 2 to 10 of the substrate WF is not affected.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate suction member according to an embodiment. Fig. 21 is an enlarged view of the AA region in fig. 20. As shown in fig. 20, in the present embodiment, suction ports 2 to 314 are provided at four locations corresponding to the suction holes 2 to 336. Each of the suction ports 2 to 314 is connected to the pressure reducing unit 31, not shown, via a suction path 2 to 312 and a suction connector 2 to 311.

As shown in fig. 20 and 21, the upper frame members 2 to 342 include stoppers 2 to 346 provided at four corners of the upper frame members 2 to 342, respectively. The stoppers 2 to 346 are configured to connect different portions of the upper frame members 2 to 342 in an arch shape across the inside of the frame, and in the present embodiment, are configured to connect two sides of the upper frame members 2 to 342 forming an angle in an arch shape. On the other hand, the upper guide member 2-305 includes pads 2-309 provided at four corners of the upper guide member 2-305, respectively. The pads 2-309 are disposed at positions corresponding to the stoppers 2-346. The pads 2-309 are formed in a disc shape at the corners of the upper frame members 2-342 at a different height from the stoppers 2-346. The stopper 2-346 and the pad 2-309 overlap each other at a prescribed area when the top ring 2-302 is viewed from above. Therefore, the movement of the substrate adsorption part 2 to 330 in the height direction can be restricted by the contact of the stopper 2 to 346 with the pad 2 to 309.

According to the embodiment shown in fig. 16 to 21, as in the embodiment shown in fig. 15, the substrate suction members 2 to 330 are not fixed to the base members 2 to 301 but held by the elastic members 2 to 340. Therefore, even if the top ring 2-302 or the polishing table 2-350 is inclined and the substrate WF and the polishing pad 2-352 are unevenly contacted, the substrate suction member 2-330 can follow the polishing surface of the polishing pad 2-352 by the elasticity of the elastic member 2-340, and as a result, the substrate WF can be evenly pressed against the polishing pad 2-352. In addition, according to the embodiment shown in fig. 16 to 21, similarly to the embodiment shown in fig. 15, the substrate suction member 2 to 330 includes the frame member 2 to 344 surrounding at least a part of the base member 2 to 301, and the frame member 2 to 344 and the base member 2 to 301 are connected by the elastic member 2 to 340. Therefore, even when the suction path 2-312 is passed through the outer peripheral portion of the top ring 2-302 and pulled, the planar size of the frame member 2-344 does not need to be increased, and as a result, the top ring 2-302 can be manufactured compactly.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the present invention, and are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention. It is needless to say that the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the gist thereof, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. In addition, any combination or omission of the constituent elements described in the specification and the claimed range can be made within a range in which at least a part of the above problems can be solved or within a range in which at least a part of the effects can be exhibited.

As an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring for holding a substrate, the top ring including: a base member coupled to the rotary shaft; an elastic membrane attached to the base member, and forming a pressure chamber for pressurizing a substrate between the elastic membrane and the base member; and a substrate suction member that is held by the elastic film and includes a porous member having a substrate suction surface for sucking the substrate and a decompression section communicating with the decompression unit.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: since the substrate suction member is held by the elastic film, even if the substrate and the polishing pad are not in uniform contact, the substrate and the polishing pad can be brought into parallel contact by the elasticity of the elastic film, and as a result, the substrate can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad.

Further, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring for holding a substrate, the top ring including: a base member coupled to the rotary shaft; an elastic membrane attached to the base member, and forming a pressure chamber for pressurizing a substrate between the elastic membrane and the base member; and a substrate holding member which is held by the elastic film and includes an elastic plate-like member mirror-finished so that an arithmetic average roughness Ra of a substrate holding surface for holding the substrate is 5 [ mu ] m or less.

The top ring can enhance the friction force between the substrate and the substrate holding surface by performing mirror finishing on the substrate holding surface of the substrate holding member, thereby closely holding the substrate on the substrate holding surface. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the following effects are exhibited as an example: the substrate can be prevented from slipping out during polishing without using a shield member for protecting the periphery of the substrate.

Further, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the substrate adsorption part includes: the porous member; and a shielding member configured to shield a surface of the porous member opposite to the substrate suction surface from a side surface of the porous member.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: when the porous member is evacuated by the pressure reducing means (vacuum source), a negative pressure can be efficiently formed on the substrate suction surface, and therefore the substrate can be reliably sucked to the substrate suction member, and the substrate can be prevented from slipping out from the substrate suction member during polishing.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the shielding member includes a hole formed to expose the porous member, and the decompression portion is provided at a position where the hole is formed.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: since the porous member can be depressurized through the hole formed in the shielding member, the substrate can be reliably adsorbed to the substrate adsorbing member, and the substrate can be prevented from slipping out of the substrate adsorbing member during polishing.

Further, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the substrate adsorption part includes: a plurality of the porous members; and a shielding member configured to shield a surface of each of the plurality of porous members opposite to the substrate suction surface, wherein the shielding member includes a plurality of holes formed to expose the plurality of porous members, and the decompression sections are provided at positions where the plurality of holes are formed.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: since the entire substrate suction member can be depressurized by the depressurizing means (vacuum source), even a large-sized substrate can be firmly sucked to the substrate suction member, and as a result, the substrate can be prevented from slipping out of the top ring during polishing.

Further, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the base member includes: a lower guide member provided so as to surround the periphery of the substrate suction member; and an upper guide member provided on an upper portion of the lower guide member, the elastic membrane including: a central portion covering a surface of the substrate suction member opposite to the substrate suction surface; and an end portion sandwiched between the upper guide member and the lower guide member.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: since the substrate suction member is held by the elastic film having the end portion sandwiched between the upper guide member and the lower guide member, even if the substrate and the polishing pad are not in uniform contact, the substrate and the polishing pad can be brought into parallel contact by the elasticity of the elastic film, and as a result, the substrate can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad.

In one embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the elastic membrane includes a plurality of elastic membranes, and the plurality of elastic membranes are configured to: the substrate suction device includes a central portion connected to a surface of the substrate suction member opposite to the substrate suction surface, and end portions fixed to different positions of the base member and forming a plurality of pressure chambers for pressurizing the substrate between the base member and the plurality of elastic films.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: by forming a plurality of pressure chambers, the pressing force of the substrate against the polishing pad can be controlled for each region.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring further including a plurality of stopper members coupled to the substrate suction member at an end portion of the substrate suction member via the elastic film and having a flange portion protruding outward from the substrate suction member, the base member including: a lower guide member provided so as to surround the periphery of the substrate suction member; and an upper guide member provided above the lower guide member, wherein the upper guide member and the lower guide member have a regulation surface for regulating the vertical movement of the flange portion of the stopper member.

As an example, the top ring exhibits the following effects: the vertical movement range of the substrate suction member can be limited to a desired range.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a substrate processing apparatus including any one of the top rings described above and a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad.

As an example, the substrate processing apparatus exhibits the following effects: since the substrate suction member is held by the elastic film, even if the substrate and the polishing pad are not in uniform contact, the substrate and the polishing pad can be brought into parallel contact by the elasticity of the elastic film, and as a result, the substrate can be uniformly pressed against the polishing pad.

As an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring for holding a substrate, the top ring including: a base member coupled to the rotary shaft; a substrate suction member including a porous member having a substrate suction surface for sucking a substrate and a decompression portion communicating with a decompression unit, a shielding member configured to shield a surface and a side surface of the porous member opposite to the substrate suction surface, and a frame member provided to the shielding member so as to surround at least a part of the base member; and an elastic member that connects at least a part of the base member surrounded by the frame member and the frame member.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the shielding member includes a suction hole formed to communicate with the porous member, and the decompression portion is provided at a position where the suction hole is formed.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring in which the suction holes are formed in the shielding member so as to communicate with a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the porous member or a side surface of the porous member.

Further, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the frame member includes: a lower frame member provided at a peripheral edge portion of an upper surface of the shielding member; and an upper frame member provided on the lower frame member, the base member including: a flange coupled to the rotating shaft; an upper guide member provided at a lower portion of the flange and having a smaller planar size than the flange; and a frame-shaped lower guide member provided below the upper guide member, wherein the elastic member is a plate-shaped member and includes: an inner end portion sandwiched between the upper guide member and the lower guide member; and an outer end portion sandwiched between the lower frame member and the upper frame member.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the upper frame member or the lower frame member includes a frame member protrusion protruding in a direction of the base member, and the upper guide member or the lower guide member includes a guide member protrusion protruding in a direction of the upper frame member or the lower frame member at a height position different from the frame member protrusion and overlapping the frame member protrusion.

Further, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring, wherein the upper frame member or the lower frame member includes a stopper that connects different portions of the upper frame member or the lower frame member in an arch shape across a frame interior, and the upper guide member or the lower guide member includes a pad that overlaps the stopper at a height position different from the stopper.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring further including a plurality of elastic films configured to form a plurality of pressure chambers for pressurizing a substrate between the base member and the substrate suction member.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a top ring further including a belt connecting an outer side surface of a portion of the base member not surrounded by the frame member and an outer side surface of the frame member.

In addition, as an embodiment, the present application discloses a substrate processing apparatus including any one of the top rings described above and a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad.