Polishing apparatus, polishing method, and semiconductor device fabrication method

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a polishing apparatus comprising: a rotatable turntable; a polishing cloth attached on said turntable; a slurry supply pipe which supplies a slurry onto said polishing cloth; and a polishing member which presses an object to be polished against a surface of said polishing cloth, wherein said polishing cloth once stores the supplied slurry inside said polishing cloth, and discharges the slurry when pressed by said polishing member, thereby supplying the slurry to the surface of the object.

1 . A polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a rotatable turntable;    a polishing cloth attached on said turntable;    a slurry supply pipe which supplies a slurry onto said polishing cloth; and    a polishing member which presses an object to be polished against a surface of said polishing cloth,    wherein said polishing cloth once stores the supplied slurry inside said polishing cloth, and discharges the slurry when pressed by said polishing member, thereby supplying the slurry to the surface of the object.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when rotated by said turntable, said polishing cloth diffuses the supplied slurry toward a periphery inside said polishing cloth.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said polishing cloth has a stacked structure including first and second layers,    said first layer has a plurality of through holes extending from one surface to the other surface in contact with said second layer, and    said second layer is made of a porous material having open cells.    
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 when the slurry is supplied to said one surface, said first layer supplies the slurry to said second layer from said other surface through the through holes,    said second layer once stores the slurry supplied from the through holes, and discharges the slurry when pressed by said polishing member, and    the discharged slurry oozes out to said one surface from the through holes in said first layer.    
   
   
       5 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 said second layer once stores the slurry directly dropped through the through hole formed in said first layer immediately below said slurry supply pipe, and discharges the slurry when pressed by said polishing member, and    the discharged slurry oozes out to said one surface from the through holes in said first layer.    
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said first and second layers are made of a polymer-based material.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said second layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane-based material, polystyrene-based material, and silicone-based polymer material.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said polishing member comprises a member which presses the surface of the polishing cloth on an outer peripheral side of the object to be polished.  
   
   
       9 . A polishing method, comprising: 
 attaching a polishing cloth on a turntable and rotating the polishing cloth; and    supplying a slurry onto the polishing cloth, and pressing an object to be polished against a surface of the polishing cloth by using a polishing member, thereby polishing the object,    wherein the slurry is once stored inside the polishing cloth, and discharged and supplied to a surface of the object when pressed by the polishing member.    
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the slurry supplied onto the polishing cloth is diffused toward a periphery inside the polishing cloth by rotating the turntable.  
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein when the slurry is to be supplied, 
 the polishing cloth having a stacked structure including first and second layers is used, the first layer having a plurality of through holes extending from one surface to the other surface in contact with the second layer, and the second layer being made of a porous material having open cells,    when the slurry is supplied onto the polishing cloth from the first layer of the stacked structure, the second layer once stores the slurry supplied from the through holes in the first layer, and discharges the slurry when pressed by the polishing member, and    the discharged slurry oozes out to the one surface from the through holes in the first layer, and thereby the slurry is supplied to the surface of the object to be polished.    
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein when the slurry is to be supplied, 
 the slurry is directly dropped on the second layer through the through hole formed in a central region of the first layer.    
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein said first and second layers are made of a polymer-based material.  
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein said second layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane-based material, polystyrene-based material, and silicone-based polymer material.  
   
   
       15 . A semiconductor device fabrication method, comprising: 
 obtaining an object to be polished by depositing a conductive film above an insulating film formed above a semiconductor substrate, so as to fill a recess formed in the insulating film;    attaching a polishing cloth on a turntable, and rotating the polishing cloth; and    supplying a slurry onto the polishing cloth, and pressing the object to be polished against a surface of the polishing cloth by using a polishing member, thereby polishing the object and removing the conductive film except for the conductive film in the recess,    wherein when the conductive film is removed, the slurry is once stored inside the polishing cloth, and discharged and supplied to a surface of the object while pressed by the polishing member.    
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the slurry supplied onto the polishing cloth is diffused toward a periphery inside the polishing cloth by rotating the turntable.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein when the slurry is to be supplied, 
 the polishing cloth having a stacked structure including first and second layers is used, the first layer having a plurality of through holes extending from one surface to the other surface in contact with the second layer, and the second layer being made of a porous material having open cells,    when the slurry is supplied onto the polishing cloth from the first layer of the stacked structure, the second layer once stores the slurry supplied from the through holes in the first layer, and discharges the slurry when pressed by the polishing member, and    the discharged slurry oozes out to the one surface from the through holes in the first layer, and thereby the slurry is supplied to the surface of the object to be polished.    
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein said first and second layers are made of a polymer-based material.  
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein said second layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane-based material, polystyrene-based material, and silicone-based polymer material.  
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the conductive film contains at least a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, tungsten, titanium, niobium, tantalum, silver, vanadium, ruthenium, platinum, silicon, and an oxide, nitride, boride, and alloy of any of the materials.