Polishing apparatus of semiconductor wafer

Claim 2

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a plurality of pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; and adjusting means, provided in each of said pipes, for adjusting temperature of said liquid in each of said cells to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 3

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a plurality of first pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; a plurality of second pipes, each having one end connected to one of said cells and another end connected to a corresponding one of said first pipes for discharging said liquid from said one cell, and introducing said liquid to the corresponding one of the first pipes; a plurality of heaters, one such heater being provided around each of said first pipes; and a controller connected to said heaters for adjusting temperature of said heaters, respectively, whereby said controller adjusts the temperature of liquid of each cell by adjusting the temperature of each heater to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 4

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a plurality of first pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; a plurality of second pipes, each having one end connected to one of said cells and another end connected to a corresponding one of said first pipes for discharging said liquid from said one cell, and introducing said liquid to the corresponding one of the first pipes; a plurality of heaters, one such heater being provided around each of said first pipes; and a controller connected to said heaters for adjusting temperature of said heaters, respectively, whereby said controller adjusts the temperature of liquid of each cell by adjusting the temperature of each heater to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising; a plurality of pumps, one such pump being provided in each of said first pipes, for moving liquid in said first pipes.

Claim 6

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of flexible cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and having a surface retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a plurality of pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; and a plurality of adjusting means, one such adjusting means being provided in each of said pipes, for adjusting pressure of said liquid in each of said cells, thereby to adjust position of the surface of each cell retaining a portion of the semiconductor substrate in accordance with an amount of warp of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 7

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of flexible cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and having a surface retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a plurality of pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; and a plurality of adjusting means, one such adjusting means being provided in each of said pipes, for adjusting pressure of said liquid in each of said cells, thereby to adjust position of the surface of each cell retaining a portion of the semiconductor substrate in accordance with an amount of warp of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 8

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of flexible cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and having a surface retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a pipe for introducing said liquid to each of said cells; measuring means for irradiating said semiconductor substrate with light, and measuring an amount of a warp of said semiconductor substrate in accordance with an angle of light reflected from said semiconductor substrate; and adjusting means, provided in said pipe, for adjusting pressure of said liquid, to adjust position of the surface of said cell retaining a portion of the semiconductor substrate in accordance with an amount of the warp of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 9

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of flexible cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and having a surface retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a pipe for introducing said liquid to each of said cells; measuring means for irradiating said semiconductor substrate with light, and measuring an amount of a warp of said semiconductor substrate in accordance with an angle of light reflected from said semiconductor substrate; and adjusting means, provided in said pipe, for adjusting pressure of said liquid, to adjust position of the surface of said cell retaining a portion of the semiconductor substrate in accordance with an amount of the warp of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said measuring means comprises: a housing; driving means for driving said housing along said semiconductor substrate; a light source, provided in said housing, for generating a laser beam; means for guiding the laser beam generated by said light source to said semiconductor substrate; detecting means for detecting the laser beam reflected on said semiconductor substrate, wherein said detecting means detects the amount of the warp of the semiconductor substrate by the detected angle of reflection of the laser beam; and controlling means for controlling said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of the warp of said semiconductor substrate detected by said detecting means.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said adjusting means comprises a valve.

Claim 12

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of flexible cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and having a surface retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a first pipe for introducing said liquid to each of said cells; a second pipe having one end connected to each of said cells and other end connected to said first pipe for discharging said liquid from said cell, and introducing said liquid to the first pipe; heating means, provided in said first pipe, for heating the liquid of each cell to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate; measuring means for irradiating said semiconductor substrate with light, and measuring an amount of a warp of said semiconductor substrate in accordance with an angle of light reflected on said semiconductor substrate; and adjusting means, provided in said first pipe, for adjusting pressure of said liquid to adjust position of the surface of said cell retaining a portion of the semiconductor substrate in accordance with an amount of the warp of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 13

A polishing apparatus comprising: a top plate having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of flexible cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and having a surface retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate to be polished; a first pipe for introducing said liquid to each of said cells; a second pipe having one end connected to each of said cells and other end connected to said first pipe for discharging said liquid from said cell, and introducing said liquid to the first pipe; heating means, provided in said first pipe, for heating the liquid of each cell to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate; measuring means for irradiating said semiconductor substrate with light, and measuring an amount of a warp of said semiconductor substrate in accordance with an angle of light reflected on said semiconductor substrate; and adjusting means, provided in said first pipe, for adjusting pressure of said liquid to adjust position of the surface of said cell retaining a portion of the semiconductor substrate in accordance with an amount of the warp of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 14

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said measuring means comprising: a housing; driving means for driving said housing along said semiconductor substrate; a light source, provided in said housing, for generating a laser beam; means for guiding the laser beam generated by said light source to said semiconductor substrate; detecting means for detecting the laser beam reflected on said semiconductor substrate, wherein said detecting means detects the amount of the warp of the semiconductor substrate by the detected angle of reflection of the laser beam; and controlling means for controlling said adjusting means in accordance with the amount of the warp of said semiconductor substrate detected by said detecting means.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said adjusting means comprises a valve.

Claim 16

A polishing apparatus comprising: a polishing plate wherein said polishing plate is rotated and polishing material is applied on a surface of the polishing plate; a top plate mounted on a surface of said polishing plate, and having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor substrate being brought into contact with the surface of said polishing plate and polished; a plurality of first pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; a plurality of second pipes, each having one end connected to one of said cells and another end connected to a corresponding one of said first pipes for discharging said liquid from said one cell, and introducing said liquid to the corresponding one of the first pipes; and a plurality of heating means, one such heating means being provided in each of said first pipes for heating said liquid of each cell to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 17

A polishing apparatus comprising: a polishing plate wherein said polishing plate is rotated and polishing material is applied on a surface of the polishing plate; a top plate mounted on a surface of said polishing plate, and having a concave portion on its back face; a plurality of cells provided in the concave portion of said top plate, each of said cells being filled with liquid and retaining a portion of a semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor substrate being brought into contact with the surface of said polishing plate and polished; a plurality of first pipes for introducing said liquid to each of said cells, respectively; a plurality of second pipes, each having one end connected to one of said cells and another end connected to a corresponding one of said first pipes for discharging said liquid from said one cell, and introducing said liquid to the corresponding one of the first pipes; and a plurality of heating means, one such heating means being provided in each of said first pipes for heating said liquid of each cell to compensate for polishing rate variations of the respective portions of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each said heating means comprises: a heater, provided around said first pipe, for heating liquid of said first pipe; and a pump, provided in said first pipe, for moving liquid of said first pipe.