Substrate polishing device, substrate processing device, method, storage medium, and polishing pad

Abstract

This substrate polishing device polishes a substrate and comprises: a polishing table that has at least one temperature adjustment unit which adjusts the temperature of the substrate; a position detection unit that detects the rotational phase of the polishing table; and a control unit that controls the temperature adjustment unit in accordance with said rotational phase detected by the position detection unit and the rotational phase of the polishing table corresponding to the position of the substrate.

Description

Substrate Polishing Apparatus, Substrate Processing Apparatus, Method, Storage Medium, and Polishing Pad

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate polishing apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a method, a storage medium, and a polishing pad.

[0002] Conventionally, in a substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, a technique for controlling a pad temperature adjusting means based on polishing pad temperature information to control the temperature on the polishing pad surface is known (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-136406

[0004] An object of the present invention is to polish a substrate while adjusting the temperature at a desired position within the plane of the substrate.

[0005] [1] A substrate polishing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, including: a polishing table having at least one temperature adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the substrate; a position detecting unit for detecting the rotational phase of the polishing table; and a control unit for controlling the temperature adjusting unit according to the rotational phase detected by the position detecting unit and the rotational phase of the polishing table corresponding to the position of the substrate.

[0006] [2] In the substrate polishing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention as described in [1] above, when the difference between the rotational phase and a first rotational phase corresponding to a first position within the plane of the substrate is less than or equal to a threshold value, the control unit controls the temperature adjusting unit to heat the substrate.

[0007] [3] In the substrate polishing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention as described in [1] or [2] above, when the rotational phase substantially coincides with the first rotational phase, the control unit controls the temperature adjusting unit to heat the substrate.

[0008] [4] In the substrate polishing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention as described in [3] above, when the rotational phase substantially coincides with a second rotational phase of the polishing table corresponding to a second position different from the first position within the plane of the substrate, the control unit controls the temperature adjusting unit not to heat the substrate.

[0009] [5] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate polishing apparatus, in any of the above [1] to [4], the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit to heat the substrate on the circumference with the center of the substrate as the center of the circle.

[0010] [6] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate polishing apparatus, in any of [1] to [5] above, the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit according to the rotation phase of the polishing table and the rotation phase of the substrate.

[0011] [7] A substrate polishing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention further comprises a polishing pad attached to the polishing table, the polishing pad having at least one heat conduction portion at a position corresponding to the temperature control portion, in any of the above [1] to [6].

[0012] [8] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate polishing apparatus is such that, in any of [1] to [7] above, the heat conduction portion is made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the non-heat conduction portion of the polishing pad.

[0013] [9] A substrate polishing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising the substrate polishing apparatus described in any of [1] to [8] above.

[0014]

[10] A method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for polishing a substrate performed by a computer, comprising: detecting the rotational phase of a polishing table; and controlling at least one temperature adjustment unit that adjusts the temperature of the substrate according to the detected rotational phase and the rotational phase of the polishing table corresponding to the position of the substrate.

[0015]

[11] A storage medium according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute the method described in

[10] above.

[0016]

[12] A polishing pad according to one aspect of the present invention is a polishing pad attached to a polishing table having at least one temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the temperature of a substrate, wherein at least one through hole or recess into which a heat conduction unit is fitted is formed in the thickness direction at a position corresponding to the at least one temperature adjustment unit.

[0017]

[13] In one aspect of the present invention, a polishing pad is provided in

[12] above, wherein a heat conductive portion having a thickness smaller than the thickness of the polishing pad is fitted into the through hole or the recess.

[0018]

[14] In one aspect of the present invention, the polishing pad is provided in

[13] above, wherein the heat conductive portion is fitted into the through hole, and a lid portion made of substantially the same material as the polishing pad is laminated on the polishing surface side.

[0019]

[15] In one aspect of the present invention, the polishing pad is configured such that the heat conductive portion is fitted into the through hole and a resin cover is laminated on the polishing surface side.

[0020] This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the cross-sectional view of the substrate polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of the polishing table according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the heating location of the substrate according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the heating range of the substrate according to this embodiment. This figure shows another example of the heating location of the substrate according to this embodiment. This figure shows another example of the heating range of the substrate according to this embodiment. This figure shows another example of the arrangement of the temperature control unit according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of the temperature control mechanism according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of the polishing pad according to this embodiment. This is an example of a cross-sectional view of the polishing pad in the heat conduction unit according to this embodiment. This is another a figure illustrating the positional relationship between the proximity sensor C and the dog D. This figure illustrates the detection of the relative position of the temperature control unit with respect to the substrate. This figure shows an example of the film thickness profile of the substrate. This figure shows an example of the operation of the substrate polishing apparatus according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the operation of the substrate temperature adjustment according to this embodiment.

[0021] The following descriptions of each embodiment will be made with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessarily detailed explanations may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art.

[0022] (Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus) As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a substantially rectangular housing 10 and a load port 12 on which a substrate cassette for stocking a large number of substrates W is mounted. The load port 12 is located adjacent to the housing 10. The load port 12 can be equipped with an open cassette, an SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, or a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). The SMIF pod and FOUP are sealed containers that house a substrate cassette inside and are covered with a partition wall, thereby maintaining an environment independent of the external space. Examples of substrates W include semiconductor wafers.

[0023] The housing 10 contains a plurality of polishing modules 14a to 14d (four in the embodiment shown in Figure 1), a first cleaning module 16 and a second cleaning module 18 for cleaning the substrate W after polishing, and a drying module 20 for drying the substrate W after cleaning. The polishing modules 14a to 14d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and the cleaning modules 16, 18 and the drying module 20 are also arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 1. According to the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, various substrates W can be polished in the manufacturing process of semiconductor wafers with a diameter of 300 mm or 450 mm, flat panels, image sensors such as CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and magnetic films in MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory).

[0024] A first transport robot 22 is positioned in the area surrounded by the load port 12, the polishing module 14a located on the load port 12 side, and the drying module 20. A transport module 24 is also positioned parallel to the polishing modules 14a to 14d, the washing modules 16 and 18, and the drying module 20. The first transport robot 22 receives the substrate W before polishing from the load port 12 and passes it to the transport module 24, and removes the substrate W after drying from the drying module 20 and returns it to the load port 12.

[0025] A second transport robot 26 is positioned between the first cleaning module 16 and the second cleaning module 18 to transfer the substrate W between the two modules, and a third transport robot 28 is positioned between the second cleaning module 18 and the drying module 20 to transfer the substrate W between the two modules. Furthermore, an overall control unit 30 that controls the movement of each component of the substrate processing apparatus is positioned inside the housing 10. In this embodiment, the description uses a configuration in which the overall control unit 30 is positioned inside the housing 10, but it is not limited to this configuration. The overall control unit 30 may be positioned outside the housing 10, or it may be located in a remote location.

[0026] (Configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus) Next, an example of the schematic configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A, including the polishing modules 14a to 14d shown in Figure 1, will be described.

[0027] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a polishing module 14a as an example. As shown in Figure 2, the polishing module 14a includes a polishing table 22A that supports the polishing pad 40, a polishing head 24A that presses the substrate W against the polishing pad 40, and a polishing fluid supply nozzle 26A for supplying polishing fluid (slurry) to the polishing pad 40.

[0028] The polishing table 22A is connected via a table shaft 23 to a table motor 25 located below it, and the table motor 25 rotates the polishing table 22A in the direction indicated by the arrow. The polishing pad 40 is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 22A, and the upper surface of the polishing pad 40 constitutes the polishing surface 40a for polishing the substrate W. The polishing head 24A is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 27. The polishing head 24A is configured to hold the substrate W on its lower surface by vacuum suction. The shaft 27 is connected to a rotating mechanism, described later, installed in the head arm 31, and the polishing head 24A is rotationally driven via the shaft 27 by this rotating mechanism.

[0029] The surface of the substrate W is polished as follows: The polishing head 24A and the polishing table 22A are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows, and polishing fluid (slurry) is supplied onto the polishing pad 40 from the polishing fluid supply nozzle 26A. In this state, the substrate W is pressed against the polishing surface 40a of the polishing pad 40 by the polishing head 24A. The surface of the substrate W is polished by the mechanical action of the abrasive grains contained in the polishing fluid and the chemical action of the chemical components contained in the polishing fluid.

[0030] The substrate W, polished by the polishing module 14a shown in Figure 2, is moved to the transport module 24 (see Figure 1) by the swinging motion of the head arm 31.

[0031] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the polishing module 14a (substrate polishing apparatus 1A). As shown in Figure 3, the polishing head 24A includes a polishing head body 24B that presses the substrate W against the polishing surface 40a, and a retainer ring 19 that supports the outer periphery of the substrate W and prevents the substrate W from flying out of the polishing head 24A.

[0032] The polishing head 24A is connected to the shaft 27, and a rotary joint 35 is attached to the upper end of the shaft 27. The shaft 27 is configured to move up and down relative to the head arm 31 by a vertical movement mechanism 37, thereby raising and lowering the entire polishing head 24A relative to the head arm 31 for positioning.

[0033] The vertical movement mechanism 37, which moves the shaft 27 and the polishing head 24A up and down, comprises a bridge 38 that rotatably supports the shaft 27 via a bearing 36, a ball screw 71 attached to the bridge 38, a support base 39 supported by a support column 70, and a servo motor 78 provided on the support base 39. The support base 39 that supports the servo motor 78 is fixed to the head arm 31 via the support column 70.

[0034] The ball screw 71 comprises a screw shaft 71a connected to the servo motor 78 and a nut 71b into which the screw shaft 71a is screwed. The shaft 27 moves up and down together with the bridge 38. Therefore, when the servo motor 78 is driven, the bridge 38 moves up and down via the ball screw 71, which in turn causes the shaft 27 and the polishing head 24A to move up and down.

[0035] Next, the rotation mechanism of the shaft 27 will be described. The shaft 27 is connected to the rotating cylinder 72 via a key (not shown). The rotating cylinder 72 is equipped with a timing pulley 73 on its outer circumference. A head motor 76 is fixed to the head arm 31, and the timing pulley 73 is connected to a timing pulley 75 provided on the head motor 76 via a timing belt 74. By rotating the head motor 76, the rotating cylinder 72 and the shaft 27 rotate together via the timing pulley 75, timing belt 74, and timing pulley 73, causing the polishing head 24A to rotate. The head arm 31 is supported by an arm shaft 77 that is rotatably supported on a frame (not shown). The head motor 76, servo motor 78, and other components within the apparatus may be controlled by a control unit (not shown) of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A, or by an overall control unit 30 (see Figure 1) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 including the substrate polishing apparatus 1A.

[0036] (Functional Configuration) Figure 4 shows an example of the functional configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment. This substrate polishing apparatus 1A may be part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. As shown in Figure 4, the substrate polishing apparatus 1A includes a control unit 100, a temperature adjustment unit 101, a position detection unit 102, a film thickness measurement unit 103, a communication unit 104, an input unit 105, an output unit (display unit) 106, and a storage unit 107. In the figure, each functional unit that performs a function can be said to be a means for performing that function.

[0037] The control unit 100 controls each of the above-mentioned functional units. Specifically, the control unit 100 controls the temperature adjustment unit 101 according to, for example, the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 detected by the position detection unit 102 and the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 corresponding to the position of the substrate W on the polishing table 50.

[0038] The temperature control unit 101 is provided at least one location on the upper surface of the polishing table 50 and controls the temperature of the polishing surface of the substrate W on the polishing pad via the polishing pad 40 attached to the polishing table 50. As the temperature control unit 101, for example, a pulse heating light source, a Peltier element, instantaneous frictional heat, a heat source distance converter, etc., is preferred, and one that can rapidly control the temperature in a short time (for example, on the order of 1 second) is preferred.

[0039] Figure 6 shows an example of the arrangement of the temperature control unit 101 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the polishing table 50 is provided with temperature control units 101a to 102c as the temperature control unit 101. Specifically, the temperature control units 101a to 101c are arranged on the circumference of a circle with the center of the polishing table 50 as the center of the circle.

[0040] As an example, we will describe a case in which three temperature control units 101a to 101c are provided on the polishing table 50, but the number and arrangement of the temperature control units 101 are not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 11, they may be provided at 90-degree intervals on the same circumference with the center of the polishing table 50 as the center of the circle. Si and SiC, which are used as materials for the substrate W, have high thermal conductivity, so their temperature rises instantaneously but cools down quickly. Therefore, by providing multiple temperature control units 101 at concentric positions, a desired position on the substrate W can be heated in a short period of time, and the heat in the heated area can be prevented from cooling down easily.

[0041] Figure 7 illustrates an example of a heated area on the substrate W heated by the temperature control unit 101. As described above, during polishing the surface of the substrate W, the polishing head 24A (see Figure 2) and the polishing table 22A (see Figure 2) holding the substrate W rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows. Therefore, the temperature control unit 101 rotates together with the polishing table 50. For example, as shown in Figure 7, when the temperature control unit 101b is positioned on the circumference P with the center of the substrate W as the center of the circle, the temperature control unit 101b instantaneously generates heat on the substrate W. As a result, as shown in Figure 7, a specific position on the circumference P is heated spot by spot. Furthermore, as the substrate W and the polishing table 50 repeatedly rotate, the heated area on the substrate W shifts over time, and as a result, as shown in Figure 8, the substrate W can be heated in a donut shape (circular shape including the circumference P).

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, if the heating time in the plane of the substrate W by the temperature control unit 101b is made longer than in the case shown in Figure 7, the heating range on the circumference with the center of the substrate W as the center of the circle can be widened compared to the case shown in Figure 8, as shown in Figure 10.

[0043] As described above, the control unit adjusts the output of the temperature adjustment unit 101b when it is in a predetermined position under the substrate W. As a result, only the predetermined position on the substrate W is locally temperature-controlled. The temperature adjustment unit 101b may also be configured to reduce its output or set its output to zero at specific timings, and to increase its output at other timings.

[0044] Also, the mode of temperature adjustment of the substrate W is not limited to a donut shape (circular shape). For example, according to the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 detected by the position detection unit 102 and the rotation phase of the substrate W (polishing head 24A), the temperature of the substrate W may be adjusted pinpointedly at a desired position. Specifically, for example, the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 is detected by the position detection unit 102, and the rotation phase of the substrate W (polishing head 24A) is detected by an encoder provided on the head motor 76 or the shaft 27. The control unit 100 controls the temperature adjustment unit 101 (heats or cools the temperature adjustment unit 101) at the timing when the temperature adjustment unit 101 is located (overlaps) at a desired position (a position where temperature adjustment is desired) of the substrate W. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, it becomes possible to adjust the temperature pinpointedly (locally) at the intersection of the circumference Q which is the locus of the temperature adjustment unit 101b and the circumference P of the substrate W. Although two heating locations are drawn in FIG. 7, there may be only one location to be heated.

[0045] Note that the substrate W vacuum-sucked to the polishing head 24A is not completely fixed to the polishing head 24A, so there may be a case where it slides relative to the polishing head 24A on the lower surface of the polishing head 24A during polishing (when the initial phase fluctuates). In such a case, for example, an index detection unit for detecting an index (notch, orifice, etc.) formed on the substrate W is provided on the polishing head 24A, and based on the detection result of the index detection unit (the amount of fluctuation (sliding angle) from the initial phase), the rotation phase of the substrate W (polishing head 24A) may be corrected. Thereby, even when the substrate W slides relative to the polishing head 24A during polishing, it becomes possible to adjust the temperature of the substrate W pinpointedly (locally) at a desired position in the same manner as above. A known method can be adopted to obtain the sliding angle between the polishing head 24A and the substrate W during polishing.

[0046] (Configuration of the heat conduction part) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the polishing pad 40 and the polishing table 50 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, a heat conduction part 41 may be provided above the temperature adjustment part 101 provided on the polishing table 50 to constitute a temperature adjustment mechanism TC including the temperature adjustment part 101 and the heat conduction part 41. This heat conduction part 41 may contain a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the region where the heat conduction part 41 of the polishing pad is not provided. Thereby, it becomes possible to efficiently transfer the heat generated in the temperature adjustment part 101 to the substrate W on the polishing pad 40. As the material of the heat conduction part 41, for example, resin, glass, metal (for example, aluminum, copper, iron, etc.) can be used.

[0047] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the heat conduction part 41 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, for example, the heat conduction parts 41a to 41c may be provided at corresponding positions of the temperature adjustment parts 101a to 101c (see FIG. 6).

[0048] When the hardness of the heat conduction part 41 is high (for example, when glass, metal, etc. are used as the heat conduction part 41), there is a risk that the substrate W contacts the edge of the heat conduction part 41 and the substrate W is damaged. To prevent this, as shown in FIG. 14, by making the thickness (height) of the heat conduction part 41 smaller than the thickness of the polishing pad 40, a concave part may be formed on the heat conduction part 41 of the polishing pad 40. Thereby, although the heat conduction efficiency decreases, it is possible to prevent the substrate W from contacting the edge of the heat conduction part 41 and being damaged. Since the polishing pad 40 is not hard enough to damage the substrate W, the substrate W is not damaged by the edge of the polishing pad 40.

[0049] In this case, the polishing pad 40 may be configured as a polishing pad 40 in which the heat conduction part 41 is integrally incorporated. Alternatively, only in the through hole may be formed in the polishing pad 40, and a heat conduction part 41 having a height shorter than the thickness of the polishing pad 40 may be placed and fixed on the temperature adjustment part 101 on the polishing table 50. Also in this case, when the polishing pad 40 is attached to the polishing table 50, as shown in FIG. 14, a concave part is formed on the heat conduction part 41 of the polishing pad 40.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, a lid portion 42 made of the same material as the polishing pad 40 may be fitted into a recess (see Figure 14) formed on the heat conduction portion 41 of the polishing pad 40 so as to cover the recess. This more effectively prevents contact between the heat conduction portion 41 and the substrate W.

[0051] Alternatively, instead of fitting the lid portion 42 into the recess on the heat conduction portion 41, the lid portion 42 may be molded integrally with the polishing pad 40 beforehand, as shown in Figure 16. That is, the heat conduction portion 41, which is shorter than the thickness of the polishing pad 40, may be fitted into the recess formed on the lower surface of the polishing pad 40. In this case, the polishing pad 40 may be configured as a polishing pad 40 with the heat conduction portion 41 incorporated into it. Alternatively, only the recess on the lower surface may be formed on the polishing pad 40, and the heat conduction portion 41, which is shorter than the thickness of the polishing pad 40, may be placed and fixed on the temperature control portion 101 on the polishing table 50.

[0052] Furthermore, in the examples shown in Figures 14 to 16, the thermal conductivity may decrease because there is no material with high thermal conductivity between the heat conduction part 41 and the substrate W. To prevent this, as shown in Figure 17, a resin lid 43 with high thermal conductivity may be fitted into the recess on the heat conduction part 41 (see Figure 14). Since this resin lid 43 has lower hardness than the heat conduction part 41 which is made of glass, metal, etc., it is less likely to damage the substrate W even if it comes into contact with it. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the decrease in thermal conductivity while preventing damage to the substrate W. In this case, the decrease in thermal conductivity can be further suppressed by making the thickness (height) of the heat conduction part 41 (glass, metal, etc.) with high thermal conductivity greater than the thickness of the resin lid 43. In this case, the polishing pad 40 may be configured as a polishing pad 40 in which the heat conduction part 41 and the resin lid 43 are integrally incorporated. Alternatively, the polishing pad 40 may only have through-holes formed within it, and the heat conduction part 41 and the resin cover part 43 may be laminated and fixed on the temperature control part 101 on the polishing table 50. In this case as well, when the polishing pad 40 is attached to the polishing table 50, the resin cover part 43 is placed in the recess on the heat conduction part 41 of the polishing pad 40, as shown in Figure 17.

[0053] (Configuration of the position detection unit) Next, the position detection unit 102 will be described. The position detection unit 102 detects the rotational phase of the polishing table 50. It can also be said that the position detection unit 102 detects the horizontal relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 (temperature adjustment mechanism TC) with respect to the substrate W.

[0054] As shown in Figure 18, the position detection unit 102 may be composed of, for example, a proximity sensor C (photoelectric sensor, capacitance sensor, magnetic sensor, etc.) provided at the bottom of the polishing table 50, and a dog D provided on a non-rotating fixed part 51 below the proximity sensor C. By detecting the proximity of the dog D with the proximity sensor C, the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 (temperature control unit 101) corresponding to the position of the dog D can be detected. Note that the vertical positional relationship between the proximity sensor C and the dog D may be reversed. That is, the proximity sensor C may be provided on the fixed part 51 and the dog D may be provided on the polishing table 50.

[0055] Figure 19 illustrates the detection of the horizontal relative position of the temperature control unit 101 with respect to the substrate W. As shown in Figure 19, the positional relationship between the proximity sensor C and the temperature control unit 101 is fixed at an angle θ. Therefore, if the proximity sensor C is configured to detect the dog D when the temperature control unit 101 is located below a reference position in the plane of the substrate W (for example, the center of the substrate W) (when the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 is the reference phase α), the position of the temperature control unit 101 below the center of the substrate W can be detected by the response of the proximity sensor C. Furthermore, the amount of change Δα from the reference phase α can be determined based on the elapsed time from the response of the proximity sensor C (the timing when the proximity of the dog D is detected) and the rotation speed of the polishing table 50. In other words, the position of the temperature control unit 101 below the substrate W (position on the circumference Q) can also be detected by the elapsed time from the response of the proximity sensor C (the timing when the proximity of the dog D is detected). Therefore, the control unit 100 can adjust the temperature (heat or cool) of a desired position on the substrate W by controlling the temperature adjustment unit 101 based on the response of the proximity sensor C.

[0056] The position detection unit 102 may also detect the horizontal relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 (temperature adjustment mechanism TC) with respect to the substrate W by detecting the rotational phase of the polishing table 50 based on the output from the encoder provided on the table motor 25 of the polishing table 50. In this case, the horizontal relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 (temperature adjustment mechanism TC) with respect to the substrate W can be detected by the amount Δα of change in the rotational phase of the polishing table 50 (temperature adjustment unit 101) from the reference phase α.

[0057] In this way, the control unit 100 controls the temperature adjustment unit 101 according to the rotation phase detected by the position detection unit 102 and the rotation phase of the polishing table 50 corresponding to the position of the substrate W (for example, the center of the substrate W), thereby enabling temperature adjustment (heating or cooling) of a desired position within the plane of the substrate W.

[0058] The control unit 100 may, for example, control the temperature adjustment unit 101 to heat the substrate W when the difference between the rotation phase detected by the position detection unit 102 and the rotation phase β (first rotation phase) corresponding to the first position in the plane of the substrate W (for example, a position on the circumference Q below the substrate W) is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0059] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may, for example, control the temperature adjustment unit 101 to heat the substrate W when the rotation phase detected by the position detection unit 102 substantially coincides with the rotation phase β (first rotation phase).

[0060] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may, for example, control the temperature adjustment unit 101 so as not to heat the substrate W when the rotation phase detected by the position detection unit 102 substantially coincides with the rotation phase γ (second rotation phase) of the polishing table 50 corresponding to a second position different from the first position in the plane of the substrate W.

[0061] (Configuration of the film thickness measurement unit) The film thickness measurement unit 103 measures the film thickness profile of the substrate W. Specifically, for example, the film thickness measurement unit 103 is an optical profile measuring instrument provided on the polishing table 50, which irradiates light onto the substrate W on the polishing pad 40 through a window provided on the polishing pad 40, and creates a film thickness profile based on the spectrum of the reflected light.

[0062] Figure 20 shows an example of a film thickness profile measured by the film thickness measurement unit 103. The control unit 100 may control the temperature adjustment unit 101 based on the film thickness profile measured by the film thickness measurement unit 103. Specifically, for example, the temperature adjustment unit 101 may be controlled to heat the portion of the substrate W with a larger film thickness (radial position). This promotes the chemical reaction of the slurry at the heated portion of the substrate W, and increases the polishing rate at the desired portion of the substrate W (the portion where the film thickness is to be reduced).

[0063] (Other Functional Configurations) The communication unit 104 is a communication interface between the substrate polishing apparatus 1A and other devices. The communication unit 104 also sends and receives information to and from servers and terminal devices via a network.

[0064] The input unit 105 is an element for users of the substrate polishing device 1A (including users and maintenance personnel of the substrate polishing device 1A) to input information, and is, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, gesture input device, etc.

[0065] The output unit (display unit) 106 is an interface that outputs various information (images and sound) from the substrate polishing apparatus 1A to the user, and is, for example, a video display device (display unit) such as a liquid crystal display or a speaker. When the output unit 106 is configured as a display unit, a GUI for accepting operations from the user is displayed on this display unit.

[0066] The storage unit 107 is, for example, a data storage device such as an internal memory or an external memory (SD memory card, etc.). The storage unit 107 stores various data handled by the control unit 100 and various information downloaded by the communication unit 104 from a server via the network. The storage unit 107 does not necessarily have to be located inside the substrate polishing apparatus 1A; part or all of the storage unit 107 may be located in another device that is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the network in a communicative manner.

[0067] (Hardware Configuration) Next, the hardware configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment.

[0068] In the substrate polishing apparatus 1A, the CPU 201 is a processing unit that controls the operation of the entire substrate polishing apparatus 1A. The ROM 202 is a non-volatile memory that stores control programs executed by the CPU 201 and various data. The RAM 203 is a volatile memory used for the load area and work area of ​​programs executed by the CPU 201. The storage device 204 is a storage means for storing various information, and may be built into the main body of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A or may have a removable storage medium. The input device 205 is a device for the user of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A to input information, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, or microphone. The display 206 is a display device that displays various information (user interface, etc.). The temperature control module 207 is a device for adjusting the temperature of the substrate W as it moves relative to the polishing pad. The position detector 208 is a detector for detecting the horizontal relative position of the temperature control module 207 with respect to the substrate W. The film thickness measuring instrument 209 is a device for measuring the film thickness profile of the substrate W during polishing. The film thickness measuring instrument 209, for example, irradiates the substrate W with light through a window provided in the polishing pad and creates a film thickness profile of the substrate W from the spectrum of the reflected light. The communication I / F (interface) 210 is an interface for connecting with other devices and networks (not shown). The bus 211 is a bus line that connects each of the above components to each other.

[0069] (Example of operation) Next, an example of the operation of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate polishing apparatus 1A.

[0070] First, the control unit 100 controls the film thickness measuring unit 103 to measure the film thickness of the substrate W on the polishing pad (step S1).

[0071] Next, the control unit 100 polishes the substrate W using substrate temperature adjustment based on the measurement result of the substrate thickness profile of the substrate W by the film thickness measurement unit 103 (step S2).

[0072] After polishing the substrate W, the control unit 100 again measures the film thickness profile of the substrate W using the film thickness measurement unit 103 (step S3).

[0073] The control unit 100 then determines whether the film thickness profile of the substrate W has reached the target film thickness profile (step S4). If the result shows that the film thickness profile of the substrate W has reached the target film thickness profile (if the determination in step S4 is affirmed), the control is terminated. If the film thickness profile has not reached the target film thickness profile (if the determination in step S4 is denied), the process returns to step S2 and the substrate W is polished again.

[0074] Next, an example of the operation of substrate polishing using substrate temperature control (step S2 in Figure 21) will be described. Figure 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of substrate polishing using substrate temperature control.

[0075] As shown in Figure 22, the control unit 100 determines whether the horizontal relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 with respect to the center of the substrate W is at a first position (a position for temperature adjustment (heating or cooling)) in the plane of the substrate W (step S21). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S22; if the determination is negative, the determination in step 21 is repeated.

[0076] If the relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 is at a first position in the plane of the substrate W (if the determination in step S21 is affirmed), the control unit 100 controls the temperature adjustment unit 101 to heat the first position or the vicinity of the first position (step S22). Specifically, the control unit 100, for example, turns ON the heating by the temperature adjustment unit 101.

[0077] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the horizontal relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 with respect to the center of the substrate W is at a second position (a position where temperature adjustment is not performed) within the plane of the substrate W (step S23). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S24; if the determination is negative, the determination in step S23 is repeated.

[0078] If the relative position of the temperature adjustment unit 101 is at a second position in the plane of the substrate W (if the determination in step S23 is affirmed), the control unit 100 controls the temperature adjustment unit 101 so as not to adjust the temperature at or near the second position (step S24). Specifically, the control unit 100, for example, turns off the heating by the temperature adjustment unit 101.

[0079] The control unit 100 then determines whether or not it is time to measure the film thickness profile of the substrate W (step S25). For example, the timing for measuring the film thickness profile of the substrate W may be when a predetermined polishing time has elapsed or when the polishing table 50 has been rotated a predetermined number of times.

[0080] If it is determined that it is time to measure the film thickness (if the determination in step S25 is affirmed), the flow is exited. If it is determined that it is not time to measure the film thickness (if the determination in step S25 is denied), the process returns to step S21.

[0081] In the example described above, the film thickness of the substrate W is measured at the film thickness measurement timing, but the film thickness of the substrate W may be measured continuously during polishing. Alternatively, the position where the difference between the film thickness profile of the substrate W and the target profile is large (for example, a position with a large film thickness) may be identified, and the timing for adjusting the output of the temperature control unit 101 may be determined based on that.

[0082] Any part or all of the functional components described herein may be implemented by program. The programs referred to herein may be distributed by non-temporarily recording them on a computer-readable recording medium, by distributing them via communication lines such as the Internet (including wireless communication), or by distributing them installed on any terminal.

[0083] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art may be able to conceive of additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible without departing from the conceptual idea and spirit of the present invention derived from the claims and their equivalents.

[0084] For example, what is described herein as a single device (or component, hereinafter the same) (including what is depicted as a single device in the drawings) may be implemented by multiple devices. Conversely, what is described herein as multiple devices (including what is depicted as multiple devices in the drawings) may be implemented by a single device. Alternatively, some or all of the means or functions included in one device (e.g., a server) may be included in another device (e.g., a terminal device).

[0085] Furthermore, not all matters described herein are mandatory requirements. In particular, matters described herein but not included in the claims can be considered optional additional matters.

[0086] It should also be noted that the applicant is only aware of the prior art inventions described in the "Prior Art Documents" section of this specification, and the present invention is not necessarily intended to solve the problems described in those prior art inventions. The problems that the present invention aims to solve should be determined by considering this specification as a whole. For example, if this specification describes that a certain effect is achieved by a particular configuration, it can also be said that the problem that is the inverse of that predetermined effect is solved. However, this does not necessarily mean that such a particular configuration is an essential requirement.

Claims

1. A substrate polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, comprising: a polishing table having at least one temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the temperature of the substrate; a position detection unit for detecting the rotational phase of the polishing table; and a control unit for controlling the temperature adjustment unit according to the rotational phase detected by the position detection unit and the rotational phase of the polishing table corresponding to the position of the substrate.

2. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit to heat the substrate when the difference between the rotation phase and the first rotation phase corresponding to the first position in the plane of the substrate is less than or equal to a threshold.

3. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit to heat the substrate when the rotation phase substantially coincides with the first rotation phase.

4. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit so as not to heat the substrate when the rotation phase substantially coincides with the second rotation phase of the polishing table corresponding to a second position in the plane of the substrate that is different from the first position.

5. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit to heat the substrate on a circumference with the center of the substrate as the center of the circle.

6. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the temperature adjustment unit according to the rotation phase of the polishing table and the rotation phase of the substrate.

7. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a polishing pad attached to the polishing table, the polishing pad having at least one heat conductive part at a position corresponding to the temperature control unit.

8. The substrate polishing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the heat conduction portion is made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than the non-heat conduction portion of the polishing pad.

9. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate polishing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method for polishing a circuit board performed by a computer, comprising: detecting the rotational phase of a polishing table; and controlling at least one temperature control unit that adjusts the temperature of the circuit board in accordance with the detected rotational phase and the rotational phase of the polishing table corresponding to the position of the circuit board.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the method described in claim 10.

12. A polishing pad to be attached to a polishing table having at least one temperature control section for adjusting the temperature of a substrate, wherein at least one through hole or recess for which a heat conduction section is fitted is formed in the thickness direction at a position corresponding to the at least one temperature control section.

13. The polishing pad according to claim 12, wherein a heat conductive portion having a thickness less than the thickness of the polishing pad is fitted into the through hole or the recess.

14. The polishing pad according to claim 13, wherein the heat conductive portion is fitted into the through hole, and a lid portion made of substantially the same material as the polishing pad is laminated on the polishing surface side.

15. The polishing pad according to claim 13, wherein the heat conductive portion is fitted into the through hole and a resin cover portion is laminated on the polishing surface side.

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