Polishing cloth, polishing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor devices

Abstract

There is disclosed a polishing cloth having an abrasive layer containing a polymer material which is a hydrolyzable with an aqueous medium and being capable of exhibiting a stable polishing performance for a relatively long period of time without necessitating a dressing treatment.

1 - 6 . (canceled)  
     
     
         7 . A polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a turntable having a surface which is covered with a polishing cloth having an abrasive layer containing a polymer material which is a hydrolyzable with an aqueous medium;    holding means which is rotatively and vertically movably disposed over the turntable and is designed to hold a subject member to be polished, the holding means being also designed to impose a desired magnitude of load on the subject member to thereby enable the subject member to be press-contacted with the abrasive cloth of the turntable, and further designed to rotate in the same direction as that of the turntable; and    feeding means for feeding a polishing slurry containing abrasive grains to the polishing cloth.    
     
     
         8 . A polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a turntable having a surface which is covered with a polishing cloth having an abrasive layer containing a polymer material which is a soluble in an aqueous medium;    holding means which is rotatively and vertically movably disposed over the turntable and is designed to hold a subject member to be polished, the holding means being also designed to impose a desired magnitude of load on the subject member to thereby enable the subject member to be press-contacted with the abrasive cloth of the turntable, and further designed to rotate in the same direction as that of the turntable; and    feeding means for feeding a polishing slurry containing abrasive grains to the polishing cloth.    
     
     
         9 . A polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a turntable having a surface which is covered with a polishing cloth having an abrasive layer containing a polymer material which is a soluble in an aqueous medium and abrasive grains, the abrasive grains being dispersed in the polymer material;    holding means which is rotatively and vertically movably disposed over the turntable and is designed to hold a subject member to be polished, the holding means being also designed to impose a desired magnitude of load on the subject member to thereby enable the subject member to be press-contacted with the abrasive cloth of the turntable, and further designed to rotate in the same direction as that of the turntable; and    feeding means for feeding a polishing composition containing at least water and abrasive grain free to the polishing cloth.    
     
     
         10 . A polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a turntable having a surface which is covered with a polishing cloth having an abrasive layer, a surface portion of which is permitted to elute in the presence of an aqueous medium, when the abrasive layer is subjected to frictional stress;    holding means which is rotatively and vertically movably disposed over the turntable and is designed to hold a subject member to be polished, the holding means being also designed to impose a desired magnitude of load on the subject member to thereby enable the subject member to be press-contacted with the abrasive cloth of the turntable, and further designed to rotate in the same direction as that of the turntable; and    feeding means for feeding a polishing slurry containing abrasive grains to the polishing cloth.    
     
     
         11 . A polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a turntable having a surface which is covered with a polishing cloth having an abrasive layer having dispersed therein abrasive grains, wherein a surface portion of the abrasive layer is permitted to elute in the presence of an aqueous medium, when the abrasive layer is subjected to frictional stress, concomitantly permitting the abrasive grains to be supplied to the surface of the abrasive layer;    holding means which is rotatively and vertically movably disposed over the turntable and is designed to hold a subject member to be polished, the holding means being also designed to impose a desired magnitude of load on the subject member to thereby enable the subject member to be press-contacted with the abrasive cloth of the turntable, and further designed to rotate in the same direction as that of the turntable; and    feeding means for feeding a polishing composition containing at least water and abrasive grain free to the polishing cloth.    
     
     
         12 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the structure in the polymer material, which is a hydrolyzable with an aqueous medium is represented by the following formula (I) or (II):  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 1 , R 2  and R 3  may be the same or different and are individually hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or aryl group:  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein R 4 , R 5  and R 6  may be the same or different and are individually hydrogen atom or an organic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; R 7  is an organic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and R 6  and R 7  may be connected together to form a heterocycle having Y 1 , as a heteroatom, Y 1  being oxygen atom or sulfur atom.  
       
     
     
         13 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the polymer material is ∀,∃-unsaturated homopolymer or copolymer each having a repeating unit of monomer represented by the following formula (III), (IV), (V) or (VI):  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 1 , R 2  and R 3  may be the same or different and are individually hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or aryl group:  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein R 1 , R 2  and R 3  may be the same or different and are individually hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or aryl group:  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein R 4 , R 5  and R 6  may be the same or different and are individually hydrogen atom or an organic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; R 7  is an organic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and R 6  and R 7  may be connected together to form a heterocycle having Y 1  as a heteroatom, Y 1  being oxygen atom or sulfur atom.  
         
           
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
         
         wherein R 4 , R 5  and R 6  may be the same or different and are individually hydrogen atom or an organic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; R 7  is an organic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and R 6  and R 7  may be connected together to form a heterocycle having Y 1  as a heteroatom, Y 1  being oxygen atom or sulfur atom.  
       
     
     
         14 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein abrasive grain in the polishing slurry is at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, manganese oxide, silica, alumina and zirconia.  
     
     
         15 . The polishing cloth according to  claim 8 , wherein the polymer material is a soluble in an aqueous medium at a rate of 0.01 to 10.0 mg/min. when a relative velocity between the abrasive layer and the subject member to be polished is set to 1.0 m/sec. under a condition where the subject member contacts the abrasive layer by applying a load of 300 gf/cm 2  to the subject member.  
     
     
         16 . The polishing cloth according to  claim 8 , wherein the polymer material is a homopolymer or a copolymer to be derived from a polymerization of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, hydroxyalkyl acrylate, hydroxyalkyl methacrylate, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, methylvinyl ether, N-vinylformamide and N,Ndimethylacryl amide.  
     
     
         17 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein abrasive grain in the polishing slurry is at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, manganese oxide, silica, alumina and zirconia.  
     
     
         18 . The polishing cloth according to  claim 9 , wherein the polymer material is a soluble in an aqueous medium at a rate of 0.01 to 10.0 mg/min. when a relative velocity between the abrasive layer and the subject member to be polished is set to 1.0 m/sec. under a condition where the subject member contacts the abrasive layer by applying a load of 300 gf/cm 2  to the subject member.  
     
     
         19 . The polishing cloth according to  claim 9 , wherein the polymer material is a homopolymer or a copolymer to be derived from a polymerization of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, hydroxyalkyl acrylate, hydroxyalkyl methacrylate, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, methylvinyl ether, N-vinylformamide and N,N-dimethylacryl amide.  
     
     
         20 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein abrasive grain in the abrasive layer is at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, manganese oxide, silica, alumina and zirconia.  
     
     
         21 . The polishing cloth according to  claim 10 , wherein the frictional stress is the force applied to the abrasive layer when a relative velocity between the abrasive layer and a subject member to be polished is set to 0.2 to 3.0 m/sec. under a condition where the subject member is permitted to contact the abrasive layer by applying a load of 150 to 500 gf/cm 2  to the subject member.  
     
     
         22 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein abrasive grain in the polishing slurry is at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, manganese oxide, silica, alumina and zirconia.  
     
     
         23 . The polishing cloth according to  claim 11 , wherein the frictional stress is the force applied to the abrasive layer when a relative velocity between the abrasive layer and a subject member to be polished is set to 0.2 to 3.0 m/sec. under a condition where the subject member is permitted to contact the abrasive layer by applying a load of 150 to 500 gf/cm 2  to the subject member.  
     
     
         24 . The polishing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein abrasive grain in the abrasive layer is at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide, manganese oxide, silica, alumina and zirconia.