Polishing method and polishing apparatus

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a polishing method and a polishing apparatus that can secure an even polished shape and can remove slurry that has contributed to polishing and contains polishing by-product to the outside of a pad efficiently to reduce scratches due to the polishing by-product, and can suppress consumption of slurry to the minimum to realize cost reduction during running for mass production. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a polishing method where a mechanism that suspends a member 15 a on a pad 19 surface to bring the member in contact with or cause the member to approach the pad 19 surface and supplies the slurry along the member 15 a to apply the slurry to the pad 19 surface is provided, a surface of the pad 19 applied for polishing has a plurality of grooves communicating from a central portion of a surface portion of the pad to an edge portion thereof, and a step of supplying pure water along the respective grooves during a polishing processing to remove polishing by-product from the edge portion to the outside of the pad 19 is provided.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . A polishing method where a polishing pad having both a polishing face and a plurality of grooves is supplied with slurry and polishing is performed by relative movement between the polishing pad and a wafer comprising the steps of:
 extending a slurry supply member which is formed by a brush-like member or a bristle-like member in an intersecting direction with respect to a moving direction of the polishing pad;   moving the distal end of the slurry supply member, which is brought in contact with a polishing face of the polishing pad and, which does not contact with a bottom portion of the plurality of grooves of the polishing pad;   supplying slurry held at the slurry supply member evenly by capillary action caused by interfacial action of the slurry supply member to the polishing face of the polishing pad; and   moving the polishing pad relative to the slurry supply member,   whereby slurry is applied and spread on only the polishing face of the polishing pad evenly and thinly.   
   
   
       15 . A polishing method where a polishing pad is supplied with slurry and polishing is performed by relative movement between the polishing pad and a wafer, comprising the steps of:
 attaching a polishing pad that has a polishing face and a plurality of grooves which are communicating from a central portion of a surface portion of the polishing pad to an edge portion of a surface portion of the polishing pad;   extending a slurry supply member which is formed by a brush-like member or a bristle-like member in an intersecting direction with respect to a moving direction of the polishing pad;   moving a distal end of the slurry supply member, which is brought in contact with a polishing face of the polishing pad and, which does not contact with a bottom portion of the plurality of grooves of the polishing pad;   supplying slurry held at the slurry supply member evenly by capillary action caused by interfacial action of the slurry supply member to the polishing face of the polishing pad; and   moving the polishing pad relative to the slurry supplying member,   whereby slurry is applied and spread on only the polishing face of the polishing pad evenly and thinly.   
   
   
       16 . A polishing method accordingly to  claim 15 , further including the step of:
 supplying water along the plurality of grooves to remove polishing by-products.   
   
   
       17 . A wafer polishing apparatus comprising:
 a polishing pad,   said polishing pad having a polishing face and a plurality of grooves, said plurality of grooves communicating from a central portion of a surface portion of said polishing pad to an edge portion of the surface portion of said polishing pad;   a slurry supply member,   said slurry supply member supplying slurry to the surface portion of said polishing pad, said member formed of a brush-like member or bristle-like member and which extends in an intersecting direction with respect to a moving direction of the polishing pad, the distal end of said slurry supply member is brought in contact with the polishing face of said polishing pad and does not contact with a bottom portion of the plurality of grooves of the polishing pad,   said slurry supply member supplying slurry held at the slurry supply member evenly by capillary action caused by interfacial action of the slurry supply member to the polishing face of said polishing pad,   moving means, for moving said polishing pad relative to said slurry supply member, whereby slurry is applied and spread on only the polishing face of the polishing pad evenly and thinly; and   slurry supply means, positioned at the upper portion of said slurry supply member, for supplying the slurry evenly to said slurry supply member.   
   
   
       18 . A wafer polishing apparatus as in  claim 17  further comprising:
 a pure water supply means, for washing away by-product in said plurality of grooves and slurry that has contributed to polishing.