EP0616362A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for polishing work piece and apparatus therefor
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1994-03-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-03-14
Abstract
Abstract A method for polishing a wafer (1,41) having a plurality of types of materials in a laminar state by polishing the wafer (1,41) by a polishing cloth (17,57). This method has the steps of receiving a signal regarding a temperature from the polishing cloth (17,57) during polishing of the wafer (1,41), processing the received signal (SA), detecting change point (T1,T2) of a temperature (T) of the polishing cloth (17,57) based on the processed signal, and detecting an end point of processing based on the change point (T1,T2). Further embodiments, instead of monitoring temperature, are comprising analyzing a vibration signal or a signal corresponding to a strain of holding means, e.g. detecting a change of frictional resistance.
Inventors
- 👤 Katsuyoshi C/O Intellectual Property Div. Kojima
- 👤 Seiichiro C/O Intellectual Property Div. Murai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 12:57
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P52/00; H10P52/40; H10P52/403; B; B24; B24B; B24B37/00; B24B37/005; B24B37/013; B24B49/00; B24B49/14; H10P95/00; H10P95/06; H10P95/062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A method for polishing a work piece (1, 41) having a plurality of types of materials laminated in a laminar state by polishing means (17, 57, L), comprising the following steps of: receiving a signal regarding a temperature at least from one of the work piece (1, 41) and the polishing means (17, 57) during polishing of the work piece (1); processing the received signal (SA); detecting a change point (T1, T2) of at least one temperature (T) of the work piece (1, 41) and the polishing means (17, 57) based on the processed signal; and detecting an end point of polishing based on the change points (T1, T2).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of stopping polishing when an end point of polishing is detected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said polishing means comprises a polishing cloth (17, 57), and said signal receiving step receives a signal regarding a temperature generated from the polishing cloth.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said signal receiving step is to receive a signal regarding a temperature directly or indirectly from a surface to become a rear side to the surface to be polished of the work piece (91, 41).
Claim 5
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for polishing a work piece (41) having a plurality of layers containing at least two types of material layers laminated substantially in parallel to a flat surface parallel to the surface of the predetermined layer to be disposed at its outside, comprising the steps of: receiving a signal regarding a temperature at least from one of the work piece (1, 41) and the polishing means (17, 57) during surface grinding of the predetermined layer; processing the received signal (SA); detecting a temperature change based on the processed signal when the surface grinding is shifted from said special layer to an adjacent layer having a different material; and stopping the surface grinding when the temperature change is detected.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
A method according to claim 5, characterized in that said work piece (1) comprises a first thin film portion (6) made of polycrystalline Si, and a second thin film portion (7) having an opening (7a) laminated on the first thin film portion (6), partly extended with a material of the first thin film portion and made of SiO₂, and said temperature change detecting step has a process for detecting at least a reduction in a temperature of one of the work piece (1, 41) and the polishing means (17, 57) when the surface grinding of said first thin film portion (6) is shifted to the surface grinding of said second thin film portion (7).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for polishing a work piece for surface grinding a portion of a special layer of the work piece having at least two types of materials made of a plurality of different type materials to be laminated in parallel parallel to the surface of said layer, comprising the steps of: receiving a signal regarding a temperature at least from one of the work piece (1, 41) and the polishing means (17, 57) during surface grinding of the predetermined layer; processing the received signal (SA); detecting a temperature change based on the processed signal when the surface grinding is shifted from said predetermined layer to an adjacent layer having a different material; and stopping the surface grinding when the temperature change is detected.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 5, characterized in that said temperature change detecting step has a process for detecting an increase in at least one temperature gradient of the work piece (1, 41) and the polishing means (17, 57) for the polishing time.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
A polishing apparatus comprising: polishing unit (2) relatively moved to a work piece (1, 41) and having polishing means (17, 57) for polishing the work piece; and a temperature sensor (24) for detecting a surface temperature of the polishing means (17, 57), and a processor (26) for processing a signal for indicating a surface temperature of said polishing unit output from said temperature sensor (24, 30), and a process end point detector (3) for detecting an end point of polishing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said polishing unit (2) comprises chuck means (19, 19a, 32) for detachably holding the work piece (1, 41), and a polishing cloth (17, 57) for polishing the work piece (1, 41).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said temperature sensor (24, 30) is an infrared light temperature sensor for detecting an infrared light and arranged at a position separate from the polishing cloth (17, 57) oppositely to the polishing cloth (17, 57).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said temperature sensor (30) is buried in chuck means (19) for detecting a temperature of the work piece (1, 41) held by said chuck means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for polishing a work piece for surface grinding the work piece (1, 41) made of a plurality of types of materials, comprising the steps of: receiving an electric signal (SV) regarding a vibration of the work piece (1, 41) based on polishing during polishing of the work piece (1, 41); processing the received signal (SV) to form a vibration signal detection signal (SF); analyzing the vibration signal detection signal (SF) to output an analysis signal (SA); detecting a cbage in a resonance pattern based on a material structural change of the work piece (1, 41) by using the analysis signal (SA); and stopping the polishing when the change of the vibration mode is detected.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for polishing a work piece for surface grinding only a special layer of the work piece (1, 41) having a plurality of types of materials laminated parallel to said layer, comprising the steps of: receiving an electric signal (SV) regarding a vibration of the work piece (1, 41) based on polishing during polishing of the work piece (1, 41); processing the received signal (SV) to form a vibration signal detection signal (SF); analyzing the vibration signal detection signal (SF) to output an analysis signal (SA); detecting a variation in a vibration mode generated when surface grinding of said special layer is shifted to surface grinding of other layer by using the analysis signal (SA); and stopping the polishing when the change of the vibration mode is detected.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
112 words
A method for polishing a work piece (41) for surface grinding only a special layer of the work piece (1, 14) having at least two types of materials laminated parallel to the surface of said layer, comprising the steps of: forming an electric signal (SM) corresponding to a strain of holding means (59, 79) for holding the work piece during polishing of said work piece (1, 41); detecting a changer of a frictional resistance generated when surface grinding of the special layer is shifted to surface grinding of other layer based on a change of the electric signal (SM); and stopping the polishing when the change of the frictional resistance is detected.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
157 words
A polishing apparatus comprising: polishing unit (51) for surface grinding a work piece (1, 41); and a processing end point detector (52) for detecting a processing end point of the work piece (1, 41) surface ground by said polishing unit (51) to apply a polish stop signal (SS) to said polishing unit (51) based of the detected result; said process end point detector (52) comprising: a vibration sensor (64) provided in said polishing unit (51) for detecting a vibration generated when said work piece is polished by said polishing unit to output a vibration detection signal (SV); a filter (66) receiving the vibration detection signal (SV) output from said vibration sensor (64) for extracting a special frequency band to output a vibration detection signal (SF); and a process end point detector (68) for detecting a process end point based on the vibration detection signal (SF) extracted by said filter (66) to output a polish stop signal (SS).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that said process end point detector (68) has a preset threshold value and compares the threshold value with the vibration detection signal (SF) output from said filter (66) to detect a process end point.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
88 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a vibration analyzer (67) provided between said filter (66) and said process end point detector (68); characterized in that said vibration analyzer (67) obtains a power spectrum at a predetermined time of the vibration detection signal (SF) output from said filter (66) to form an analysis signal (SA) indicating the power spectrum, said process end point detector (68) has a predetermined threshold value for comparing the analysis signal (SA) with the threshold value to detect the process end point.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
171 words
A polishing apparatus comprising: a polishing unit (51) having holding means (59) for holding a work piece (1, 41), and polishing means (56, 57) relatively moved to said holding means (59) for polishing the work piece (1, 41) to surface ground the work piece (1, 41); and a process end point detector (52) for detecting a process end point of the work piece (1, 41) surface ground by said polishing unit (51) to apply a polish stop signal (SS) to said polishing unit (51) based on the detected result; characterized in that said holding means (59) comprises strain means (79) to be deformed when the work piece (1, 41) is polished and strain detecting means (64S) for generating a signal responsive to the strain amount of the strain means (79); and said process end point detector (52) comprises a process end point detector (68) for processing a strain detection signal (SM) output from said strain detecting means (64S) and detecting the process end point to output the polish stop signal (SS).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
96 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that said polishing unit (51) comprises a lower surface plate (56) mounting with said polishing means (57) to be rotatably driven; said holding means comprises an upper surface plate (59) provided oppositely to the lower surface plate (56) and fixed with said work piece (1, 41) to be rotatably driven; and said strain means comprises a strain sensor (64S) having a sensor mounting jig (79) connected to the upper surface plate (59), said strain detecting means has a strain sensor (64S) mounted at said sensor mounting jig.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that said sensor mounting jig (79) comprises a ring-shaped outer wheel (79a) and a plurality of submembers (79c) radially extended from the outer wheel toward a center, and connected coaxially with said upper surface plate (59).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that said strain sensor (64S) is mounted at a submember (79S) of said sensor mounting jig (79).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
A polishing apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that said sensor mounting jig (79) comprises a cutout (79a) formed on the outer wheel (79a), and said strain sensor (64S) is mounted in the cutout (79d).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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