Liquid receiving device and polishing device

Abstract

To provide an improved apparatus for use in replacing a polishing pad.SOLUTION: A liquid-receiving apparatus is a support plate 5 including a first surface for supporting a polishing pad 2 and a second surface located on an opposite side to the first surface, where the second surface includes a support plate 5 configured to be supported to a polishing table 10 and a liquid-receiving tray 163 detachably attached to a lateral surface of the support plate 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for polishing a workpiece used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices such as wafers, substrates, and panels, and particularly relates to the conditioning of a polishing pad used in a polishing apparatus and the installation and conveyance of the polishing pad.

Background Art

[0002] Chemical mechanical polishing (hereinafter referred to as CMP) is a process of polishing a workpiece (for example, a wafer, a substrate, or a panel) by supplying a polishing liquid containing abrasive grains such as silica (SiO2) onto a polishing pad and bringing the workpiece into sliding contact with the polishing pad. A polishing apparatus for performing this CMP includes a polishing table that supports a polishing pad having a polishing surface, and a polishing head for pressing the workpiece against the polishing pad.

[0003] The polishing apparatus polishes the workpiece as follows. While rotating the polishing table and the polishing pad integrally, a polishing liquid (typically slurry) is supplied to the polishing surface of the polishing pad. The polishing head presses the surface of the workpiece against the polishing surface of the polishing pad while rotating the workpiece. The workpiece is brought into sliding contact with the polishing pad in the presence of the polishing liquid. The surface of the workpiece is polished by the chemical action of the polishing liquid and the mechanical action of the abrasive grains contained in the polishing liquid and / or the polishing pad. [[ID=十七]]

[0004] When the workpiece is polished, abrasive grains and polishing debris adhere to the polishing surface of the polishing pad, and the polishing performance of the polishing pad deteriorates. Therefore, in order to regenerate the polishing surface of the polishing pad, dressing of the polishing pad by a dresser is performed. The dresser has hard abrasive grains such as diamond particles fixed to its lower surface, and the polishing surface of the polishing pad is regenerated by slightly scraping off the polishing surface of the polishing pad with this dresser.

[0005] The polishing pad gradually wears down with repeated dressing. When the polishing pad becomes significantly worn, the intended polishing performance can no longer be achieved, and it becomes necessary to replace the polishing pad with a new one.

[0006] When replacing a polishing pad with a new one, the new pad is transported to the polishing machine and attached to the polishing table of the machine with adhesive. Furthermore, the polishing machine is used to dress the polishing pad and / or polish it using a dummy workpiece to break in the polishing pad. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-217446 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, since polishing pads are of a certain size, attaching a new polishing pad to the polishing table of the polishing machine is laborious. Furthermore, while the polishing machine is breaking in a new polishing pad, it cannot polish workpieces, which reduces the productivity of the polishing machine.

[0009] The present invention provides an improved device used when replacing polishing pads. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In one embodiment, a processing system is provided comprising a polishing device for polishing a workpiece, a pad break-in device for breaking in a polishing pad, and a pad transport device for transporting a pad structure, including at least the polishing pad, from the pad break-in device to the polishing device, wherein the polishing device comprises a polishing table, a pad chuck for fixing the pad structure transported by the pad transport device to the polishing table, and a polishing head for pressing the workpiece against the polishing pad, and the pad transport device comprises a holding hand configured to hold the pad structure and a liquid receiving tray positioned below the holding hand for receiving liquid that falls from the pad structure.

[0011] In one embodiment, the pad transport device further includes a tilting device for tilting the liquid receiving tray and the holding hand. In one embodiment, the pad transport device further includes a hand lifting device for moving the holding hand up and down. In one embodiment, the pad transport device further includes a drain line connected to the liquid receiving tray. In one embodiment, the pad structure includes the polishing pad and a support plate that supports the polishing pad. In one embodiment, the polishing apparatus includes a lift mechanism configured to receive the pad structure from the pad transport device and place the pad structure on the polishing table. In one embodiment, the pad break-in device comprises a processing table configured to hold the pad structure, a processing head configured to press a dummy workpiece against the polishing pad of the pad structure on the processing table, and a liquid supply nozzle for supplying liquid onto the polishing pad of the pad structure on the processing table. In one embodiment, the pad break-in device further comprises a pad monitoring device for monitoring the break-in process on the polishing pad.

[0012] In one embodiment, a pad conveying device is provided for conveying a pad structure including at least an abrasive pad, the device comprising a holding hand configured to hold the pad structure, and a liquid receiving tray positioned below the holding hand for receiving liquid that falls from the pad structure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the pad transport device further includes a tilting device for tilting the liquid receiving tray and the holding hand. In one embodiment, the pad transport device further includes a hand lifting device for moving the holding hand up and down. In one embodiment, the pad transport device further includes a drain line connected to the liquid receiving tray. In one embodiment, the pad structure includes the polishing pad and a support plate that supports the polishing pad.

[0014] In one embodiment, a liquid receiving device is provided, which includes a support plate for supporting a polishing pad and a liquid receiving tray detachably attached to the side surface of the support plate. In one embodiment, the liquid receiving tray has a plurality of divided sections. In one embodiment, a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece is provided, comprising a support plate for supporting a polishing pad, a liquid receiving tray detachably attached to the side of the support plate, a polishing table for holding the support plate, and a polishing head for pressing the workpiece against the polishing pad. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, since the conditioning process of a new polishing pad is performed by the pad conditioning device, there is no need to perform the conditioning process of a new polishing pad in the polishing device. As a result, the time for stopping the polishing operation of the polishing device for replacing the polishing pad is shortened, and the productivity of the polishing device can be improved. Further, when transporting the wet polishing pad from the pad conditioning device to the polishing device, the liquid dripping from the polishing pad can be received by the liquid receiving tray, so that contamination of the clean room can be prevented. Furthermore, the pad structure including at least the polishing pad is transported from the pad conditioning device to the polishing device by the pad transport device and is mounted on the polishing table of the polishing device by the pad chuck, so that the conventional operation of attaching the polishing pad to the polishing table with an adhesive can be eliminated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a processing system. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a polishing device. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a pad conditioning device. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a pad transport device. [Figure 5] It is a top view for explaining an embodiment of a liquid receiving tray and a holding hand. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the step of taking out the pad structure from the pad conditioning device. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the step of taking out the pad structure from the pad conditioning device. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining the step of taking out the pad structure from the pad conditioning device. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of transporting the pad structure. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining the step of carrying the pad structure into the polishing device. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the process of loading the pad structure into the polishing machine. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the process of installing the pad structure into the polishing device. [Figure 14] This diagram illustrates the process of installing the pad structure into the polishing device. [Figure 15] This is a top view illustrating another embodiment of the pad transport device. [Figure 16] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 17] This is a top view showing the shutter in the open position. [Figure 18] This is a cross-sectional view showing the shutter in the open position. [Figure 19] This figure shows one embodiment of a liquid receiving tray. [Figure 20] This is a top view showing yet another embodiment of the pad transport device. [Figure 21] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view along the CC line. [Figure 22] This figure shows another embodiment of the pad break-in device. [Figure 23] This figure shows another embodiment of the polishing apparatus. [Figure 24] This diagram illustrates the process of removing the pad structure from the pad break-in device. [Figure 25] This diagram illustrates the process of removing the pad structure from the pad break-in device. [Figure 26] This diagram illustrates the process of removing the pad structure from the pad break-in device. [Figure 27] This diagram illustrates the process of removing the pad structure from the pad break-in device. [Figure 28] This diagram illustrates the process of tilting the pad structure and the liquid receiving tray. [Figure 29] This diagram illustrates the operation of transporting the pad structure. [Figure 30] This diagram illustrates the process of loading the pad structure into the polishing machine. [Figure 31]This diagram illustrates the process of loading the pad structure into the polishing machine. [Figure 32] This diagram illustrates the process of loading the pad structure into the polishing machine. [Figure 33] This diagram illustrates the process of loading the pad structure into the polishing machine. [Figure 34] This diagram illustrates the process of loading the pad structure into the polishing machine. [Figure 35] This is a side view showing one embodiment of a liquid receiving device. [Figure 36] Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid receiving tray. [Figure 37] This diagram shows the liquid receiving tray removed from the support plate. [Figure 38] This is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the liquid receiving device. [Figure 39] This figure shows one embodiment of a polishing apparatus equipped with a liquid receiving device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a processing system for polishing a workpiece and performing a break-in treatment on a polishing pad. The processing system comprises a polishing device 500 for polishing a workpiece, a pad break-in device 600 for breaking in a polishing pad, and a pad transport device 700 for transporting a pad structure 6, which includes at least a polishing pad, from the pad break-in device 600 to the polishing device 500. The polishing device 500, the pad break-in device 600, and the pad transport device 700 are located in a clean room. The pad transport device 700 is configured to be movable between the polishing device 500 and the pad break-in device 600.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the polishing apparatus 500. The polishing apparatus 500 is a CMP apparatus that chemically and mechanically polishes workpieces W used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices such as wafers, substrates (e.g., circular substrates, square substrates), and panels. In the embodiment described below, a wafer is used as the workpiece W.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the polishing apparatus 500 includes a polishing table 10 that supports a polishing pad 2 having a polishing surface 2a, a polishing head 11 that presses a workpiece W against the polishing surface 2a, and a polishing fluid supply nozzle 12 that supplies polishing fluid (e.g., a slurry containing abrasive particles) to the polishing surface 2a. The polishing head 11 is configured to hold the workpiece W on its lower surface.

[0020] The polishing pad 2 is supported by a support plate 5. More specifically, the polishing pad 2 is pre-fixed to the surface of the support plate 5 with adhesive. The polishing pad 2 and the support plate 5 constitute a single integrated pad structure 6. The pad structure 6 is placed on the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10.

[0021] The polishing apparatus 500 includes a pad chuck 14 for fixing the pad structure 6 to the polishing table 10. In this embodiment, the pad chuck 14 is a vacuum chuck having a vacuum line 15 extending inside the polishing table 10. The vacuum line 15 has a plurality of open ends 15a that open inside the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10, and the other end of the vacuum line 15 is in communication with a vacuum source (e.g., a vacuum pump) not shown. When a vacuum is formed inside the vacuum line 15, the support plate 5 of the pad structure 6 is held (fixed) to the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10 by the vacuum. When the vacuum formation inside the vacuum line 15 is stopped, the pad structure 6 can be removed from the polishing table 10. In this way, the pad chuck 14 can detachably fix the pad structure 6 to the polishing table 10.

[0022] In this embodiment, the pad chuck 14 is configured to fix the pad structure 6 to the polishing table 10 by vacuum, but in one embodiment, the pad chuck 14 may be a mechanical chuck that mechanically grips the pad structure 6.

[0023] The polishing device 500 includes a plurality of lift mechanisms 20 configured to receive the pad structure 6 from the pad transport device 700 (see Figure 1) and to place the pad structure 6 on the polishing table 10. These lift mechanisms 20 are located within the polishing table 10. Each lift mechanism 20 has a lifting rod 21 and a rod actuator 22 that raises and lowers the lifting rod 21. When the rod actuator 22 raises the lifting rod 21, the upper part of the lifting rod 21 protrudes from the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10, thereby moving the pad structure 6 (including the polishing pad 2 and support plate 5) upward from the polishing table 10. When the polishing device 500 receives the pad structure 6 from the pad transport device 700 (see Figure 1), the rod actuator 22 raises the lifting rod 21, and the pad structure 6 is placed on the upper end of the lifting rod 21. Furthermore, the rod actuator 22 lowers the lifting rod 21 and moves it into the polishing table 10, thereby placing the pad structure 6 on the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10. The pad chuck 14 then fixes the pad structure 6 to the polishing table 10 by creating a vacuum in the vacuum line 15.

[0024] The polishing device 500 further comprises a support shaft 25, a polishing head support arm 26 connected to the upper end of the support shaft 25, a polishing head shaft 27 rotatably supported at the free end of the polishing head support arm 26, and a polishing head rotating device 28 for rotating the polishing head shaft 27 and the polishing head 11. The polishing head 11 is fixed to the lower end of the polishing head shaft 27. The polishing head rotating device 28 is located within the polishing head support arm 26. The polishing head rotating device 28 includes an electric motor, a torque transmission device, etc., but its configuration is not particularly limited. The polishing head rotating device 28 is connected to the polishing head shaft 27 and is configured to rotate the polishing head shaft 27 and the polishing head 11 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0025] The polishing apparatus 500 further includes a polishing head lifting device 29 that moves the polishing head 11 and the polishing head shaft 27 up and down relative to the polishing table 10 and the polishing head support arm 26. The polishing head lifting device 29 has an actuator such as a combination of a ball screw mechanism and a servo motor or an air cylinder, but its configuration is not particularly limited. When the polishing head lifting device 29 moves the polishing head shaft 27 up and down relative to the polishing head support arm 26, the polishing head 11 moves up and down relative to the polishing head support arm 26 and the polishing table 10, as indicated by the arrows.

[0026] The polishing apparatus 500 further includes a polishing table rotating device 30 that rotates the polishing pad 2 and the polishing table 10 around their respective axes. The polishing table rotating device 30 is positioned below the polishing table 10, and the polishing table 10 is connected to the polishing table rotating device 30 via a table axis 10b. The polishing table rotating device 30 includes an actuator such as an electric motor, but its configuration is not particularly limited. The polishing table 10 and the polishing pad 2 are rotated together by the polishing table rotating device 30 around the table axis 10b in the direction indicated by the arrow. The exposed surface of the polishing pad 2 constitutes a polishing surface 2a for polishing a workpiece W such as a wafer.

[0027] The polishing device 500 further includes a polishing head moving device 32 that moves the polishing head 11 between a position above the polishing pad 2 and a position outside the polishing pad 2. This polishing head moving device 32 is fixed to the upper end of the pivot shaft 25 and connected to the polishing head support arm 26. The polishing head moving device 32 can move the polishing head 11 in a direction parallel to the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 by rotating the polishing head support arm 26 around the pivot shaft 25.

[0028] Polishing of the workpiece W is performed as follows: The workpiece W is held on the polishing head 11 with its surface to be polished facing downwards. While the polishing head 11 and the polishing table 10 are rotated, polishing fluid (e.g., slurry containing abrasive particles) is supplied from a polishing fluid supply nozzle 12 located above the polishing table 10 onto the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2. The polishing pad 2 rotates integrally with the polishing table 10 around its central axis. The polishing head 11 is lowered to a predetermined polishing height by the polishing head lifting device 29. Furthermore, the polishing head 11 presses the workpiece W against the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2. The workpiece W rotates integrally with the polishing head 11. With the polishing fluid present on the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2, the workpiece W is brought into sliding contact with the polishing surface 2a. The surface of the workpiece W is polished by a combination of the chemical action of the polishing fluid and the mechanical action of the abrasive particles contained in the polishing fluid and / or the polishing pad 2.

[0029] Next, the pad break-in device 600 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The configuration of the pad break-in device 600 is basically the same as that of the polishing device 500. As shown in Figure 3, the pad break-in device 600 includes a processing table 40 that supports a new polishing pad 2 to be broken in, a processing head 41 that presses a dummy workpiece W1 against the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2, and a liquid supply nozzle 42 that supplies polishing fluid (for example, a slurry containing abrasive particles) to the polishing surface 2a. The processing head 41 is configured to hold the dummy workpiece W1 on its lower surface. The dummy workpiece W1 is a blanket wafer with a film, or a bare wafer without a film, etc.

[0030] The polishing pad 2 is supported by a support plate 5. More specifically, the polishing pad 2 is pre-fixed to the surface of the support plate 5 with adhesive. The polishing pad 2 and the support plate 5 constitute a single integrated pad structure 6. The pad structure 6 is placed on the upper surface of the processing table 40.

[0031] The pad break-in device 600 includes a pad chuck 44 for fixing the pad structure 6 to the processing table 40. In this embodiment, the pad chuck 44 is a vacuum chuck having a vacuum line 45 extending within the processing table 40. The detailed configuration and operation of the pad chuck 44 are the same as those of the pad chuck 14 shown in Figure 2, so a redundant explanation is omitted. In one embodiment, the pad chuck 44 may be a mechanical chuck that mechanically grips the pad structure 6.

[0032] The pad break-in device 600 comprises a plurality of lift mechanisms 50 arranged within the processing table 40. Each lift mechanism 50 has a lifting rod 51 and a rod actuator 52 that raises and lowers the lifting rod 51. The detailed configuration and operation of the lift mechanisms 50 are the same as those of the lift mechanism 20 shown in Figure 2, so their description is omitted.

[0033] The pad break-in device 600 further comprises a support shaft 55, a processing head support arm 56 connected to the upper end of the support shaft 55, a processing head shaft 57 rotatably supported at the free end of the processing head support arm 56, and a processing head rotating device 58 for rotating the processing head shaft 57 and the processing head 41. The processing head 41 is fixed to the lower end of the processing head shaft 57. The processing head rotating device 58 is located within the processing head support arm 56. The processing head rotating device 58 includes an electric motor, a torque transmission device, etc., but its configuration is not particularly limited. The processing head rotating device 58 is connected to the processing head shaft 57 and is configured to rotate the processing head shaft 57 and the processing head 41 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0034] The pad break-in device 600 further includes a processing head lifting device 59 that moves the processing head 41 and processing head shaft 57 up and down relative to the processing table 40 and processing head support arm 56. The processing head lifting device 59 has an actuator such as a combination of a ball screw mechanism and a servo motor or an air cylinder, but its configuration is not particularly limited. When the processing head lifting device 59 moves the processing head shaft 57 up and down relative to the processing head support arm 56, the processing head 41 moves up and down relative to the processing head support arm 56 and processing table 40, as indicated by the arrows.

[0035] The pad break-in device 600 further comprises a processing table rotating device 60 that rotates the polishing pad 2 and the processing table 40 around their respective axes. The processing table rotating device 60 is positioned below the processing table 40, and the processing table 40 is connected to the processing table rotating device 60 via a table axis 40b. The processing table rotating device 60 includes an actuator such as an electric motor, but its configuration is not particularly limited. The processing table 40 and the polishing pad 2 are rotated together by the processing table rotating device 60 around the table axis 40b in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0036] The pad break-in device 600 further includes a processing head moving device 62 that moves the processing head 41 between a position above the polishing pad 2 and a position outside the polishing pad 2. This processing head moving device 62 is fixed to the upper end of the pivot shaft 55 and connected to the processing head support arm 56. The processing head moving device 62 can move the processing head 41 in a direction parallel to the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 by rotating the processing head support arm 56 around the pivot shaft 55.

[0037] Polishing of the dummy workpiece W1 is performed as follows: The dummy workpiece W1 is held in the processing head 41 with its surface to be polished facing downwards. While the processing head 41 and the processing table 40 are rotated, a processing liquid (for example, a slurry containing abrasive particles) is supplied from a liquid supply nozzle 42 located above the processing table 40 onto the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2. The polishing pad 2 rotates integrally with the processing table 40 around its central axis. The processing head 41 is lowered to a predetermined polishing height by a processing head lifting device 59. Furthermore, the processing head 41 presses the dummy workpiece W1 against the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2. The dummy workpiece W1 rotates integrally with the processing head 41. With the processing liquid present on the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2, the dummy workpiece W1 is brought into sliding contact with the polishing surface 2a. The surface of the dummy workpiece W1 is polished. In one embodiment, pure water may be supplied to the polishing surface 2a as the processing liquid.

[0038] The pad break-in device 600 further includes a dresser 70 for dressing the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2. The dresser 70 comprises a dressing disc 71 that slides against the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2, a dresser shaft 72 to which the dressing disc 71 is connected, and a dresser swing arm 75 that rotatably supports the dresser shaft 72. The lower surface of the dressing disc 71 constitutes a dressing surface 71a, and this dressing surface 71a is made up of abrasive grains (for example, diamond grains).

[0039] The dresser shaft 72 is connected to a disc pressing mechanism (including, for example, an air cylinder) located within the dresser oscillating arm 75. This disc pressing mechanism is configured to press the dressing surface 71a of the dressing disc 71 against the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 via the dresser shaft 72. Furthermore, the dresser shaft 72 is connected to a disc rotation mechanism (including, for example, an electric motor) located within the dresser oscillating arm 75. This disc rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the dressing disc 71 via the dresser shaft 72 in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0040] Dressing of the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 is performed as follows: The polishing pad 2 is rotated together with the processing table 40 by the polishing table rotating device 30, while pure water is supplied to the polishing surface 2a from the liquid supply nozzle 42. The dressing disc 71 is rotated around the dresser shaft 72 by a disc rotation mechanism (not shown), and the dressing surface 71a of the dressing disc 71 is pressed against the polishing surface 2a by a disc pressing mechanism (not shown). With pure water present on the polishing surface 2a, the dressing disc 71 is brought into sliding contact with the polishing surface 2a. While the dressing disc 71 is rotating, the dresser swing arm 75 is swung around the pivot shaft 78 to swing the dressing disc 71 radially over the polishing surface 2a. In this way, the polishing pad 2 is slightly scraped off by the dressing disc 71, and the polishing surface 2a is dressed (regenerated). The polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 is dressed during the polishing of the dummy workpiece W1, or before and / or after the polishing of the dummy workpiece W1.

[0041] In this way, the break-in process for the polishing pad 2 is achieved by polishing a dummy workpiece W1 using a new polishing pad 2 and dressing the new polishing pad 2. In one embodiment, the break-in process for the new polishing pad 2 may be performed by either polishing a dummy workpiece W1 using a new polishing pad 2 or by dressing the new polishing pad 2.

[0042] The pad break-in device 600 includes a pad monitoring device 80 for monitoring the break-in process on the polishing pad 2. The pad monitoring device 80 is positioned above the polishing pad 2 and is configured to detect the surface condition of the polishing pad 2. More specifically, the pad monitoring device 80 detects the surface condition of the polishing pad 2 during the break-in process and determines the end of the break-in process for the polishing pad 2 based on the detected surface condition. The specific configuration of the pad monitoring device 80 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the surface condition of the polishing pad 2, but for example, an image processing device, a non-contact shape measuring device, etc., can be used.

[0043] Next, an embodiment of the pad conveying device 700 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The pad conveying device 700 includes a main body 84 having a traveling device 83, a holding hand 85 for holding the pad structure 6, and a liquid receiving tray 87 positioned below the holding hand 85. The traveling device 83 is configured to make the entire pad conveying device 700 movable and includes wheels 88 attached to the main body 84 and an electric motor 89 for rotating the wheels 88. In one embodiment, the wheels 88 may be arranged on rails so that the pad conveying device 700 travels along a predetermined path. However, the traveling device 83 is not limited to a combination of wheels 88 and an electric motor 89, and can be any device that can move the entire pad conveying device 700.

[0044] The holding hand 85 is connected to a vacuum line 92, which is connected to a vacuum pump 93, which serves as a vacuum source. The vacuum pump 93 is located within the main body 84. The holding hand 85 can hold the pad structure 6 by suction using the vacuum formed in the vacuum line 92. In one embodiment, the holding hand 85 may have a mechanical chuck for mechanically gripping the pad structure 6.

[0045] The pad conveying device 700 further includes a tilting device 101 that tilts the liquid receiving tray 87 and the holding hand 85. The liquid receiving tray 87 and the holding hand 85 are fixed to the tilting device 101. The tilting device 101 is configured to tilt the liquid receiving tray 87 and the holding hand 85 together about a central axis CL that extends parallel to the holding hand 85, as indicated by the arrow. By tilting the liquid receiving tray 87 in particular, liquid that has fallen onto the liquid receiving tray 87 can be collected in a specific location. In addition, by tilting the liquid receiving tray 87, the holding hand 85, and the pad structure 6, the width (space) required for the pad conveying device 700 to travel can be reduced.

[0046] The pad transport device 700 further includes a drain line 103 connected to a liquid receiving tray 87. One end of the drain line 103 is open inside the liquid receiving tray 87, and the other end of the drain line 103 is connected to a liquid tank 105 located in the main body 84. Liquid that falls from the polishing pad 2 into the liquid receiving tray 87 is discharged through the drain line 103 and collected in the liquid tank 105.

[0047] The pad transport device 700 further includes a hand lifting device 110 for moving the holding hand 85 up and down. The hand lifting device 110 is connected to the tilting device 101 and the main body 84. The hand lifting device 110 includes an air cylinder, a linear actuator, or a combination of an electric motor and gears, and is configured to raise and lower the holding hand 85 connected to the tilting device 101. In this embodiment, since the liquid receiving tray 87 is connected to the tilting device 101, the hand lifting device 110 can raise and lower the liquid receiving tray 87 and the holding hand 85 together. The pad structure 6 (including the polishing pad 2 and the support plate 5) held by the holding hand 85 is also raised and lowered together with the liquid receiving tray 87 and the holding hand 85. In one embodiment, the hand lifting device 110 may be configured or arranged to raise and lower the holding hand 85 without raising or lowering the liquid receiving tray 87.

[0048] The liquid receiving tray 87 is positioned to cover the entire underside of the holding hand 85. The liquid receiving tray 87 is provided to receive liquid that drips from the wet polishing pad 2. Therefore, the liquid receiving tray 87 has a greater width and length than the pad structure 6. Furthermore, the liquid receiving tray 87 has a greater width and length than the holding hand 85.

[0049] Figure 5 is a top view illustrating one embodiment of the liquid receiving tray 87 and the holding hand 85, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 5. The liquid receiving tray 87 has two notches 112 that allow the entry of the lifting rod 21 shown in Figure 2 and the lifting rod 51 shown in Figure 3. As will be described later, when the pad structure 6 is removed from the pad breaking device 600 and when the pad structure 6 is brought into the polishing device 500, the lifting rods 21 and 51 enter the notches 112.

[0050] The liquid receiving tray 87 has an endless weir 115 that extends along its edge. This weir 115 is provided to retain the liquid that falls from the polishing pad 2 of the pad structure 6 onto the liquid receiving tray 87 (i.e., to prevent the liquid from falling off the liquid receiving tray 87). The weir 115 is provided not only along the edge of the liquid receiving tray 87 but also along the notch 112, surrounding the notch 112. Therefore, the weir 115 prevents the liquid from spilling out of the notch 112.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, when viewed from above, the liquid receiving tray 87 is larger than the pad structure 6 and is located below the pad structure 6. Therefore, the liquid receiving tray 87 can reliably receive the liquid that falls from the polishing pad 2 of the pad structure 6. Some of the liquid that falls from the pad structure 6 may fall through the notch 112, but the amount of liquid is negligible. The open end 103a of the drain line 103 is located on one side of the bottom of the liquid receiving tray 87. By tilting the liquid receiving tray 87 in the direction in which the open end 103a of the drain line 103 is lowered using the tilting device 101 shown in Figure 3, the liquid on the liquid receiving tray 87 can be guided to the drain line 103.

[0052] Next, the operation of transporting the pad structure 6, including the polishing pad 2, from the pad break-in device 600 to the polishing device 500 by the pad transport device 700 will be described. As described above, the new polishing pad 2 is broken in by the pad break-in device 600, and the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 becomes ready to polish a workpiece. The broken-in polishing pad 2 is in a wet state.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the pad chuck 54 of the pad breaking device 600 releases the pad structure 6, and the pad structure 6, including the wet polishing pad 2 and support plate 5, is lifted by the lifting rod 51 of the lift mechanism 50. The pad structure 6 moves away from the processing table 40, and a space is formed between the pad structure 6 and the processing table 40.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, the pad transport device 700 moves the holding hand 85 and the liquid receiving tray 87 into the space between the pad structure 6 and the processing table 40. The lifting rod 51 enters the notch 112 in the liquid receiving tray 87, so that the liquid receiving tray 87 can be moved to a position below the pad structure 6.

[0055] As shown in Figure 9, the hand lifting device 110 of the pad conveying device 700 raises the holding hand 85 and the liquid receiving tray 87, so that the pad structure 6 is placed on the holding hand 85 and the pad structure 6 moves away from the lifting rod 51. The pad structure 6 is held by the holding hand 85.

[0056] As shown in Figure 10, the pad transport device 700 transports the pad structure 6 from the pad leveling device 600 to the polishing device 500. While the pad structure 6 is being transported, a liquid receiving tray 87 is located below the pad structure 6, so any liquid that falls from the pad structure 6 is caught by the liquid receiving tray 87 and does not fall onto the cleanroom floor, inside the pad leveling device 600, or inside the polishing device 500.

[0057] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, while the pad transport device 700 transports the pad structure 6 from the pad conditioning device 600 to the polishing device 500, the tilting device 101 of the pad transport device 700 tilts the holding hand 85, the pad structure 6, and the liquid receiving tray 87. This tilting motion reduces the width (space) required for the pad transport device 700 to travel.

[0058] In the polishing device 500, the same steps as in the pad break-in device 600 are performed in reverse order. That is, as shown in Figure 11, the lift mechanism 20 raises the lifting rod 21, and the pad transport device 700 moves the holding hand 85, the pad structure 6, and the liquid receiving tray 87 above the polishing table 10. The lifting rod 21 enters the notch 112 in the liquid receiving tray 87, so that the liquid receiving tray 87 can move to a position above the polishing table 10.

[0059] As shown in Figure 12, the pad transport device 700 lowers the holding hand 85, the pad structure 6, and the liquid receiving tray 87, and places the pad structure 6 on the lifting rod 21. At this time, the holding hand 85 moves away from the pad structure 6. As shown in Figure 13, the pad transport device 700 moves the holding hand 85 and the liquid receiving tray 87 outside the polishing table 10. As shown in Figure 14, the lift mechanism 20 lowers the lifting rod 21 to place the pad structure 6 on the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10. The pad chuck 14 then creates a vacuum in the vacuum line 15, thereby fixing the pad structure 6 to the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10.

[0060] In this way, the pad structure 6, including the polishing pad 2 that has undergone the break-in process, is transported from the pad break-in device 600 to the polishing device 500 by the pad transport device 700 and mounted on the polishing table 10 of the polishing device 500 by the pad chuck 14. This eliminates the conventional work of attaching the polishing pad 2 to the polishing table 10 with adhesive. Furthermore, since the pad break-in process for the new polishing pad 2 is performed by the pad break-in device 600, there is no need to perform the break-in process for the new polishing pad 2 in the polishing device 500. As a result, the time required to stop the polishing operation of the polishing device 500 for the replacement of the polishing pad 2 is reduced, and the productivity of the polishing device can be improved.

[0061] Figure 15 is a top view illustrating another embodiment of the pad conveying device 700, and Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Figure 15. The configuration and operation of this embodiment, which are not specifically described, are the same as those of the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 14, and therefore their redundant descriptions are omitted. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the pad conveying device 700 of this embodiment includes a shutter 120 that covers a notch 112 in a liquid receiving tray 87, and a spring 122 that biases the shutter 120 in the direction of closing the notch 112. The shutter 120 and the spring 122 are located on the upper side of the liquid receiving tray 87. The shutter 120 has a shape that covers the entire notch 112.

[0062] Figures 17 and 18 show the shutter 120 in the open position. When the pad transport device 700 moves the liquid receiving tray 87 toward the lifting rod 21 (or the lifting rod 51 shown in Figure 3), the lifting rod 21 enters the notch 112 while pushing the shutter 120, and opens the shutter 120 against the force of the spring 122. According to this embodiment, while the pad transport device 700 is transporting the pad structure 6 from the pad conditioning device 600 to the polishing device 500, the notch 112 is closed by the shutter 120. Therefore, liquid falling from the polishing pad 2 cannot pass through the notch 112 and is caught in the liquid receiving tray 87. As a result, contamination of the cleanroom by liquid can be reliably prevented.

[0063] In the embodiments described so far, the pad structure 6 is a combination of a polishing pad 2 and a support plate 5 that supports the polishing pad 2. However, in one embodiment, the pad structure 6 may include the polishing pad 2 but not the support plate 5. In the embodiment shown in Figure 19, the liquid receiving tray 87 has a plurality of pad support members 130 that support the edge of the polishing pad 2 in order to reduce downward deflection of the polishing pad 2. Each pad support member 130 has a positioning guide 131 to prevent lateral displacement of the polishing pad 2. The polishing pad 2 is held on the polishing table 10 and the processing table 40 by vacuum suction, as in the embodiments described above.

[0064] In one embodiment, the pad structure 6 includes a polishing pad 2 but does not include a support plate 5, and the lower surface of the polishing pad 2 may have an adhesive layer. When the polishing pad 2 is transported, the adhesive layer of the polishing pad 2 may be covered with release paper, or the adhesive layer may be exposed after the release paper is peeled off. The adhesive layer of the polishing pad 2 may be configured to be repeatedly attached to the polishing table 10 or the processing table 40. In this case, the pad chucks 14 and 44 described above may be omitted.

[0065] Figure 20 is a top view showing yet another embodiment of the pad conveying device 700, and Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of Figure 20. The configuration and operation of this embodiment, which are not specifically described, are the same as those of the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 14, so their redundant descriptions are omitted. The pad conveying device 700 of this embodiment includes an arc-shaped liquid receiving tray 87. This liquid receiving tray 87 has a semi-annular shape and is positioned below the edge of the pad structure 6. As shown in Figure 21, the liquid receiving tray 87 has a semi-annular bottom 141, an outer curved weir 142 projecting upward from the outer edge of the bottom 141, and an inner curved weir 143 projecting upward from the inner edge of the bottom 141.

[0066] The liquid receiving tray 87 is configured to be separable into two parts along its longitudinal direction. Specifically, the liquid receiving tray 87 includes a first tray section 87A fixed to one of the two holding hands 85, and a second tray section 87B detachably connected to the first tray section 87A by magnets 145 and 146. The magnets 145 and 146 are fixed to the ends of the first tray section 87A and the second tray section 87B, respectively. The second tray section 87B is connected to the first tray section 87A solely by the magnetic force generated by these magnets 145 and 146, and the second tray section 87B can be detached from the first tray section 87A. The drain line 103 is connected to the first tray section 87A.

[0067] Figure 22 shows another embodiment of the pad break-in device 600. As shown in Figure 22, a plurality of engaging protrusions 150 and a plurality of protrusion actuators 151 are provided along the outer circumferential surface of the processing table 40 of the pad break-in device 600. In Figure 22, only one engaging protrusion 150 and one protrusion actuator 151 are depicted. The engaging protrusion 150 and the protrusion actuator 151 are provided to support the second tray portion 87B of the liquid receiving tray 87. The engaging protrusion 150 extends vertically and is connected to the protrusion actuator 151. The protrusion actuator 151 is configured to move the engaging protrusion 150 away from the processing table 40 and towards the processing table 40, as indicated by the arrows. The detailed configuration of the protrusion actuator 151 is not particularly limited, but may consist of, for example, an air cylinder or a linear motor.

[0068] An engagement hole 155 is formed at the bottom of the second tray portion 87B of the liquid receiving tray 87, into which the engaging projection 150 engages. When the projection actuator 151 moves the engaging projection 150 while it is inserted into the engagement hole 155, the engaging projection 150 and the second tray portion 87B move in a direction away from the processing table 40 and in a direction towards the processing table 40, as indicated by the arrows.

[0069] As shown in Figure 23, the polishing device 500 is similarly provided with a plurality of engaging protrusions 160 and a plurality of protrusion actuators 161. The plurality of engaging protrusions 160 and the plurality of protrusion actuators 161 are provided along the outer circumferential surface of the polishing table 10. The configuration and operation of the engaging protrusions 160 and protrusion actuators 161 are the same as those of the engaging protrusions 150 and protrusion actuators 151 shown in Figure 22, so their explanation is omitted.

[0070] Next, the operation of transporting the pad structure 6, including the polishing pad 2, from the pad break-in device 600 to the polishing device 500 by the pad transport device 700 will be described. As described above, the new polishing pad 2 is broken in by the pad break-in device 600, and the polishing surface 2a of the polishing pad 2 is ready to polish a workpiece. The broken-in polishing pad 2 is in a wet state. Before the polishing pad 2 is removed from the pad break-in device 600 by the pad transport device 700, as shown in Figure 22, the second tray portion 87B of the liquid receiving tray 87 is placed on the engaging projection 150, and the engaging hole 155 of the second tray portion 87B engages with the engaging projection 150.

[0071] As shown in Figure 24, the pad chuck 44 releases the pad structure 6, and the pad structure 6, including the wet polishing pad 2 and support plate 5, is lifted by the lifting rod 51 of the lift mechanism 50. The pad structure 6 moves away from the processing table 40, and a space is formed between the pad structure 6 and the processing table 40.

[0072] As shown in Figure 25, the projection actuator 151 moves the engaging projection 150 and the second tray portion 87B toward the processing table 40, positioning the second tray portion 87B below the edge of the pad structure 6. As shown in Figure 26, the pad transport device 700 moves the holding hand 85 and the first tray portion 87A of the liquid receiving tray 87 into the space between the pad structure 6 and the processing table 40. The first tray portion 87A and the second tray portion 87B are fixed to each other by magnets 145 and 146 (see Figure 20).

[0073] As shown in Figure 27, the pad transport device 700 raises the holding hand 85 and the liquid receiving tray 87, so that the pad structure 6 is placed on the holding hand 85 and moves away from the lifting rod 51. The second tray section 87B also moves away from the engaging projection 150. The pad structure 6 is held by the holding hand 85. As shown in Figure 28, the tilting device 101 of the pad conveying device 700 tilts the holding hand 85, the pad structure 6, and the liquid receiving tray 87 in the direction in which the liquid receiving tray 87 descends. Since the liquid receiving tray 87 is located below the pad structure 6, it can receive liquid that falls from the pad structure 6. In addition, by tilting the liquid receiving tray 87, the holding hand 85, and the pad structure 6, the width (space) required for the pad conveying device 700 to travel can be reduced.

[0074] As shown in Figure 29, the pad transport device 700 transports the pad structure 6 from the pad leveling device 600 to the polishing device 500. While the pad structure 6 is being transported, a liquid receiving tray 87 is located below the pad structure 6, so any liquid that falls from the pad structure 6 is caught by the liquid receiving tray 87 and does not fall onto the cleanroom floor.

[0075] In the polishing device 500, the same steps as in the pad break-in device 600 are performed in the reverse order. That is, as shown in Figure 30, the lift mechanism 20 raises the lifting rod 21, and the pad transport device 700 moves the holding hand 85, pad structure 6, and liquid receiving tray 87 above the polishing table 10.

[0076] As shown in Figure 31, the pad transport device 700 lowers the holding hand 85, the pad structure 6, and the liquid receiving tray 87, and places the pad structure 6 on the lifting rod 21. At this time, the holding hand 85 separates from the pad structure 6, and the engagement hole 155 of the second tray portion 87B of the liquid receiving tray 87 engages with the engagement projection 160. As shown in Figure 32, the pad transport device 700 moves the holding hand 85 and the first tray portion 87A of the liquid receiving tray 87 outside the polishing table 10. The engaging projection 160 engages with the engaging hole 155 of the second tray portion 87B, so the second tray portion 87B remains on the engaging projection 160. Since the first tray portion 87A is connected to the second tray portion 87B by magnetic force alone, the first tray portion 87A can be detached from the second tray portion 87B.

[0077] As shown in Figure 33, the projection actuator 161 moves the engaging projection 160 away from the polishing table 10, thereby moving the second tray portion 87B away from the polishing table 10. As shown in Figure 34, the lift mechanism 20 lowers the lifting rod 21 to place the pad structure 6 on the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10. The pad chuck 14 then creates a vacuum in the vacuum line 92, thereby fixing the pad structure 6 to the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10.

[0078] In this way, the pad structure 6, including the polishing pad 2 that has undergone the break-in process, is transported from the pad break-in device 600 to the polishing device 500 by the pad transport device 700 and mounted on the polishing table 10 of the polishing device 500 by the pad chuck 14. This eliminates the conventional work of attaching the polishing pad 2 to the polishing table 10 with adhesive. Furthermore, since the pad break-in process for the new polishing pad 2 is performed by the pad break-in device 600, there is no need to perform the break-in process for the new polishing pad 2 in the polishing device 500. As a result, the time required to stop the polishing operation of the polishing device 500 for the replacement of the polishing pad 2 is reduced, and the productivity of the polishing device can be improved.

[0079] In the embodiments described with reference to Figures 20 to 34, the liquid receiving tray 87 as a whole is semi-annular, and the first tray portion 87A and the second tray portion 87B are each quarter-annular; however, the shape of the liquid receiving tray 87 is not limited to the above embodiments. In one embodiment, the liquid receiving tray 87 as a whole is annular, and the first tray portion 87A and the second tray portion 87B are each semi-annular. The semi-annular first tray portion 87A and the semi-annular second tray portion 87B are detachably fixed to each other by magnets. The first tray portion 87A is located on the base end side of the holding hand 85, and the second tray portion 87B is located on the tip side of the holding hand 85.

[0080] Next, an embodiment of a liquid receiving tray that can be detachably attached to the side of the support plate 5 will be described. Figure 35 is a top view showing an embodiment of a liquid receiving device having a support plate 5 that supports the polishing pad 2 and a liquid receiving tray 163 attached to the support plate 5, Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid receiving tray shown in Figure 35, and Figure 37 shows the liquid receiving tray 163 removed from the support plate 5.

[0081] The liquid receiving tray 163 surrounds the entire circumference of the support plate 5. In this embodiment, the liquid receiving tray 163 is detachably attached to the side of the support plate 5 by a mounting member 165. The liquid receiving tray 163 is composed of a plurality of segments 163A, 163B. The mounting member 165 is made of a flexible material, and examples of such materials include fluororubber, silicone rubber, foamed rubber, and foamed urethane. The liquid receiving tray 163 may also be made of a flexible material such as rubber. The mounting member 165 is attached to the inside of each of the plurality of segments 163A, 163B that make up the liquid receiving tray 163.

[0082] The liquid receiving tray 163 has a bottom portion 166 located on the outside of the side surface of the support plate 5, and a weir 167 extending upward from the outer edge of the bottom portion 166. The bottom portion 166 and the weir 167 extend along the entire length of the liquid receiving tray 163 to prevent liquid from falling out of the liquid receiving tray 163. The mounting member 165 is attached to the inside of the bottom portion 166. The mounting member 165 also extends along the entire length of the liquid receiving tray 163. Multiple mounting members 165 may be provided at intervals along the inside of the liquid receiving tray 163.

[0083] A groove 170 extending in the circumferential direction of the support plate 5 is formed on the side surface of the support plate 5. The groove 170 in this embodiment is a dovetail groove with a narrow opening. The mounting member 165 attached to the liquid receiving tray 163 is pressed into the groove 170 of the support plate 5, thereby attaching the liquid receiving tray 163 to the support plate 5. Since the mounting member 165 is made of a flexible material that is easily deformable, the liquid receiving tray 163 can be removed from the support plate 5 by pulling the mounting member 165 out of the groove 170.

[0084] In this embodiment, the liquid receiving tray 163 is composed of two divided parts 163A and 163B. The liquid receiving tray 163 as a whole is annular, and each of the divided parts 163A and 163B is semi-annular. In one embodiment, the liquid receiving tray 163 as a whole is annular, and the liquid receiving tray 163 may be composed of three or more arc-shaped divided parts 163A and 163B.

[0085] A liquid receiving tray 163 having this configuration is transported together with the support plate 5 and the polishing pad 2. Liquid that falls from the wet polishing pad 2 is caught by the liquid receiving tray 163 and does not fall onto the cleanroom floor. Therefore, contamination of the inside of the cleanroom is prevented. In embodiments in which this type of liquid receiving tray 163 is used, the pad transport device 700 described above does not need to be equipped with a liquid receiving tray 87.

[0086] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 38, the liquid receiving tray 163 may further include a liquid absorbent member 180 disposed on the bottom 166. An example of the material for the liquid absorbent member 180 is a sponge.

[0087] Figure 39 shows one embodiment of a polishing apparatus equipped with a liquid receiving device as described with reference to Figures 35 to 37. The configuration of the polishing apparatus that is not specifically described is the same as that of the embodiment described with reference to Figure 2, so the redundant explanation is omitted. As shown in Figure 39, the support plate 5 is held (fixed) to the upper surface 10a of the polishing table 10 by the pad chuck 14. During polishing of the workpiece W, the liquid receiving tray 163 rotates together with the support plate 5 and the polishing table 10.

[0088] Although not shown, the liquid receiving device described with reference to Figure 38 can be similarly incorporated into the polishing device described with reference to Figure 2. Furthermore, the liquid receiving devices described with reference to Figures 35 to 37, and the liquid receiving device described with reference to Figure 38, can be similarly incorporated into the pad breaking-in device 600 described with reference to Figure 3.

[0089] Since the liquid receiving tray 163 can be removed from the support plate 5, it is possible to clean the liquid receiving tray 163 periodically. In other embodiments, the liquid receiving tray 163 may be removed from the support plate 5 in advance during polishing of the workpiece W and during the break-in process of the polishing pad. The liquid receiving tray 163 may be attached to the support plate 5 when transporting the break-in polishing pad to the polishing apparatus.

[0090] In the embodiment described above, the configuration of the pad break-in device 600 is basically the same as that of the polishing device 500. However, the polishing device 500 may be a substrate processing device that performs a series of processes including cleaning and drying after polishing, in addition to polishing the substrate. In contrast, the pad break-in device 600 may be a device specialized in the break-in process of pads. Furthermore, in order to break in a polishing pad used in one of the multiple polishing devices 500, the break-in process of the polishing pad may be performed using another polishing device 500 that is in a standby state and not producing workpieces.

[0091] In the embodiment described above, the pad transport device 700 transports the pad structure 6 from the pad conditioning device 600 to the polishing device 500. In another embodiment, the pad transport device 700 may take the pad structure 6, which has been pre-conditioned by the pad conditioning device 600, from a stocker containing the pad structure 6, and transport it to the polishing device 500.

[0092] The embodiments described above are intended to enable persons with ordinary skill in the art to implement the present invention. Various modifications of the above embodiments can be made naturally by those skilled in the art, and the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be applied to other embodiments as well. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but is to be interpreted in the broadest sense according to the technical idea defined by the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 2 polishing pads 2a Polished surface 6 Pad Structure 10 Polishing Tables 11 Polishing heads 12 Polishing fluid supply nozzle 14 Pad Chuck 15 Vacuum Line 20 Lift mechanism 21 Lifting rod 22 Rod Actuator 25 Spindle 26 Polishing head support arm 27 Polished Head Shaft 28 Polishing head rotation device 29 Polishing head lifting device 30 Polishing table rotating device 32 Polishing head moving device 40 Processing Tables 41 Processing head 42 Liquid supply nozzles 44 Pad Chuck 45 Vacuum Line 50 Lift mechanism 51 Lifting rod 52 Rod Actuator 55 Spindle 56 Processing head support arm 57 Processing head shaft 58 Processing head rotation device 59 Processing head lifting device 60. Processing table rotating device 62 Processing head moving device 70 Dresser 71 Dressing Disc 72 Dresser Shaft 75 Dresser oscillating arm 80 Pad Monitoring Device 83 Running gear 84 Main body 85 Holding Hand 87 Liquid receiving tray 87A First Tray Section 87B Second Tray Section 88 wheels 89 Electric motor 92 Vacuum Line 93 Vacuum pump 101 Tilt device 103 Drain Line 105 Liquid Tank 110 Hand lifting device 115 Weir 120 shutters 122 springs 130 Pad support member 131 Positioning Guide 141 Bottom 142 External curved weir 143 Inner Curved Weir 145,146 Magnets 150 Engagement protrusion 151 Protruding Actuator 155 Engagement holes 163 Liquid receiving tray 163A,163B Split body 165 Mounting component 166 Bottom 167 Weir 180 Liquid absorbent material 500 Polishing equipment 600 Pad Break-in Device 700 Pad Conveyor

Claims

1. A support plate having a first surface for supporting a polishing pad and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the second surface is configured to be supported by a polishing table, The support plate is equipped with a liquid receiving tray that is detachably attached to the side surface. The liquid receiving tray is a liquid receiving device having a plurality of divided parts.

2. A polishing device for polishing workpieces, A support plate for supporting the polishing pad, A liquid receiving tray having multiple divided parts is detachably attached to the side of the support plate, A polishing table that holds the support plate, A polishing device comprising a polishing head that presses the workpiece against the polishing pad.

Images