KR102490812B1 - Polishing head and substrate polishing apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A polishing head and a substrate polishing apparatus having the polishing head are disclosed. The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus includes a plurality of housings disposed in a line along the moving direction of the polishing head and a plurality of polishing pads respectively provided on a lower surface of the plurality of housings facing the substrate.

Description

Polishing head and substrate polishing apparatus having the same {POLISHING HEAD AND SUBSTRATE POLISHING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME}

The following embodiments relate to a substrate polishing apparatus having a polishing head having a plurality of polishing pads.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) operations including polishing, buffing, and cleaning are required. The semiconductor element is in the form of a multilayer structure, and a transistor element having a diffusion region is formed in a substrate layer. In the substrate layer, connecting metal lines are patterned and electrically connected to transistor elements forming functional elements. As is known, the patterned conductive layer is insulated from other conductive layers with an insulating material such as silicon dioxide. As more metal layers and associated insulating layers are formed, the need to flatten the insulating material increases. Without flattening, the fabrication of additional metal layers becomes substantially more difficult because of the large variation in surface morphology. In addition, the metal line pattern is formed of an insulating material, and excess metal is removed through a substrate polishing operation.

A conventional substrate polishing device is a component for polishing, buffing, and cleaning one or both sides of a substrate, and includes a mechanical polishing member including a belt, polishing pad, or brush, and promotes polishing by chemical components in a slurry solution and strengthened.

On the other hand, in general, a substrate polishing apparatus supplies a slurry containing abrasive particles between a polishing pad attached to a polishing platen and a substrate mounted on a carrier head, and rotates the slurry in the same direction to move the surface between the polishing pad and the substrate. By the relative rotational speed of the substrate surface is flattened and polishing is performed.

The area of the substrate is gradually becoming larger, and in order to match the polishing uniformity during polishing of the large-area substrate, the substrate carrier is divided into several areas and a flexible film is provided to control the amount of polishing by applying different pressures to each area. method is known. However, even if the substrate carrier is divided in this way, there is a limit to constantly maintaining and controlling the uniformity of polishing of the substrate, so a new method of controlling the amount of polishing is required.

Meanwhile, as the size of the substrate increases, various types of polishing pads or polishing heads are used to uniformly polish the substrate. However, it is not easy to uniformly polish a large-area substrate only by enlarging the polishing pad. In addition, when the size of the polishing pad increases in size, a problem in that the polishing uniformity may vary depending on the position within the polishing pad may occur.

In addition, in the existing substrate polishing apparatus, the polishing head polishes the substrate while moving back and forth/left and right by the gantry, but the structure supporting the gantry has limitations, and as a result, a portion vulnerable to vibration and external force may occur.

According to embodiments, a polishing head having a plurality of polishing pads to uniformly polish a substrate and a substrate polishing apparatus including the polishing head are provided.

The tasks to be solved in the embodiments are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

According to embodiments for achieving the above-described problem to be solved, a plurality of polishing pads having different sizes are arranged in a line along a moving trajectory, and the entire area of the substrate can be uniformly polished by zigzag movement and rotation. . In addition, the polishing rate of the substrate can be improved by swinging the polishing pad disposed at the rearmost position with respect to the movement trajectory.

In addition, since the polishing head slides on a rail forming a moving trajectory, the structure for transporting the polishing head is simple, and the size and weight of the entire equipment can be reduced.

As described above, according to the exemplary embodiments, since a plurality of polishing pads having different sizes are arranged in a row to polish a substrate, polishing uniformity of the substrate can be improved. Also, the edge portion of the substrate can be uniformly polished.

In addition, since the support and transfer structure of the polishing head has a structure that is resistant to vibration or external force, it is possible to prevent problems during substrate polishing.

Effects of the polishing head and the substrate polishing apparatus having the polishing head according to an embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and together with the detailed description of the present invention serve to further understand the technical idea of the present invention, the present invention is limited to those described in the drawings. It should not be construed as limiting.
1 is a perspective view of a substrate polishing apparatus according to an embodiment.
2 is a side view of the substrate polishing apparatus of FIG. 1;
3 is a plan view of a polishing head according to an embodiment.
4 is a plan view of a track transfer unit according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing the embodiment, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function hinders understanding of the embodiment, the detailed description will be omitted.

Also, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used in describing the components of the embodiment. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. When an element is described as being “connected,” “coupled to,” or “connected” to another element, that element may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but there may be another element between the elements. It should be understood that may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

Hereinafter, a polishing head 12 having a plurality of polishing pads 121 according to embodiments and a substrate polishing apparatus 10 including the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 .

For reference, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate polishing apparatus 10 according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the substrate polishing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 . 3 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of the polishing head 12 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the track transfer unit 123 according to an embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, a substrate polishing apparatus 10 includes a substrate carrier 11 supporting a substrate 1, a polishing head 12 provided with a polishing pad 121, and a substrate transfer unit transferring the substrate 1 ( 13) and a substrate support portion 14 for supporting the substrate 1.

The substrate 1 may be a transparent substrate including glass for a flat panel display device (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a plasma display panel (PDP). However, the substrate 1 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a silicon wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device. In addition, although the substrate 1 is illustrated as having a rectangular shape in the drawings, this is only an example, and the shape and size of the substrate 1 are not limited by the drawings.

In the substrate carrier 11, the substrate 1 is seated so that the surface of the substrate 1 to be polished faces upward. For example, the substrate carrier 11 has a rectangular shape with a larger size than the substrate 1 . Here, the size and thickness of the substrate carrier 11 are only examples, and the shape and size of the substrate carrier 11 are not limited by the drawings.

The substrate carrier 11 may have various structures for seating, mounting, gripping, and/or fixing the substrate 1 thereon. For example, a groove having a predetermined depth in which the substrate 1 is seated may be formed on a surface of the substrate carrier 11 . Alternatively, the substrate carrier 11 may have a suction structure that grips the substrate 1 by providing a vacuum or a suction force to the substrate 1 . For example, a structure such as a hole or a slit for providing a suction force or a vacuum to the substrate 1 may be formed on the surface of the substrate carrier 11 or inside a groove in which the substrate 1 is seated. Alternatively, the substrate carrier 11 may have a structure in which frictional force is generated to prevent the substrate 1 from slipping on a surface on which the substrate 1 is seated, or a separate suction pad to prevent slipping may be provided. Alternatively, the substrate carrier 11 may also have a protruding structure supporting at least a portion of an edge of the substrate 1 . Here, the substrate carrier 11 may have a combination of two or more of the above structures, or may have various shapes for holding or fixing the substrate 1 in addition to the above structures.

The substrate transfer unit 13 transfers the substrate carrier 11 on which the substrate 1 is seated along one direction (eg, the x-axis direction in the drawing), and can continuously transfer a plurality of substrates 1. It has the form of a conveyor or belt.

The substrate conveying unit 13 is composed of a conveying member 130 wound around the outer circumferential surfaces of two driving rollers 131 and 132, and the conveying member 130 continuously rotates by the pair of driving rollers 131 and 132. Accordingly, a plurality of substrate carriers 11 are continuously transported. The substrate transfer unit 13 is formed to a size that allows at least one, preferably a plurality of substrate carriers 11 to be sequentially mounted and transferred.

The transfer member 130 is made of a non-slip material on which the substrate carrier 11 is seated. Alternatively, a structure or a separate friction pad (or sheet) may be provided on the surface of the transfer member 130 to generate frictional force so that the substrate carrier 11 does not slip. Alternatively, a groove of a predetermined size and depth may be formed on the surface of the transfer member 130 so that the substrate carrier 11 is inserted therein. Alternatively, the transfer member 130 may have a protruding structure supporting at least a portion of an edge of the substrate carrier 11 . However, this is only an example, and the transfer member 130 may have a configuration in which two or more of the above-described structures for supporting the substrate carrier 11 are combined, and in addition to the above-described shapes, various shapes can have

In addition, the substrate transfer unit 13 has a predetermined length horizontally for transporting the substrate carrier 11 horizontally with respect to the ground surface or the polishing head 12 so that the substrate 1 to be transferred can contact the polishing head 12 horizontally. A transfer section is formed. That is, the substrate transfer unit 13 may have an elliptical track when viewed from the side, in which the transfer member 130 is formed horizontally in a section between the pair of driving rollers 131 and 132 .

According to the embodiment, the substrate transfer unit 13 has a closed-loop conveyor or belt shape, and the substrate carrier 11 is mounted on the transfer member 130 at the beginning of the track of the substrate transfer unit 13, and the substrate 1 Since the loading of the substrate 1 is performed, and the substrate carrier 11 is separated from the transfer member 130 by the rotation of the transfer member 130 at the end of the track, the substrate 1 is unloaded. Unloading is simple and efficient. In addition, throughput may be improved by reducing a lag time caused by loading/unloading of the substrate 1 .

Meanwhile, unlike the above-described embodiment, the substrate carrier 11 may be omitted, and the substrate 1 may be directly seated and transferred to the substrate transfer unit 13 . In this case, a structure in which the substrate 1 is seated on the transfer member 130 may be formed. For example, the transfer member 130 is formed of a material that generates a predetermined amount of friction to prevent the substrate 1 from slipping, or a structure that generates frictional force to prevent the substrate 1 from slipping on the surface of the transfer member 130, or A separate friction pad (or sheet) may be provided. Alternatively, a groove having a predetermined size and depth into which the substrate 1 is inserted may be formed on the surface of the transfer member 130, or a protruding structure supporting at least a portion of an edge of the substrate 1 may be formed. However, this is only an example, and the substrate transfer unit 13 may have a configuration in which two or more plural structures of the above-described shapes capable of supporting the substrate 1 are combined, and in addition to the above-described shapes, various can have a shape.

The substrate support unit 14 is provided below the substrate transfer unit 13 and is provided to support the back surface of the substrate carrier 11 with the transfer member 130 interposed therebetween.

The substrate support 14 may be divided into a plurality of regions to support the substrate 1 with different pressures depending on the position of the substrate 1 . In addition, the substrate support 14 may be formed in a size similar to that of the substrate 1 or the substrate carrier 11 so as to stably support the substrate 1 or the substrate carrier 11 . In addition, the substrate support 14 may be formed to have a size equal to or greater than that of the transfer member 130 in the width direction (y-axis direction). However, this is only an example, and the substrate support 14 may have substantially various shapes and sizes capable of supporting the substrate 1 . For example, the substrate support 14 may be formed in a size corresponding to that of the substrate carrier 11 or smaller than that of the substrate carrier 11 . In addition, one substrate support unit 14 may be provided or a plurality may be provided.

Meanwhile, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate support 14 is fixed to a position corresponding to the polishing head 12 . Alternatively, the substrate support 14 may be provided to move along the moving direction of the substrate 1 . For example, the substrate support 14 reciprocates between a first position where the substrate carrier 11 is mounted on the substrate transfer unit 13 and a second position where the substrate carrier 11 is separated from the substrate transfer unit 13. The substrate support part 14 can reciprocate from the first position to the second position while supporting the substrate carrier 1 .

The polishing head 12 is provided above the substrate 1, and a polishing pad 121 for polishing the substrate 1 is provided on the lower surface facing the substrate 1. In addition, the polishing pad 121 includes a plurality of pads 211 , 212 , and 213 and a housing 122 supporting the respective pads 211 , 212 , and 213 .

Here, although the drawing illustrates that the polishing pad 121 is composed of three pads 211, 212, and 213, this is only an example, and if the polishing pad 121 is a plurality of pads of two or more, the number may be substantially changed in various ways. Also, each of the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 may be provided in plurality. For example, one head pad 211 provided at the very top may be provided, and the remaining middle pads 212 and tail pads 213 may each consist of a plurality of pads. Also, sizes and ratios of the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 are not limited by the drawings.

In the polishing head 12, a plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 are arranged in a line, and the centers of the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 are arranged on the same line.

On the other hand, in the drawing, the movement path of the center of the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 is indicated as a line of the movement trajectory 120. However, the movement trajectories 120 of the pads 211 , 212 , and 213 substantially include areas formed by trajectories along the entire surfaces of the pads 211 , 212 , and 213 . That is, that the trajectories overlap means that at least a part of the trajectory areas of the pads 211 , 212 , and 213 moved along the movement trajectory 120 overlap.

The polishing head 12 polishes the substrate 1 as the plurality of pads 211 , 212 , and 213 rotate while moving in a straight line along the track transfer part 123 . Here, the rotation of the polishing pad 121 refers to rotation of a circular orbit or rotation of an elliptic orbit centered on a rotational axis (z-axis direction) parallel to the surface of the substrate 1 and passing through the center thereof. can be

The plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 are arranged according to size, and the first pad 211 provided at the top has the largest size, and gradually smaller pads are arranged in order along the movement trajectory 120 do. As such, as the plurality of pads 211 , 212 , and 213 sequentially polish the substrate 1 , the polishing speed of the substrate 1 may be increased and the polishing time may be shortened.

Also, the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 may be formed of different materials. For example, the surface roughness of the front pad 211 provided at the frontmost part may be the largest, and the surface roughness of the trailing pad 213 provided at the rearmost part may be the smallest. With this arrangement, the substrate 1 can be roughly polished because the surface roughness of the first pad 211 is large, but it can be polished quickly because the size of the first pad 211 is large. Then, while the pads 212 and 213 with small surface roughness and size are sequentially moved, the roughly polished portion of the leading pad 211 is more precisely polished. As the substrate 1 is sequentially polished in this way, the substrate 1 can be polished more uniformly and with high precision, and the polishing time can be shortened. However, this is only an example, and only the surface roughness of the front pad 211 may be formed differently, or only the surface roughness of the trailing pad 213 may be formed differently.

Also, the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 may be rotated at different rotation speeds (r1, r2, and r3). For example, the front pad 211 provided at the top may rotate the slowest, and the trailing pad 213 provided at the rear may rotate the fastest. Even when the rotation speeds of the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 are different, the first pad 211 slowly rotates to polish the substrate 1, and the trailing pad 213 rotates quickly to polish the substrate 1. It can be polished precisely. As the substrate 1 is sequentially polished in this way, the substrate 1 can be polished more uniformly and with high precision, and the polishing time can be shortened. However, this is just an example, and the leading pad 211 may rotate fast and the trailing pad 213 may rotate the slowest. In addition, not all of the pads 211, 212, and 213 rotate at different rotational speeds, but only some pads may rotate at different rotational speeds.

Meanwhile, the rear pad 213 is formed to perform a swing movement v3 within a certain angular range with respect to the movement trajectory 120 . That is, since the rear pad 213 swings (v3) within a predetermined range with respect to the movement trajectory 120 while rotating, the area on both sides of the movement trajectory 120 as well as the area within a predetermined range to be precisely polished. For example, the swing movement v3 of the trailing pad 213 may be equal to or larger than the diameter range of the leading pad 211 .

The housing 122 independently supports each of the pads 211, 212, and 213 and is provided to independently rotate.

A track transfer unit 123 for transferring the polishing head 12 is provided on the top of the plurality of housings 221 , 222 , and 223 . The track transfer unit 123 is provided on the substrate 1, and includes a plurality of transfer guides 231, 232, and 233 provided on a rail 124 and a plurality of housings 221, 222, and 223.

The rail 124 is formed in a predetermined zigzag shape so that the moving trajectory 120 of the polishing head 12 can cover the entire area of the substrate 1 . For example, the rail 124 is formed in a zigzag shape from one edge of the board 1 to the opposite edge of the other side. In addition, the rail 124 is formed such that at least the movement trajectory 120 of the leading pad 211 covers the entire area of the substrate 1 . According to the embodiment, since at least a part of the trajectory of the leading pad 211 is formed to overlap, the entire surface of the substrate 1 can be polished, and no missing parts can be polished.

In addition, the rail 124 is formed to the outside of the substrate 1 so that the polishing pad 121 can move to the outside of the substrate 1 so that the polishing pad 121 can polish to the edge of the substrate 1. . Since the rail 124 is formed to the outside of the substrate 1 as described above, the polishing pad 121 can uniformly polish the edge of the substrate 1 .

The transfer guides 231 , 232 , and 233 are fixed to the plurality of housings 221 , 222 , and 223 , and are slidably movable along the rail 124 . The transfer guides 231, 232, and 233 are individually provided in the plurality of housings 221, 222, and 223 to independently rotate and move the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213. However, unlike this, the transfer guides 231 , 232 , and 233 may be combined or integrally provided to move the plurality of housings 221 , 222 , and 223 in conjunction with each other.

And since the trailing pad 213 is formed to swing within a certain angular range with respect to the movement trajectory 120, the guide 233 provided on the trailing pad 213 moves the trailing pad 213 along the movement trajectory 120. Alternatively, it is provided to swing and move within a predetermined range with respect to the rail 124 .

According to the present embodiment, the polishing head 12 polishes the substrate 1 while the plurality of polishing pads 121 move in a line or sequentially, and polishes the substrate 1 while moving in a zigzag path on the surface of the substrate 1. It can be polished evenly. In addition, the polishing head 12 is composed of a plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 formed of different sizes and/or materials, and the plurality of pads 211, 212, and 213 have different speeds. Since it rotates with the substrate 1, it is possible to adjust the polishing rate according to the position of the substrate 1 and polish it uniformly. In addition, since the movement trajectory 120 of the polishing head 12 extends to the outside of the edge of the substrate 1, it is possible to sufficiently polish even the edge of the substrate 1.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the above description. For example, the described techniques may be performed in an order different from the method described, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. may be combined or combined in a different form than the method described, or other components may be used. Or even if it is replaced or substituted by equivalents, appropriate results can be achieved.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents of the claims are within the scope of the following claims.

1: substrate
10: substrate polishing device
11: substrate carrier
12: polishing head
120: movement trajectory of the polishing head
121: polishing pad
211: leading pad
212: middle pad
213: rear pad
122, 221, 222, 223: housing
123: track transfer unit
231, 232, 233: transport guide
124: rail
13: substrate transfer unit
130: conveying member
131, 132: drive roller
14: substrate support
r1, r2, r3: rotational speed of polishing pad
v: Swing movement of the trailing pad

Claims (25)

In the polishing head for polishing a substrate in a substrate polishing apparatus,
A plurality of housings arranged in a line along the moving direction of the polishing head; and
a plurality of polishing pads each provided on a lower surface of the plurality of housings facing the substrate and having different sizes;
including,
In the plurality of polishing pads, the size of the front pad provided at the top of the movement trajectory is the largest, and the rear pad provided at the rear with respect to the movement trajectory rotates and swings at a certain angle in a range equal to or larger than the diameter of the front pad. A polishing head of a substrate polishing apparatus formed to be possible.
delete delete According to claim 1,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus of the plurality of polishing pads, wherein the rear pad has a smaller size than other pads.
delete According to claim 1,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus wherein the plurality of polishing pads are formed of different materials.
According to claim 6,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus of the plurality of polishing pads, wherein the leading pad is formed of a material having a larger surface roughness than other pads.
According to claim 6,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus of the plurality of polishing pads, wherein the rear pad is formed of a material having a smaller surface roughness than the other pads.
According to claim 1,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus in which the plurality of polishing pads are formed to have different rotation speeds.
According to claim 9,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus of the plurality of polishing pads rotates at the fastest rotation speed of the rear pad.
According to claim 1,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus, wherein the plurality of polishing pads include one head pad.
According to claim 1,
The polishing head of the substrate polishing apparatus, wherein the plurality of housings support the plurality of polishing pads to rotate independently.
delete a substrate conveying unit including a conveying member for conveying a substrate and a pair of driving rollers for driving the conveying member;
a substrate support unit provided inside the substrate transfer unit to support the substrate with respect to the transfer member; and
a polishing head provided above the substrate transfer unit and including a plurality of polishing pads having different sizes and arranged in a line to polish the substrate;
including,
In the plurality of polishing pads, the size of the front pad provided at the top of the movement trajectory is the largest, and the rear pad provided at the rear with respect to the movement trajectory rotates and swings at a certain angle in a range equal to or larger than the diameter of the front pad. A substrate polishing apparatus formed to be possible.
According to claim 14,
The polishing head includes a plurality of housings arranged in a line along the moving direction of the polishing head,
The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of housings are provided with the plurality of polishing pads on a lower surface facing the substrate.
According to claim 15,
The plurality of housings support the plurality of polishing pads to independently rotate,
Among the plurality of housings, a housing provided at the rearmost position with respect to the movement trajectory is formed to be capable of rotation and swing movement.
According to claim 14,
A track transfer unit for transferring the polishing head is provided on the substrate,
The track transfer unit,
a rail provided on the substrate and formed to cross the surface of the substrate in a zigzag pattern; and
a transport guide fixed to the polishing head and slidably provided along the rail;
Substrate polishing apparatus comprising a.
According to claim 17,
The track transfer unit transfers the polishing head from one side to the opposite side of the substrate, so that the moving trajectory of the polishing head covers the entire area on the surface of the substrate.
delete delete According to claim 14,
The plurality of polishing pads are substrate polishing apparatus formed of different materials.
According to claim 21,
In the plurality of polishing pads, the head pad is formed of a material having a larger surface roughness than the other pads,
A substrate polishing apparatus in which the trailing pad disposed at the rearmost position in the movement trajectory is formed of a material having a smaller surface roughness than other pads.
According to claim 14,
The substrate polishing apparatus wherein the plurality of polishing pads are formed to have different rotation speeds.
According to claim 23,
The plurality of polishing pads rotate at the highest rotational speed of the rear pad.
According to claim 14,
The substrate polishing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of polishing pads include one head pad.

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