JP2007190674A - Slurry feeder and polishing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a polishing particle from being a bulky grain caused by the coagulation of slurry fed to a CMP device. <P>SOLUTION: A slurry feeder includes sealed slurry bottles 1 and 2, a pipe system 3, a wet nitrogen generator 4, a wet nitrogen supply pipe 5, suction nozzles 13a and 13c, jetting nozzles 13b and 13d, a temperature controller 12, flow control valves 7a to 7j and 7x, liquid sending pumps 9a and 9b and a control system 10 for controlling operation and a flow rate of the liquid sending pumps 9a and 9b. A joint is not provided in a connection part of pipes in the pipe system 3, and a corner part of a pipe is formed in a curved shape with curvature radius of 5 cm or more, for example, so as to eliminate a sump part of a slurry 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a slurry supply apparatus used for performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a substrate and a polishing method using the slurry supply apparatus.

  In recent years, in a manufacturing process for forming a transistor or the like on a semiconductor substrate, a slurry obtained by dispersing fumed silica or colloidal silica as abrasive particles in an alkaline solution such as ammonia for the purpose of planarizing an interlayer insulating film or the like. A technique for maintaining high substrate flatness by performing chemical mechanical polishing is known.

  For example, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an abrasive supply device (hereinafter referred to as “slurry supply device”) F1 disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  As shown in the figure, the slurry supply device F1 includes a tank 101 in which an abrasive 109, which is a polishing slurry, is stored, a supply path 102 for supplying slurry from the tank 101 to the polishing apparatus, and a supply path 102. A polishing agent 109 is dropped on the polishing pad of the CMP apparatus provided at the tip of the supply path 102 and the flow rate adjusting valve 103 provided downstream of the pump 104 in the supply path 102 and the supply path 102. And a stirrer 106 having a propeller for stirring the abrasive 109. A circulation path 105 branched from the upstream side of the valve 103 of the supply path 102 is provided, and the abrasive 109 is returned from the circulation path 105 to the tank 101 to circulate the abrasive. The temperature of the abrasive 109 in the tank 101 can be adjusted by the heater 107, and the temperature of the heater 107 is controlled by the heater temperature control unit 108. At the time of polishing, the opening degree of the valve 103 is adjusted, and a predetermined amount of the abrasive 109 sucked up from the tank 101 by the pump 104 is supplied from the supply nozzle 110 to the polishing pad, and the remaining abrasive 109 is circulated. Return to tank 101 through path 105. On the other hand, at the time of non-polishing, the valve 103 is closed and the entire amount of the abrasive 109 is returned to the tank 101 so that only the abrasive 109 is circulated.

  By the way, in the case of colloidal silica, the primary particles have a fine particle size (20 to 30 nm), but the primary particles of each silica are aggregated to some extent to form secondary particles having a particle size of 100 to 200 nm. . Moreover, in the case of fumed silica, it has a particle size of 100-200 nm from the time of manufacture. It is considered that the secondary particles having a particle diameter of 100 to 200 nm actually contribute to the polishing action.

  On the other hand, when the agglomeration of the abrasive particles is accelerated so much that the abrasive particles are coarsened to have a particle size exceeding about 500 nm, micro scratches are generated on the object to be polished.

  Therefore, in the conventional slurry supply apparatus F1, the abrasive 109, which is a slurry, is constantly circulated and stirred by a propeller, thereby suppressing the settling and aggregation of the abrasive.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a joint provided in a piping system through which an abrasive of a conventional slurry supply apparatus generally flows. As described above, by using joints of various shapes in the corner portion and the straight portion, piping having a complicated shape is realized, and the piping area in the slurry supply device is reduced and the entire device is made compact.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-15822 (Abstract)

  By the way, if the agglomeration of the abrasive particles is accelerated so much that the abrasive particles are coarsened to have a particle size of about 500 nm, for example, not only micro scratches are generated on the object to be polished, but also the polishing rate is lowered. It has also been found that there is a problem.

  FIG. 9 is a graph showing the results of experiments conducted by the present inventors and comparing the difference in polishing rate between slurry 1 and slurry 2 having different solid content concentrations. As shown in the figure, the slurry 1 has a solid content concentration that is only 1% lower than that of the slurry 2, but the polishing rate is greatly reduced. Such a decrease in the solid content concentration is caused by sedimentation in the tank due to the coarsening of the abrasive particles, and it is important from the viewpoint of optimizing the polishing rate to suppress the coarsening of the abrasive particles. I understand.

  However, the conventional slurry supply apparatus has the following problems from the viewpoint of reducing agglomeration of abrasive particles.

  First, as shown in FIG. 8, stirring is performed by a stirrer 106 having a propeller in the tank 101, but it has been found that the coarsening of the abrasive particles in the slurry has not been improved so much.

  Second, in the piping system of the slurry supply apparatus F1, many joints are used. As shown in FIG. 10, in the region Rg where two pipes are connected in the joints, the gaps between the pipes. It is considered that there are many steps and the accumulation of slurry in this portion accelerates the coarsening of the abrasive particles.

  Third, due to the change in the liquid level in the tank 101, the solidified product of the slurry adheres to the inner wall of the tank 101, and the solidified material that has once adhered collapses into the tank 101, leading to an increase in coarse particles. It seems that there is.

  In addition, acceleration of such coarsening of the abrasive particles causes generation of micro scratches in the object to be polished, and reduction / instability of the polishing rate.

  The object of the present invention is to suppress the coarsening of the abrasive particles by reducing the stepped portion or gap portion in the pipe, thereby reducing the micro scratches on the workpiece and optimizing the polishing rate. There is to plan.

  A slurry supply apparatus of the present invention is a slurry supply apparatus for supplying a slurry as an abrasive to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, and includes a sealed container for storing slurry, and slurry from the container. A first nozzle for sucking, a second nozzle for returning the slurry to the container, a third nozzle for dropping the slurry into the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, the first nozzle and the first nozzle A first pipe for supplying the slurry to the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus; and at least of the slurry flowing through the first pipe, connected to the second nozzle and the first pipe. A second pipe for bypassing a part from the third nozzle and returning it to the second nozzle, and the third nozzle and the second pipe for slurry flowing through the first pipe Against A control valve for adjusting the supply amount, a pump interposed in at least one of the first and second pipes, for forcibly flowing the slurry, and a wet in the container from the outside Wet gas supply means for supplying atmospheric gas.

  Thereby, since the inside of a container becomes a moist atmosphere, even if the liquid level in a container changes, generation | occurrence | production of the solidified substance of the slurry in an inner wall can be prevented reliably.

  It is preferable to further include a sampling port attached to the container for collecting the slurry from the container for sampling.

  The sampling port is preferably attached to the top, middle and bottom of the container.

  The polishing method of the present invention is a polishing method for polishing an object to be polished by supplying the slurry to the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus using the slurry supply apparatus of the present invention.

  By this method, the same effect as the above-mentioned slurry supply apparatus can be exhibited.

  According to the slurry supply apparatus of the present invention, when supplying the abrasive to the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, the coarsening of the abrasive particles is suppressed, so that the generation of micro scratches on the object to be polished is suppressed, and the polishing rate is stabilized. Can be achieved.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a slurry supply apparatus A and a CMP apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the slurry supply apparatus A according to the present embodiment includes two slurry bottles 1 and 2 whose insides are sealed, a piping system 3 extending from each slurry bottle 1 and 2 to the CMP apparatus 6, and each In order to supply wet nitrogen from the wet nitrogen generator 4 for generating the nitrogen (wet nitrogen) containing moisture supplied to the slurry bottles 1 and 2 to each of the slurry bottles 1 and 2 The wet nitrogen supply pipe 5 and the pipes 41 and 42 for supplying nitrogen and pure water to the wet nitrogen generator 4 are provided.

  Further, in each of the slurry bottles 1 and 2, suction nozzles 13 a and 13 c for sucking the slurry 30 from the slurry bottles 1 and 2 and sending them out to the piping system 3, while ejecting the slurry 30 to the slurry bottles 1 and 2. Jet nozzles 13b and 13d for returning are arranged. And each piping 3a-3d of the piping system 3 is each extended from each nozzle 13a-13d. That is, the delivery side branch pipes 3a and 3c are connected to the suction nozzles 13a and 13c, and the return side branch pipes 3b and 3d are connected to the ejection nozzles 13b and 13d. The delivery side branch pipes 3a and 3c are combined into a delivery side joining pipe 3e, and a slurry feeding pipe 3x extending from the joining pipe 3e to the CMP apparatus 6 and a slurry feeding pipe from the joining side joining pipe 3e. A return-side joining pipe 3f for returning the remaining slurry 30 that has not flowed to the pipe 3x is provided, and the return-side branch pipes 3b and 3d are directed from the return-side joining pipe 3f to the respective slurry bottles 1 and 2, respectively. Branch off.

  Furthermore, the slurry supply apparatus A includes a temperature controller 12 having a heater and a cooler for controlling the temperature of the slurry 30, and a heat exchange coil 3 z disposed in the temperature controller 12. Then, the inlet side branch pipes 3g and 3i for flowing the slurry to the heat exchange coil 3z are branched from the delivery side branch pipes 3a and 3c, respectively. The inlet side branch pipes 3g and 3i are combined into one inlet. After becoming the side junction pipe 3k, it is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange coil 3z. On the other hand, after the outlet side merge pipe 3l extends from the outlet of the heat exchange coil 3z, it is branched to the outlet side branch pipes 3h and 3j and then connected to the return side branch pipes 3b and 3d.

  Each pipe is provided with flow rate adjusting valves 7a to 7j and 7x for adjusting the flow rate.

  Furthermore, liquid return pumps 9a and 9b are interposed in the return side branch pipes 3b and 3d, and the slurry 30 is jetted to the bottom surfaces of the slurry bottles 1 and 2 by the liquid supply pumps 9a and 9b. .

  Further, a control system 10 is provided for controlling the operation and flow rate of each liquid feed pump 9a, 9b, and the liquid feed pumps 9a, 9b are always operated so as to circulate the slurry 30 constantly during polishing by the CMP apparatus. On the other hand, during the idling of the CMP apparatus, the liquid feed pumps 9a and 9b are intermittently operated and stopped alternately at regular time intervals. For example, during idle, the liquid feed pumps 9a and 9b are operated at a rate of about 5 minutes per hour to circulate the slurry 30.

  Further, each of the slurry bottles 1 and 2 is provided with sampling ports 8a to 8c and 8d to 8f for sampling the slurry 30, and the sampling ports 8a to 8c and 8d to 8f have valves 15a to 15c, 15d to 15f are interposed. That is, the slurry 30 can be sampled at any time from the sampling ports 8a to 8c and 8d to 8f at the upper, middle, and lower portions of the slurry bottles 1 and 2 in order to measure the distribution state of the diameter of the abrasive particles in the slurry 30. It is configured.

  Further, the nozzle height adjusting mechanisms 11a to 11d are configured to freely adjust the height positions of the suction nozzles 13a and 13c and the ejection nozzles 13b and 13d.

  On the other hand, the CMP apparatus 6 includes a polishing surface plate 62, a lower rotating shaft 61 for rotationally driving the polishing surface plate 62, a polyurethane polishing pad 63 attached on the polishing surface plate 62, and a carrier. An upper rotating shaft 64 for rotationally driving 65 is provided, and a wafer 66 as an object to be polished is attached to the carrier 65. And it is comprised so that a slurry may be dripped at the polishing pad 63 from the front-end | tip nozzle connected to the piping 3x for slurry supply.

  As above, the schematic configuration of the slurry supply apparatus A according to the present embodiment has been described. Details of the characteristic configuration among them will be described below.

-Stirring method-
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the slurry 30 is agitated by ejecting the slurry 30 by the ejection nozzles 13 b and 13 d without installing a propeller agitator in the slurry bottles 1 and 2. This is an improvement based on the following experimental results.

  FIGS. 2A and 2B are graphs showing the diameter distribution of abrasive particles before and after stirring with a propeller, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the diameter of the abrasive particles before stirring by the propeller is distributed in the range of 0.06 to 0.3 μm. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2B, the diameter of the abrasive particles after stirring by the propeller is distributed in the range of 0.06 to 4 μm, and the abrasive particles having a particle diameter of 500 nm or more increase. I understand that. This is because the surface state of the silica changes, such as the electrical three-dimensional structure for maintaining the dispersed state of the abrasive particles when the abrasive particles collide with the propeller, and the effect of local energy generation around the propeller. It is considered that the abrasive particles collide and settle due to the collision of the abrasive particles.

  Therefore, as in the present embodiment, the slurry 30 is jetted by the circulating pressure of the pumps 9a and 9b and the slurry 30 is agitated, whereby the aggregation of the slurry can be suppressed. In particular, in this embodiment, since the height positions of the ejection nozzles 13b and 13d can be adjusted by the nozzle height position adjusting mechanisms 11b and 11d, the stirring action of the slurry 30 in the slurry bottles 1 and 2 is achieved. The ejection nozzles 13b and 13d can be installed at positions where they can be maximized.

  In FIG. 1, only one ejection nozzle 13b, 13d is shown in the slurry bottles 1, 2, but a large number of these can be arranged as needed, thereby enhancing the stirring action. Can do.

  Further, in order to maintain the stirring action higher, the height positions of the ejection nozzles 13b and 13d are preferably 5 cm or less from the bottom surfaces of the slurry bottles 1 and 2.

  Moreover, since the ejection speed of the slurry 30 can be increased by narrowing the tip portions of the ejection nozzles 13b and 13d to be smaller, the stirring action is also improved.

-Intermittent operation-
On the other hand, it is considered that a certain degree of agglomeration also occurs in the agitation method using the ejection of the slurry 30 using the pressure of the pumps 9a and 9b as in the present embodiment. This is because the abrasive particles collide with each other due to the circulation pressure of the pumps 9a and 9b during the polishing of the wafer in the CMP apparatus 6 or during non-polishing (during idle), and the dispersed state of the abrasive particles is maintained. This is because the electrical three-dimensional structure for breaking up may be agglomerated. On the other hand, if no agitation is performed, the slurry is settled in the slurry bottles 1 and 2, so that the solid content concentration becomes non-uniform and uniform polishing cannot be performed. Although this phenomenon varies depending on the type of slurry, it appears in about 48 to 72 hours. Therefore, if the slurry is not stirred at all during idling, it is necessary to replace the slurry 30 every 48 to 72 hours, resulting in a hindrance to the polishing operation.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control system 10 controls the pumps 9a and 9b to operate intermittently. That is, during polishing by the CMP apparatus 6, the pumps 9a and 9b are always operated to constantly circulate the slurry 30 and perform stirring by jetting, but the pumps 9a and 9b are intermittently operated during non-polishing, that is, in an idle state. In operation, the slurry 30 is circulated and stirred intermittently. Specifically, in the idle state, the pumps 9a and 9b are operated for about 5 minutes per hour.

  FIG. 3 shows the median diameter of the abrasive particles with respect to the elapsed time of use when the pumps 9a and 9b are always operated even in the idle state and when the pumps 9a and 9b are intermittently operated in the idle state. It is data indicating a change. As shown in the figure, the median diameter immediately reaches about 0.3 μm in the case of continuous operation, whereas the median diameter is maintained around 0.15 μm in the case of intermittent operation.

  Thus, the coarsening of the abrasive particles can be effectively suppressed by the intermittent operation of the pumps 9a and 9b for circulating the slurry during idling. This method is also based on the idea that if the life of the slurry 30 due to the coarsening of the abrasive particles is determined by the circulation time of the slurry, the circulation is performed only for the necessary time.

  Table 1 below shows the number of coarse particles (with a diameter of 500 nm or more) in 30 μl of slurry collected from the top, middle, and bottom of a slurry bottle for the conventional stirring method and the stirring method of the present invention. It is a table | surface which shows the number of the micro scratches on a to-be-polished object (wafer) when CMP is performed using the slurry of each part. As shown in Table 1, in the case of the conventional stirring method, the number of coarse abrasive particles in the upper part is small, but the number of coarse abrasive particles in the middle part and the bottom part is very large, and the distribution state is uneven. It turns out that it is. It can be seen that by the stirring method of the present invention, the number of coarse abrasive particles in the upper, middle and bottom portions of the slurry bottles 1 and 2 is reduced and made uniform.

-Nozzle height-
FIG. 4 is a graph of the data in Table 1 above. As shown in the figure, the slurry settled on the bottom has a particularly large number of coarse abrasive particles, and the number of micro scratches when CMP is performed using this is almost proportional to this.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the detailed structure of the slurry bottle 1 and the nozzles 13a and 13b according to the present embodiment. However, the other slurry bottle 2 and each nozzle 13c, 13d shown in FIG. 1 also have the structure shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, since the agitation by the propeller is not performed, the coarse abrasive particles are hardly precipitated at the bottoms of the slurry bottles 1 and 2. However, there is a possibility that the agglomerated silica particles are mixed and the slurry 30 is settled before stirring.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the slurry is not sucked from the bottoms of the slurry bottles 1 and 2 in which coarse abrasive particles may have settled. For example, in the range of 3 cm or more from the bottom surface of the slurry bottles 1 and 2, there is a slurry 30 a that hardly contains coarse abrasive particles, and is at a height position smaller than 3 cm from the slurry bottles 1 and 2. In the range, there may be a sedimented slurry 30b that is rich in coarse abrasive particles. In view of this, it is possible to reliably prevent coarse abrasive particles from being sent to the CMP apparatus by adopting a structure that does not suck slurry in a range of a height position smaller than 5 cm from the bottom surfaces of the slurry bottles 1 and 2. it can.

  In addition, by configuring the suction nozzles 13a and 13c so that the height positions of the suction nozzles 13a and 13c can be adjusted by the nozzle height adjusting mechanisms 11a and 11b shown in FIG.

-Nozzle shape-
As shown in FIG. 5, the suction nozzle 13a has an elliptical end surface shape whose tip is cut obliquely with respect to the axial direction, and the ejection nozzle 13b has a circular shape whose tip is cut perpendicular to the axial direction. It has an end face shape.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing differences in suction areas due to differences in the shape of the tip surface between the suction nozzle 13a of the present embodiment and a conventional suction nozzle, respectively. As shown in FIG. 6B, since the slurry is sucked mainly from the vicinity of the bottom of the slurry bottle in the conventional suction nozzle whose tip is cut perpendicular to the axial direction, it stays at the bottom of the slurry bottle. The coarsened abrasive particles that are apt to be attracted are also sucked and sent to the CMP apparatus, resulting in an increase in the micro scratches of the object to be polished and a decrease in the polishing rate. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6A, the suction nozzle 13a of the present embodiment has a tip surface that is obliquely cut, so that the coarse polishing that tends to stay at the bottom of the slurry bottle 1 Incorporation of particles can be suppressed, and generation of micro scratches on the object to be polished (wafer 66) and a decrease in polishing rate can be suppressed.

  However, even if the tips of the suction nozzles 13a and 13c are sealed, a plurality of openings are provided in the cylindrical surface, and the slurry 30 is sucked from the plurality of openings, the same effect as in the present embodiment is exhibited. I can.

−Piping connection structure−
In this embodiment, the connection by welding is performed without providing a joint at the connection portion of the piping in the piping system 3 of FIG. The connecting part between the junction pipe and the branch pipe and the connecting part between the container and the pipe are also connected by welding. Further, the shape of the corner portion of the pipe is, for example, a curved shape having a curvature radius of 5 cm or more so as to eliminate the accumulation of the slurry 30.

  By adopting such a piping structure, in the flow passage of the slurry 30, the existence of steps and gaps in the joints used in the conventional straight portions and curved portions is eliminated, and the slurry 30 is retained. The generation of coarse abrasive particles can be suppressed.

-Temperature control of slurry-
FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram showing the slurry temperature dependence of the wafer polishing rate. As shown in the figure, the polishing rate tends to decrease as the slurry temperature increases, but in the range of the slurry temperature of 20 to 26 ° C., the polishing rate does not change so much. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the polishing rate can be stabilized by adjusting the temperature by diverting a part of the slurry 30 from the circulation path by the temperature controller 12 shown in FIG.

-Structure of slurry bottle-
In the slurry supply apparatus of this embodiment, since the slurry bottles 1 and 2 are sealed and the inside is filled with wet nitrogen, solidification of the slurry inside the slurry bottles 1 and 2 is suppressed. That is, in the slurry bottles 1 and 2, the humidity in the slurry bottles 1 and 2 is increased to 95% or more by the evaporated NH ₄ OH and wet nitrogen. Therefore, even if the liquid level in the slurry bottles 1 and 2 changes, it is possible to reliably prevent the generation of solidified slurry on the inner walls of the slurry bottles 1 and 2.

-Attaching the sampling port-
In addition, since the sampling ports 8a to 8c and 8d to 8f are provided in the slurry bottles 1 and 2, respectively, in order to confirm that the structure of the slurry 30 has not changed, the accurate time when the slurry reaches the end of its life is obtained. Judgment, measures for eliminating an abnormality when an abnormal condition occurs, and prevention of an abnormal condition by detecting a condition before entering the abnormal condition are possible, and CMP work can be performed in a stable state. .

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, silica is widely used as abrasive particles, and in the above description, this is shown as an embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the manufacturing field of such a semiconductor device, and polishing is performed. The material is not limited to silica. That is, when manufacturing a semiconductor wafer from a semiconductor crystal, using a slurry-like abrasive in polishing methods other than CMP and CMP in the manufacturing process of wafers other than semiconductors and devices other than semiconductor devices It can be used to prevent coarsening of the abrasive particles due to the aggregation. As an abrasive other than silica, for example, cerium oxide, alumina, manganese oxide and the like can be used.

  The slurry supply apparatus or the slurry supply method of the present invention can be used in a process of performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), which is performed in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device such as an LSI or other structural parts.

It is a figure which shows roughly the structure of the slurry supply apparatus and CMP apparatus which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which respectively shows the diameter distribution of the abrasive particle before and after stirring with a propeller. It is data which shows the change of the median diameter of the abrasive | polishing particle | grains with respect to progress of the usage time in the case where a pump is always operated in an idle state, and the case where an intermittent operation is performed. It is a graph which shows the correlation with the number of the coarse particle of the slurry extract | collected from the upper part, the intermediate part, and the bottom part in the conventional slurry bottle, and the number of micro scratches. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the shape and positional relationship of a slurry bottle and the suction nozzle in the embodiment of this invention, and a jet nozzle. It is a figure which shows the difference of the suction area | region by the difference in the tip surface shape of the suction nozzle of this embodiment, and the conventional suction nozzle, respectively. It is a characteristic view which shows the slurry temperature dependence of the polishing rate of a wafer. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the structure of the conventional abrasive | polishing agent supply apparatus. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the results of experiments conducted by the present inventors and comparing differences in polishing rates between two types of slurries having different solid content concentrations. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the joint provided in the piping system through which the abrasive | polishing agent of the conventional slurry supply apparatus flows more generally than before.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slurry bottle 2 Slurry bottle 3 Piping system 3a, 3c Sending side branch piping 3b, 3d Return side branch piping 3e Sending side junction piping 3f Return side junction piping 3g, 3i Inlet side branch piping 3h, 3j Outlet side branch piping 3k Inlet side Combined piping 3l Outlet side combined piping 3x Slurry supply piping 3z Heat exchange coil 4 Wet nitrogen generation device 5 Wet nitrogen supply piping 6 CMP device 7a-7j, 7x Flow control valve 8a-8f Sampling port 9a, 9b Pump 10 Control system 11a to 11d Height adjusting mechanism 12 Temperature controller 13a, 13c Suction nozzle 13b, 13d Ejecting nozzle 15a to 15f Valve

Claims (4)

A slurry supply apparatus for supplying a slurry as an abrasive to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus,
A sealed container for storing the slurry;
A first nozzle for sucking slurry from the container;
A second nozzle for returning the slurry to the container;
A third nozzle for dropping slurry into the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus;
A first pipe connected to the first nozzle and the third nozzle for supplying the slurry to the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus;
The second nozzle is connected to the second nozzle and the first pipe and bypasses at least a part of the slurry flowing through the first pipe from the third nozzle and returns to the second nozzle. Piping,
A regulating valve for regulating the supply amount of the slurry flowing through the first pipe to the third nozzle and the second pipe;
A pump that is interposed in at least one of the first and second pipes to force the slurry to flow;
A slurry supply apparatus comprising wet gas supply means for supplying a gas in a wet atmosphere from the outside into the container. The slurry supply apparatus according to claim 1,
A slurry supply apparatus, further comprising a sampling port attached to the container for collecting the slurry from the container for sampling. The slurry supply apparatus according to claim 2,
The said sampling port is attached to the upper part of the said container, the intermediate part, and the bottom part, The slurry supply apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   A polishing method for polishing an object to be polished by supplying the slurry to the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus using the slurry supply apparatus according to claim 1.

Images