KR102735264B1 - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing device. The substrate processing device includes a carrier head, a holder on which a substrate is held and which loads the substrate onto the carrier head, a position detection unit which detects the position of the substrate held on the holder, and a substrate alignment unit which moves the substrate to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the holder based on a signal detected by the position detection unit.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a substrate processing device, and more specifically, to a substrate processing device capable of preventing damage to a substrate during loading of the substrate and improving stability and reliability.

A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system is a device used to precisely polish the surface of a wafer to remove the height difference between the cell area and the surrounding circuit area caused by the unevenness of the wafer surface that occurs during repeated masking, etching, and wiring processes during the semiconductor device manufacturing process, and to improve the wafer surface roughness due to separation of contact/wiring films for circuit formation and high-density device integration.

The CMP system loads a wafer onto a carrier head (90), and as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1188579, etc., the carrier head moves while simultaneously performing mechanical polishing by mechanical friction on the polishing surface of the wafer on a set polishing plate and chemical polishing by slurry.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the carrier head (90) is configured such that a membrane (92) for pressurizing the wafer (W) downward with the bottom plate (92a) during the chemical mechanical polishing process is fixed to the main body (91), and a pressure chamber (92C) is formed between the membrane (92) and the main body (91) so that the wafer (W) can be pressurized downward by air pressure applied from the pressure control unit (95) through the air pressure supply pipe (95a). In addition, a retainer ring (93) for preventing the wafer (W) from being detached is installed around the membrane (92), so that the retainer ring (93) can be pressurized downward by the air pressure of the retaining chamber (93C) during the chemical mechanical polishing process.

The loading device (1) for loading a wafer (W) onto a carrier head (90) is composed of a holder (10) for holding the wafer (W) and a driving unit (MH) for moving the holder (10) in the up-and-down direction (10d), as shown in FIG. 1.

When the wafer (W) is placed in the central area (A1) of the holder (10) and the holder (10) is moved upward by a predetermined height, the wafer (W) is placed close to the membrane bottom plate (92a) of the carrier head (90), and as shown in FIG. 2, by applying positive pressure (P) to the pressure chamber (92C) to bring the membrane bottom plate (92a) into close contact with the wafer (W), and then applying negative pressure to the pressure chamber (92C), the wafer (W) is loaded onto the carrier head (90).

Meanwhile, during the process of loading the wafer (W) mounted on the holder (10) onto the carrier head (90), if the posture of the wafer (W) with respect to the carrier head (90) is even slightly off, the carrier head (90) moves downward and the bottom surface (93a) of the retainer ring (93) collides with the edge of the wafer (W), causing the position of the wafer (W) to be off, making it impossible to properly load the wafer (W) onto the carrier head (90), and causing a serious problem of damage to the wafer (W) may occur.

Accordingly, various studies have been conducted recently to load the wafer from the loading device to the carrier head without error while excluding the possibility of damage to the wafer, but these are still insufficient and further development is required.

The present invention aims to provide a substrate processing device capable of accurately loading a substrate for use in a chemical mechanical polishing process onto a carrier head without error.

In particular, the present invention aims to prevent damage and breakage of a substrate due to contact between a retainer ring and the substrate during a process of loading the substrate onto a carrier head, and to increase the loading stability of the substrate.

In addition, the present invention aims to accurately detect the posture of a substrate, quickly and stably perform positional alignment of the substrate, and load the substrate without error.

In addition, the present invention aims to improve stability and reliability and to accurately control the next process after loading the substrate.

In order to achieve the above-described objects of the present invention, a substrate processing device is provided which includes a carrier head, a holder on which a substrate is held and which loads the substrate onto the carrier head, a position detection unit which detects the position of the substrate held on the holder, and a substrate alignment unit which moves the substrate to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the holder based on a signal detected by the position detection unit.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of accurately detecting the posture of the substrate and stably loading the substrate without damage or breakage of the substrate.

In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of preventing damage and breakage of the substrate due to contact between the retainer ring and the substrate during the process of loading the substrate onto the carrier head, and increasing the loading stability of the substrate.

In addition, according to the present invention, positional alignment of a substrate can be performed quickly and stably, and the advantageous effect of accurately loading the substrate without error can be obtained.

In addition, according to the present invention, by accurately aligning the holder to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the carrier head prior to the process of loading the substrate onto the carrier head, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of accurately loading the substrate for the chemical mechanical polishing process onto the carrier head without error.

In addition, according to the present invention, by independently aligning the substrate holder with respect to the carrier head at positions spaced apart from each other, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing distortion of the substrate holder and increasing the accuracy of position alignment.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing the increase in the height of the stand and miniaturizing the equipment.

In addition, according to the present invention, after the external force (external force by the carrier head) acting on the substrate holder is released, the substrate holder automatically returns to the initial position (the initial position where the substrate holder was placed before the carrier head and the substrate holder came into contact), thereby advantageously enabling a continuous loading process.

In addition, according to the present invention, by minimizing the pressing force applied to the substrate during the process of loading the substrate onto the carrier head, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of preventing excessive pressing force from being applied to the substrate, thereby minimizing warping, deformation, or breakage of the substrate.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effects of improving stability and reliability and accurately controlling the next process after loading the substrate.

Figure 1 is a drawing showing the configuration of a conventional wafer loading device.
Figure 2 is a drawing showing a state in which the carrier head of Figure 1 is in contact with the wafer.
Figure 3 is a drawing for explaining a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
Figures 4 to 6 are drawings for explaining a stand as a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the “A” portion of Figure 6.
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are drawings for explaining the substrate posture detection process by the posture detection unit of a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining a substrate alignment unit as a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
Figures 11 and 12 are drawings for explaining the operating structure of the substrate alignment unit of a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
Figure 13 is a drawing for explaining a substrate holding unit alignment unit of a substrate processing device according to the present invention.
Figure 14 is an enlarged view of the “B” portion of Figure 13.
Figure 15 is a drawing for explaining a pressure relief unit of a substrate processing device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited or restricted by the embodiments. For reference, in this description, the same numbers refer to substantially the same elements, and the contents described in other drawings may be cited and described under this rule, and contents that are judged obvious to those skilled in the art or that are repeated may be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining a substrate processing device according to the present invention, FIGS. 4 to 6 are drawings for explaining a holder in a substrate processing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of portion "A" of FIG. 6. In addition, FIGS. 8 and 9 are drawings for explaining a substrate position detection process by a position detection unit in a substrate processing device according to the present invention, FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining a substrate alignment unit in a substrate processing device according to the present invention, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are drawings for explaining the operating structure of the substrate alignment unit in a substrate processing device according to the present invention. In addition, FIG. 13 is a drawing for explaining a substrate holder alignment unit in a substrate processing device according to the present invention, FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of portion "B" of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a drawing for explaining a pressure relief unit in a substrate processing device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 15, a substrate processing device (10) according to the present invention includes a carrier head (100), a holder (200) on which a substrate (W) is held and which loads the substrate (W) onto the carrier head (100), a position detection unit (600) which detects the position of the substrate (W) held on the holder (200), and a substrate alignment unit (700) which moves the substrate (W) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the holder (200) based on a signal detected by the position detection unit (600).

This is to accurately load the substrate for the chemical mechanical polishing process onto the carrier head without error.

That is, when loading a substrate placed on a substrate holder onto a carrier head, if the posture of the substrate with respect to the carrier head is even slightly off, the carrier head moves downward and the bottom surface of the retainer ring collides with the edge of the substrate, causing the position of the substrate to be off, making it impossible to properly load the substrate onto the carrier head, and a serious problem of damage to the substrate may occur.

However, the present invention can obtain the advantageous effect of accurately loading the substrate (W) for use in a chemical mechanical polishing process onto the carrier head (100) without error by accurately aligning the substrate (W) mounted on the holder (200) to a predetermined alignment position prior to the process of loading the substrate (W) onto the carrier head (100).

Through this, the present invention can obtain an advantageous effect of preventing the substrate (W) from being loaded in an incorrect position due to misalignment of the substrate (W) and the carrier head (100) during the loading process of the substrate (W), or from damaging or breaking the edge of the substrate (W) due to contact with the retainer ring (193).

The carrier head (100) is provided to perform a chemical mechanical polishing process by pressurizing the substrate (W) while slurry is supplied to the upper surface of a polishing pad (not shown) provided on a polishing plate (not shown) after loading the substrate (W) from the holder (200), and after the chemical mechanical polishing process using the polishing pad and slurry is completed, the substrate (W) is transferred to a cleaning device.

For reference, the substrate (W) in the present invention can be understood as a polishing target that can be polished on a polishing pad, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the type and characteristics of the substrate (W). For example, a wafer can be used as the substrate (W).

The carrier head (100) may be provided in various structures depending on the required conditions and design specifications. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the carrier head (100) includes a main body (191) that is provided to be rotatable, a membrane (192) provided on the lower surface of the main body (191), and a retainer ring (193) that is coupled to an edge of the main body (191) so as to be arranged around the membrane (192) and prevents the substrate (W) from being detached.

The membrane (192) may be provided in various structures depending on the required conditions and design specifications. For example, a plurality of flips (for example, a ring-shaped flip) may be formed on the membrane (192), and a plurality of pressure chambers (192c) partitioned along the radial direction of the main body (192) may be provided between the main body (191) and the membrane (192) by the plurality of flips.

Each pressure chamber (192c) may be provided with a pressure sensor (not shown) for measuring pressure. The pressure of each pressure chamber (192c) may be individually controlled by a pressure control unit (195), and the pressure at which the substrate (W) is pressurized may be individually controlled by controlling the pressure of each pressure chamber (192c).

The stand (200) is provided so as to be able to rise and fall in the up-and-down direction, and a substrate (W) to be loaded (or unloaded) is placed on the upper surface of the stand (200).

For reference, when loading the substrate (W), as the holder (200) moves upward from the bottom of the carrier head (100), the retainer ring (193) of the carrier head (100) may first come into contact with the upper surface of the holder (200), and when the gap between the upper surface of the holder (200) (the upper surface of the substrate) and the membrane (192) of the carrier head becomes closer than a certain distance, the substrate (W) is loaded onto the carrier head (100). According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to configure the carrier head to move downward from the upper portion of the holder on which the substrate is placed when loading the substrate.

For example, the stand (200) includes a substrate holding portion (310) on which a substrate (W) is held, and a retainer ring holding member (220) on which a retainer ring (193) is held.

The substrate holding portion (310) may be provided in various structures capable of holding the bottom surface of the substrate (W), and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the structure of the substrate holding portion (310).

For example, the substrate holding portion (310) is formed in a hollow ring shape and can partially hold the bottom edge of the substrate (W). According to another embodiment of the present invention, the substrate holding portion may be formed in a circular shape or other shape, and the substrate holding portion may completely hold the bottom surface of the substrate.

In addition, the substrate support member (310) is configured to be selectively raised and lowered by the lifting member (400).

The elevating member (400) can be formed into various structures that can selectively elevate the substrate holding member (310). For example, the elevating member (400) includes an elevating shaft (410) that supports the lower part of the base member (210) to which one side of the guide member (312) is coupled, and the elevating shaft (410) is configured to selectively elevate by a driving source such as a motor.

More specifically, the base member (210) includes a central portion (210a) corresponding to the center of the substrate (W) and an extension portion (210b) extending to the edge of the central portion (210a) along the radial direction of the substrate.

Hereinafter, an example will be described in which three extensions (210b) are formed at equal intervals around the circumference of the base member (210) along the circumference of the substrate (W). In some cases, the base member may include two or fewer or four or more extensions.

The retainer ring mounting member (220) is provided to allow the retainer ring (193) to be mounted thereon.

For example, the retainer ring mounting member (220) is coupled to the substrate mounting member (310). In some cases, the retainer ring mounting member may be coupled to the mounting plate or other parts.

The retainer ring mounting member (220) can be formed into various structures in which the retainer ring (193) can be mounted, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the shape and structure of the retainer ring mounting member (220).

For example, the retainer ring mounting member (220) may partially support the bottom surface of the retainer ring (193) along the circumferential direction of the retainer ring (193). In some cases, the retainer ring mounting member may be formed in a ring shape along the circumferential direction of the retainer ring to continuously support the bottom surface of the retainer ring. Preferably, the retainer ring is mounted on the retainer ring mounting member (220) at a position higher than the substrate mounting member (310).

Preferably, the retainer ring mounting member (220) is coupled to the substrate mounting member (310) so as to be able to move up and down, and the up and down movement of the retainer ring mounting member (220) with respect to the substrate mounting member (310) is elastically supported by a second elastic member (see 222 of FIG. 4).

A typical spring member can be used as the second elastic member (222). In some cases, other elastic bodies can be used instead of the spring member, or the second elastic member can be formed using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure.

In this way, by elastically supporting the up-and-down movement of the retainer ring mounting member (220) with respect to the substrate mounting portion (310), when the retainer ring (193) comes into contact with the retainer ring mounting member (220), the retainer ring mounting member (220) can elastically move downward, so that the impact force caused by the retainer ring (193) coming into contact with the retainer ring mounting member (220) can be reduced, and loading of the substrate (W) can be performed in a state where the membrane (192) and the substrate (W) are arranged more closely.

More preferably, a through hole (221) is formed in the upper and lower direction in the retainer ring mounting member (220), and a mounting pin (311) is formed to extend so as to pass through the through hole (221) in the substrate mounting portion (310) and to be fixed on the lower surface of the substrate. For example, a plurality of through holes (221) may be formed in the retainer ring mounting member (220) spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of mounting pins (311) may be formed in the substrate mounting portion (310) corresponding to each of the through holes (221). Each of the mounting pins (311) passes through the through hole (221) and is disposed in a protruding form on the upper portion of the retainer ring mounting member (220).

In this way, the present invention aligns the retainer ring mounting member (220) with respect to the carrier head (100) by allowing the mounting pin (311) of the substrate mounting member (310) to pass through the through hole (221) formed in the retainer ring mounting member, thereby simultaneously aligning the substrate mounting member (310) with respect to the carrier head (100), thereby obtaining the advantageous effect of preventing collision between the carrier head (100) (retainer ring) and the substrate during the loading process of the substrate (W).

Furthermore, since the present invention can maintain the alignment state of the substrate (W) with respect to the carrier head (100) and minimize shaking of the substrate (W) until immediately before mounting the substrate (W) on the membrane (192), it can obtain the advantageous effect of increasing the loading stability of the substrate (W).

In addition, since the retainer ring mounting member (220) that comes into first contact with the carrier head (100) can be aligned with the substrate mounting portion (310) at the same time as the substrate mounting portion (310) is aligned with respect to the carrier head (100), the advantageous effect of simplifying the alignment process of the substrate mounting portion (310) with respect to the carrier head (100) and shortening the time required for alignment can be obtained.

The posture detection unit (600) is provided to detect the posture of a substrate (W) placed on a stand (200).

Here, the posture detection unit (600) detecting the posture of the substrate (W) is defined as detecting displacement (e.g., displacement in the X-axis direction, displacement in the Y-axis direction, displacement in the Z-axis direction) of the position, angle, etc. of the substrate (W) mounted on the stand (200). More specifically, the posture detection unit (600) detects the tilting state of the substrate (W) mounted on the stand (200) (a state in which the substrate is tilted with respect to the upper surface of the stand).

The attitude detection unit (600) can be configured to detect the attitude of the substrate (W) in various ways according to required conditions and design specifications, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the detection method by the attitude detection unit (600).

For example, the posture detection unit (600) is formed on the stand (200) and includes a gas injection hole (610) that injects a detection gas onto the lower surface of the substrate (W), a pressure measurement sensor (620) that measures the pressure of the detection gas in the gas injection hole (610), and a tilting detection unit (630) that detects tilting of the substrate (W) based on a signal detected by the pressure measurement sensor (620).

Preferably, the gas injection hole (610) is formed in the mounting pin on which the bottom surface of the substrate (W) is secured. In this way, by forming the gas injection hole (610) in the mounting pin, contact between the substrate holding part (310) and the substrate (W) can be minimized, and the advantageous effect of minimizing damage to the substrate (W) can be obtained.

At this time, the gas injection holes (610) may be formed in all of the plurality of mounting pins spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the substrate holding portion (310), or may be formed in only some of the plurality of mounting pins, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the number and arrangement interval of the gas injection holes (610). Hereinafter, an example in which gas injection holes (610) are alternately formed in three of the six mounting pins formed in the substrate holding portion (310) will be described.

For reference, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example is described in which the gas injection hole (610) is formed in the mounting pin, but according to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to form the gas injection hole in another part of the substrate mounting part.

More preferably, the plurality of gas injection holes (610) are formed to communicate with a communication chamber (612) formed inside the substrate holder (310), and the detection gas is supplied to the plurality of gas injection holes (610) through the communication chamber (612).

For example, the communication chamber (612) is formed along the inside of the substrate holder (310) to have a ring shape, and the detection gas supplied to the communication chamber (612) is first filled in the communication chamber (612) and then sprayed through a plurality of gas injection holes (610).

In this way, by allowing the detection gas to pass through the communication chamber (612) and then be injected through a plurality of gas injection holes (610), it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of uniformly maintaining the pressure and supply amount of the detection gas injected from the plurality of gas injection holes (610).

The pressure measurement sensor (620) is provided to measure the pressure of the detection gas in the gas injection hole (610).

For example, a pressure measurement sensor (620) may be mounted inside a communication chamber (612) connected to a gas injection hole (610) to measure the pressure of the detection gas in the communication chamber (612). In some cases, it is also possible to mount the pressure measurement sensor inside the gas injection hole.

The pressure of the detection gas changes depending on whether the substrate (W) tilts. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the substrate (W) is normally seated on the mounting pin of the substrate holder (310), the pressure of the communication chamber (612) is maintained at a uniform pressure (VP1). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, when the substrate (W) is seated in a tilted manner, at least one of the plurality of gas injection holes (610) is opened, and the detection gas leaks through the open gas injection holes (610), so the pressure (VP2) of the communication chamber (612) decreases (VP2<VP1).

The tilt detection unit (630) detects the tilting of the substrate (W) based on the signal detected by the pressure measurement sensor (620).

That is, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the substrate (W) is tilted and settled, the pressure of the communication chamber (612) changes, so whether the substrate (W) is tilted can be detected through the pressure change of the communication chamber (612).

Preferably, the substrate (W) processing device includes a database (640) in which a reference pressure range of a detection gas is stored, and the tilt detection unit (630) detects tilting of the substrate (W) based on a deviation between the measured pressure range measured by the pressure measurement sensor (620) and the reference pressure range.

For example, the reference pressure range of the detection gas is stored in advance in a lookup table according to process conditions, and by comparing the measured pressure range measured by the pressure measurement sensor (620) with the information (reference pressure range) stored in advance in the lookup table, it is possible to detect whether the substrate (W) is tilted.

In this way, by comparing the measured pressure range of the detection gas with the reference pressure range stored in advance in the lookup table to detect the change in attitude of the substrate (W), the advantageous effect of detecting the change in attitude of the substrate (W) more quickly and accurately can be obtained.

Meanwhile, in the tactical and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, an example is described in which the detection gas passes through a communication chamber (612) and is then injected through a plurality of gas injection holes (610). However, according to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to exclude the communication chamber and configure the detection gas to be individually injected through a plurality of gas injection holes.

In addition, the pressure measurement sensor (620) is mounted on each of the plurality of gas injection holes (610), so that it is possible to individually measure the pressure of the detection gas in each gas injection hole (610). In this way, by individually mounting the pressure measurement sensor (620) on each of the plurality of gas injection holes (610) and measuring the pressure of the detection gas in each gas injection hole (610), it is possible to detect the change in the attitude of the substrate (W) and also detect the position (tilting portion) where the change in attitude of the substrate (W) occurs. For example, when a change in the pressure of the detection gas is measured in the gas injection hole (610) arranged in the 12 o'clock direction of the substrate (W), it can be detected that tilting has occurred so that the 12 o'clock direction portion of the substrate (W) is lifted.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, an example is described in which the posture detection unit (600) measures the pressure of the detection gas to measure the posture change of the substrate (W), but according to another embodiment of the present invention, the posture detection unit can also detect the posture change of the substrate using a non-contact sensor or a contact sensor using an optical signal.

The substrate alignment unit (700) is provided to move the substrate (W) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the stand (200) based on a signal detected by the attitude detection unit (600).

Here, the substrate alignment unit (700) moving the substrate (W) to the alignment position with respect to the stand (200) is defined as adjusting at least one of the position and arrangement angle of the substrate (W) with respect to the stand (200) so that the upper surface of the stand (200) and the substrate (W) are parallel and the center position of the stand (200) and the center position of the substrate (W) are aligned.

In addition, moving the substrate (W) to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the stand (200) based on a signal detected by the posture detection unit (600) means, for example, if the substrate (W) is detected as being tilted, the substrate alignment unit moves the substrate (W) to the alignment position, and if the substrate (W) is detected as being normally seated, the alignment process of the substrate (W) by the substrate alignment unit (700) is not performed.

For example, alignment (movement to an alignment position) of a substrate (W) with respect to a stand (200) can be performed by moving the substrate (W) with respect to the stand (200) by an eccentric distance (misaligned distance) of the substrate (W) with respect to the stand (200).

In particular, the substrate alignment unit (700) can obtain the advantageous effect of preventing contact between the retainer ring and the substrate (W) in advance during the loading process and minimizing damage and breakage of the substrate (W) by aligning the substrate (W) to an alignment position on the holder (200) before the substrate (W) is loaded onto the carrier head.

The substrate alignment unit (700) can be formed in various structures that can move the substrate (W) to an alignment position, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the structure and operation method of the substrate alignment unit (700).

For example, the substrate alignment unit (700) includes an alignment member (710) that is arranged to be spaced apart from the substrate (W) and is movable to a second operating position (P2) that comes into contact with the substrate (W) and aligns the substrate (W) to the alignment position with respect to the stand (200), and a contact member (720) that moves the alignment member (710) from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2) based on a signal detected by the attitude detection unit (600).

More specifically, the alignment member (710) includes a horizontal portion (not shown) formed along the horizontal direction, a vertical portion formed extending along the vertical direction at the upper end of the guide portion and contacting the side end of the substrate (W). For example, the horizontal portion and the vertical portion are formed to cooperatively form an L-shape, and the vertical portion is arranged on the side of the substrate (W).

The alignment member (710) can be configured to move from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2) in various ways depending on the required conditions and design specifications. For example, the alignment member (710) is rotatably coupled to a guide bar (not shown) fixedly installed around the periphery of the stand (200), and rotates (clockwise or counterclockwise) around the rotational coupling portion (rotational coupling portion of the alignment member (710) and the guide bar) and rotates from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2).

The contact member (720) is provided to move the alignment member (710) from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2) based on the signal detected by the attitude detection unit (600).

For example, the contact member (720) is mounted on the stand (200) and moves together as the stand (200) moves up and down, and can move the alignment member (710) from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2). More specifically, the contact member (720) is configured to press the alignment member (710) when the stand (200) moves downward, and as the contact member (720) presses the alignment member (710), the alignment member (710) rotates from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2). According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to configure the alignment member to slide from the first operating position to the second operating position.

In this way, by moving the alignment member (710) from the first operating position (P1) to the second operating position (P2) by the up-and-down movement of the stand (200) and the contact member (720) is linked without using a separate driving source or operating device, the structure and operating structure of the alignment member (710) can be simplified, and the advantageous effect of shortening the time required for aligning the substrate (W) can be obtained.

Preferably, the contact member (720) is configured to selectively adjust the protrusion length protruding from the stand (200). Here, adjusting the protrusion length of the contact member (720) protruding from the stand (200) is defined as increasing or decreasing the length of the contact member (720) protruding from the lower portion of the stand (200).

In this way, by being able to adjust the protruding length of the contact member (720), there is an advantage in that the point in time when the contact member (720) comes into contact with the alignment member (710) when the stand (200) is lowered, and the rotational movement section (movement distance) of the alignment member (710) by the contact member (720) can be adjusted.

As the contact member (720), various members having an optionally adjustable protrusion length may be used, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the structure of the contact member (720). Preferably, an adjustment bolt fastened to the stand (200) may be used as the contact member (720). When an adjustment bolt is used as the contact member (720), there is an advantage in that the protrusion length of the contact member (720) (adjustment bolt) can be quickly and accurately adjusted by rotating the adjustment bolt clockwise or counterclockwise.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the contact member operates separately from the vertical movement of the stand and can move the alignment member from the first operating position to the second operating position, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the operating structure of the contact member.

Preferably, a plurality of alignment members (710) are provided spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the substrate (W).

For example, the alignment members (710) can operate simultaneously based on the signal detected by the attitude detection unit (600) and move the substrate (W) to the alignment position. For reference, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example is described in which three alignment members (710) are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the substrate (W), but in some cases, it is also possible to align the substrate using two or four or more alignment members.

As another example, the plurality of alignment members (710) may be individually operated based on a signal detected by the attitude detection unit (600). More specifically, the attitude detection unit (600) may detect a tilting portion (lifting portion) of the substrate (W), and may individually operate at least one alignment member (710) located at the tilting portion among the plurality of alignment members (710) to move the substrate (W) to the alignment position. For example, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, when it is detected that tilting has occurred in the 12 o'clock direction portion of the substrate (W) so as to be lifted, the alignment member (710) located at the 12 o'clock direction portion of the substrate (W) may be operated (ON) to move the substrate (W) to the alignment position.

In addition, when the pressure of the alignment member (710) by the contact member (720) is released, the alignment member (710) can automatically return to the initial position (first position) by a normal spring member (not shown).

In this way, the present invention can obtain the advantageous effect of accurately loading a substrate (W) for use in a chemical mechanical polishing process onto a carrier head (100) without error by detecting a change in the posture of the substrate (W) and accurately aligning the substrate (W) to a predetermined alignment position according to the posture of the substrate (W).

Through this, the present invention can obtain an advantageous effect of preventing the substrate (W) from being loaded in an incorrect position due to misalignment of the substrate (W) and the carrier head (100) during the loading process of the substrate (W), or from damaging or breaking the edge of the substrate (W) due to contact with the retainer ring (193).

Additionally, the substrate processing device (10) includes an alignment unit (500) that moves the substrate holding portion (310) to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the carrier head (100).

Here, the alignment unit (500) moving the substrate holder (310) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the carrier head (100) is defined as moving the substrate holder (310) relative to the carrier head (100) so that when the carrier head (100) comes into contact with the upper portion of the substrate holder (310), the lower surface of the retainer ring (193) moves to a position where it does not collide with the edge of the substrate (W) (a position where the holder and the carrier head are coaxially arranged).

This is to load the substrate (W) placed on the substrate holder (310) onto the carrier head (100) without damage or breakage.

That is, when loading a substrate placed on a substrate holder onto a carrier head, if the position (center alignment position) of the substrate holder relative to the carrier head is even slightly off, the retainer ring of the carrier head collides with the substrate, causing the position of the substrate to be off, making it impossible to properly load the substrate onto the carrier head, and causing damage and breakage of the substrate.

However, the present invention prevents collision between the carrier head (100) (retainer ring) and the substrate (W) during the loading process of the substrate (W) by accurately aligning the substrate holding portion (310) to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the carrier head (100) prior to the process of loading the substrate (W) onto the carrier head (100), thereby obtaining the advantageous effect of accurately loading the substrate (W) onto the carrier head (100) without error.

More specifically, the alignment unit (500) includes a plurality of alignment units (501 to 503) that independently move the substrate holder (310) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the carrier head (100) at positions spaced apart from each other.

The alignment members (501 to 503) can be arranged in various structures depending on required conditions and design specifications. Preferably, a plurality of alignment members (501 to 503) are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the substrate.

For example, the alignment unit (500) includes a first alignment unit (501) that moves the substrate holding unit (310) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the carrier head (100) at a first position, a second alignment unit (502) that moves the substrate holding unit (310) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the carrier head (100) at a second position, and a third alignment unit (503) that moves the substrate holding unit (310) to a predetermined alignment position relative to the carrier head (100) at a third position. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the alignment unit may include two or fewer alignment units, or may include four or more alignment units.

Each alignment unit (501 to 503) (e.g., the first alignment unit to the third alignment unit) may be formed in various structures capable of moving the substrate holding unit (310) to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the carrier head.

For example, the alignment members (501 to 503) include a guide member (312) that is coupled to the stand (200) on one side and horizontally movably coupled to the substrate holder (310) on the other side, and a spring member (510) that elastically supports the relative movement of the substrate holder (310) with respect to the guide member (312).

More specifically, one side (e.g., the lower side) of the guide member (312) is coupled to the extension (210b) of the base member (210), and the other side (e.g., the upper side) of the guide member (312) is coupled to the substrate holding member (310) so as to be horizontally movable. To this end, a receiving part (310a) in which the guide member (312) is horizontally movably received is formed at the lower side of the substrate holding member (312).

The spring member (510) can be formed into various structures capable of elastically supporting the relative movement of the substrate holding member (310) with respect to the guide member (312), and the type and structure of the spring member (510) can be variously changed according to required conditions and design specifications.

For example, a conical coil spring may be used as the spring member (510), and the conical coil spring is interposed between the guide member (312) and the receiving portion (310a) to elastically support horizontal movement of the substrate holding portion (310) relative to the guide member (312).

Preferably, a bush (see 512 of FIG. 14) may be provided on the inner wall surface of the receiving portion (310a) with which the spring member (510) comes into contact to reduce friction and wear due to contact of the spring member.

In this way, by allowing the positional alignment (automatic alignment) of the substrate holding portion (310) with respect to the carrier head (100) to be performed by a plurality of alignment portions (501 to 503) spaced apart from each other, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing the substrate holding portion (310) from being tilted or twisted to one side and increasing the positional alignment accuracy.

That is, it is possible to provide only one alignment part in the center of the substrate holder (for example, the connection part between the lifting shaft and the substrate holder) and to automatically align the substrate holder with respect to the carrier head. However, if the alignment part is deformed or malfunctions due to repeated processes, there is a problem that the substrate holder is difficult to align in the correct position due to the substrate holder being tilted to one side or twisted.

However, the present invention can minimize deformation and malfunction of the alignment parts (501 to 503) by aligning the substrate holding part (310) by a plurality of alignment parts (501 to 503) that are individually provided to be automatically aligned, and can obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing the substrate holding part (310) from being tilted to one side or twisted, and increasing the accuracy of the alignment.

Furthermore, even if the misalignment state (the degree of misalignment from the alignment position) is different depending on the position of the substrate holding unit (310), the degree of alignment can be adjusted differently depending on the misalignment state depending on the position of the substrate holding unit (310), so that the advantageous effect of increasing the positional alignment accuracy of the substrate holding unit (310) and minimizing the substrate holding unit (310) from being tilted or twisted to one side can be obtained.

In addition, the present invention can obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing the increase in the height of the stand (200) and miniaturizing the equipment by non-coaxially mounting the alignment members (501 to 503) with the elevating shaft (410). That is, it is also possible to coaxially install the elevating shaft and the alignment member, but since the alignment member is installed at the top of the elevating shaft, there is a problem that the height of the substrate holding member inevitably increases and it is difficult to miniaturize the equipment. However, the present invention can obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing the increase in the height of the substrate holding member (310) and miniaturizing the equipment by non-coaxially mounting the elevating shaft (410) and the alignment members (501 to 503).

In the tactical and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, an example is described in which the substrate holder is moved to the alignment position by the elastic force of the spring member, but according to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to move the substrate holder to the alignment position by using electromagnetic force.

More specifically, the alignment members (501 to 503) may include a guide member having one end coupled to the holder and the other end coupled to the substrate holder so as to be horizontally movable, a first magnet member coupled to the substrate holder, and a second magnet member coupled to the guide member, and the substrate holder may be moved to a predetermined alignment position by a mutual electromagnetic force (e.g., repulsive force) between the first magnet member and the second magnet member. Alternatively, the substrate holder may be moved to the alignment position using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure.

In addition, the substrate processing device (10) may include a pressure relief unit (300) that relieves the pressure applied to the substrate (W) by contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W).

A pressure relief unit (300) is provided on the holder (200) to relieve the pressure (e.g., P in FIG. 15) applied to the substrate (W) by contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W).

Here, the pressing force (P) applied to the substrate (W) by the contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W) is defined as the pressing force by which the substrate (W) is pressed between the carrier head (100) and the holder (200).

In this way, by alleviating the pressure applied to the substrate (W) by the contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W) by the pressure relief part (300), it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of stably loading the substrate (W) onto the carrier head (100) on the holder (200) without damage or breakage of the substrate (W).

That is, during the process of loading a substrate placed on a stand onto a carrier head, if excessive pressure is applied to the substrate, there is a problem of damage to the pattern formed on the substrate or breakage of the substrate. Therefore, the pressure applied to the substrate should be minimized during the substrate loading process.

However, in the past, during the process of applying positive pressure (membrane expansion) to a pressure chamber to adhere the membrane base plate to the substrate, there was a problem in that the pattern formed on the substrate was damaged or the substrate was broken due to the pressure applied to the substrate on which the membrane base plate was placed (fixed) on the stand.

However, the present invention can minimize the pressing force applied to the substrate (W) during the loading process of the substrate (W) by alleviating the pressing force (P) applied to the substrate (W) by the contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W), and can obtain the advantageous effect of preventing excessive pressing force from being applied to the substrate (W), thereby preventing bending or deformation or damage to the substrate (W).

Preferably, a plurality of pressure relief units (300) are provided so as to be able to independently relieve the pressure applied to the substrate (W).

For example, a plurality of pressure relief units (300) are arranged spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the substrate (W). Hereinafter, an example in which three pressure relief units (300) are provided spaced apart at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the substrate (W) will be described.

At this time, the number and spacing of the pressure relief parts (300) can be varied according to required conditions and design specifications. According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to arrange a plurality of pressure relief parts spaced apart along the radial direction of the substrate.

More preferably, the plurality of pressure relief units (300) are configured to independently relieve pressures of different intensities applied to different areas of the substrate (W).

In this way, by allowing multiple pressure relief units (300) to independently relieve different strengths of pressure applied to each area of the substrate (W), the degree of relief (buffering) can be adjusted differently for each area of the substrate (W) depending on the strength of the pressure applied to the substrate (W), thereby obtaining the advantageous effect of maintaining the pressure applied to the substrate (W) within an overall uniform range.

Accordingly, since the degree of relaxation can be adjusted differently for each area of the substrate depending on the strength of the pressing force acting on the substrate, the advantageous effect of effectively buffering the pressing force applied to the substrate under suitable conditions depending on the type, size, load, and loading environment of the carrier head can be obtained.

For example, in a state where no pressure is applied to the pressure chamber (192c) (non-expanded state), the degree of sagging of the membrane (192) may vary depending on the region of the membrane (192), and as a difference in sagging of the membrane (192) depending on the region occurs, the pressure applied to the substrate due to contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate may vary depending on the region of the substrate.

However, since the present invention can adjust the degree of relaxation (buffering) differently for each area of the substrate (W) according to the intensity of the pressing force acting on the substrate (W), even if the pressing force acting on the substrate (W) appears differently for each area of the substrate (W), it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of maintaining the pressing force acting on the substrate (W) within an overall uniform range. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of effectively buffering the pressing force acting on the substrate (W) regardless of the loading environment, such as the type and size of the carrier head (100).

In addition, by ensuring that the pressure applied to the substrate during the process of loading the substrate onto the carrier head (settling step and adsorption step) is within a specified range, it is possible to obtain the advantageous effect of minimizing damage to the substrate due to excessive pressure.

The pressure relief unit (300) can be formed into various structures capable of relieving the pressure applied to the substrate by contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W).

For example, referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the pressure relief unit (300) includes a substrate holding unit (310) that is vertically movably coupled to a stand (200) and on which a substrate is mounted, and a first elastic member (320) that elastically supports the vertical movement of the substrate holding unit (310) with respect to the stand (200).

The substrate holder (310) is provided to hold the substrate (W) and is connected to the holder (200) so as to be able to move up and down.

The substrate holding portion (310) can be formed in various structures capable of holding the bottom surface of the substrate (W). For example, the substrate holding portion (310) is configured to partially hold the bottom edge of the substrate (W). In some cases, the substrate holding portion can hold the entire bottom surface of the substrate.

More specifically, a base member (210) is provided at the top of the stand (200), and a substrate holding member (310) is coupled to the base member (210) so as to be able to move up and down. For example, a guide hole (212) is formed through the base member (210) along the up and down direction, and a guide member (312) is coupled to the substrate holding member (310) so as to be able to move along the guide hole (212).

Preferably, a plurality of (for example, three) guide members (312) are combined to the substrate holding portion (310) so as to be spaced apart along the circumferential direction, and each guide member (312) can move up and down with respect to the base member (210) by the pressing force applied to the substrate, thereby relieving the pressing force applied to the substrate.

The first elastic member (320) can be formed into various structures capable of elastically supporting the up and down movement of the substrate holding member (310) (guide member) relative to the stand (200) (base member).

For example, a conventional spring member mounted between the base member (210) and the guide member (312) may be used as the first elastic member (320). In some cases, it is also possible to use other elastic bodies instead of the spring member, or to form the first elastic member using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure.

In this way, by elastically supporting the up-and-down movement of the guide member (312) with respect to the base member (210), when the substrate (W) and the membrane (192) come into contact, the substrate holding portion (310) on which the substrate (W) is seated can elastically move downward with respect to the membrane (192), so that the pressing force applied to the substrate (W) as the substrate (W) and the membrane (192) come into contact can be reduced, and the advantageous effect of minimizing damage (e.g., damage to the pattern) and deformation of the substrate (W) due to the pressing force applied to the substrate (W) can be obtained.

In addition, the pressure control unit (195) is configured to apply negative pressure (V) (suction pressure) to the pressure chamber (192c) when the substrate placed on the holder (200) and the membrane (192) come into contact with each other while no pressure is applied to the pressure chamber (192c).

Here, the state in which pressure is not applied to the pressure chamber (192c) is defined as a state in which positive pressure (membrane expansion) is not applied to the pressure chamber (192c).

In this way, the present invention enables the carrier head (100) and the substrate (W) to be stably brought into close contact with each other without applying pressure (positive pressure) to the pressure chamber (192c) by relieving the pressing force acting on the substrate (W) by contact between the carrier head (100) and the substrate. Accordingly, the pressing force applied to the substrate (W) during the loading process can be minimized, and the advantageous effect of stably loading the substrate onto the membrane (192) can be obtained simply by applying negative pressure (suction pressure) to the pressure chamber (192c).

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

10: Substrate processing device 100: Carrier head
192 : Membrane 192c : Pressure chamber
195: Pressure control unit 200: Stand
210: Base member 210a: Center member
210b: Extension 212: Guide hole
220: Retainer ring mounting member 221: Through hole
222: Second elastic member 300: Pressure relief member
310: substrate holder 310a: receiving section
311: Support pin 320: First elastic member
312: Guide member 400: Lifting member
500: Sorting unit 501~503: Sorting section
510: Spring member 600: Posture detection part
610: Gas injection hole 612: Flue chamber
620: Pressure measurement sensor 630: Tilting detection unit
640 : Database 700 : Substrate Alignment Unit
710: Alignment member 720: Contact member

Claims (24)

As a substrate processing device,
With carrier head;
A holder on which a substrate is placed and which loads the substrate onto the carrier head;
A posture detection unit that injects a detection gas through a gas injection hole on the lower surface of the substrate, measures the pressure of the detection gas injected from the gas injection hole by a pressure measurement sensor, and detects whether the posture of the substrate placed on the holder is in a tilted state by a tilt detection unit based on a signal detected by the pressure measurement sensor;
A substrate alignment unit that moves the substrate to a predetermined alignment position with respect to the stand based on a signal detected by the above-detected position detection unit;
A substrate processing device characterized by including:
delete delete In the first paragraph,
Including a database in which the reference pressure range of the above-mentioned detected gas is stored,
A substrate processing device, characterized in that the tilt detection unit detects tilting of the substrate based on a deviation between the measured pressure range measured by the pressure measurement sensor and the reference pressure range.
In the first paragraph,
A substrate processing device characterized in that a plurality of mounting pins are formed on the mounting stand to secure the lower surface of the substrate, and the gas injection hole is formed on the mounting pins.
delete delete In paragraph 5,
The above carrier head,
The substrate comprises a membrane in contact with the substrate, and a retainer ring arranged around the membrane,
The above stand is,
It includes a substrate mounting portion on which the substrate is mounted, and a retainer ring mounting member on which the retainer ring is mounted;
A substrate processing device characterized in that the above-mentioned holding pins are formed in multiple numbers spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the substrate holding portion.
In paragraph 5,
Inside the above stand, a communication chamber is formed that is connected to the plurality of gas injection holes.
A substrate processing device, characterized in that the above detection gas is supplied to the plurality of gas injection holes through the above communication chamber.
In Article 9,
A substrate processing device characterized in that the pressure measuring sensor is mounted in the communication chamber.
In Article 8,
A substrate processing device, characterized in that the pressure measuring sensor is mounted in the gas injection hole and individually measures the pressure of the detection gas in the gas injection hole.
delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete In the first paragraph,
The above substrate alignment unit,
An alignment member provided to be movable to a first operating position spaced apart from the substrate and a second operating position that contacts the substrate and aligns the substrate with respect to the stand at the alignment position;
A contact member that moves the alignment member from the first operating position to the second operating position based on a signal detected by the posture detection unit;
A substrate processing device characterized by including:
In Article 20,
A substrate processing device characterized in that the alignment member is provided in multiple numbers spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the substrate.
In Article 21,
A substrate processing device, characterized in that the plurality of alignment members operate individually based on signals detected by the attitude detection unit.
In Article 22,
The above-mentioned posture detection unit detects the tilting portion of the above-mentioned substrate,
A substrate processing device, characterized in that at least one alignment member positioned at the tilting portion among the plurality of alignment members moves the substrate to the alignment position.
In Article 20,
A substrate processing device, characterized in that the alignment member rotates from the first operating position to the second operating position.

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