A substrate processing apparatus which reliably prevents a cleaning liquid containing foreign particles from falling from a polishing head onto a substrate is disclosed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a rotating and holding mechanism, a polishing head, and a head cleaning device configured to supply the cleaning liquid to the polishing head to clean the polishing head during polishing and/or after polishing of the substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus which reliably prevents a cleaning liquid containing foreign particles from falling from a polishing head onto a substrate is disclosed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a rotating and holding mechanism, a polishing head, and a head cleaning device configured to supply the cleaning liquid to the polishing head to clean the polishing head during polishing and/or after polishing of the substrate.

A pad conditioner head cleaning tool has a first clamp configured to removably engage a first portion of a sponge against an outer surface of a disk-shaped pad conditioner head at a first location, a second clamp configured to removable engage a second portion of the sponge against the outer surface of the disk-shaped pad conditioner head at a second location, and an arm coupling the first clamp to the second clamp. The arm is sufficiently flexible to permit the first clamp and the second clamp to be separated to fit around the disk-shaped pad conditioner head and sufficiently tensile to bias the first clamp and the second clamp inwardly to press the sponge against an outer surface of a pad conditioner head.

A pad conditioner head cleaning tool has a first clamp configured to removably engage a first portion of a sponge against an outer surface of a disk-shaped pad conditioner head at a first location, a second clamp configured to removable engage a second portion of the sponge against the outer surface of the disk-shaped pad conditioner head at a second location, and an arm coupling the first clamp to the second clamp. The arm is sufficiently flexible to permit the first clamp and the second clamp to be separated to fit around the disk-shaped pad conditioner head and sufficiently tensile to bias the first clamp and the second clamp inwardly to press the sponge against an outer surface of a pad conditioner head.

A polishing assembly includes a rotatable platen to support a polishing pad, a polishing liquid delivery arm having an enclosure open at a bottom thereof and one or more ports to deliver a polishing liquid and a cleaning fluid downwardly through an interior space of the enclosure onto the polishing pad, and a delivery arm cleaning tool removably attached to the polishing liquid delivery arm, the cleaning tool extending below the delivery arm and having a delivery arm-facing surface shaped such that the cleaning tool directs the cleaning fluid from the polishing liquid delivery arm on to a surface of the enclosure of the polishing liquid delivery arm.

A polishing assembly includes a rotatable platen to support a polishing pad, a polishing liquid delivery arm having an enclosure open at a bottom thereof and one or more ports to deliver a polishing liquid and a cleaning fluid downwardly through an interior space of the enclosure onto the polishing pad, and a delivery arm cleaning tool removably attached to the polishing liquid delivery arm, the cleaning tool extending below the delivery arm and having a delivery arm-facing surface shaped such that the cleaning tool directs the cleaning fluid from the polishing liquid delivery arm on to a surface of the enclosure of the polishing liquid delivery arm.

A conditioner disk for use on a polishing pad during chemical mechanical polishing process includes a backing plate having a lower surface and abrasive diamond particles secured to the lower surface of the backing plate, the abrasive diamond particles disposed in a pattern that defines multiple channels for fluid flow.

A conditioner disk for use on a polishing pad during chemical mechanical polishing process includes a backing plate having a lower surface and abrasive diamond particles secured to the lower surface of the backing plate, the abrasive diamond particles disposed in a pattern that defines multiple channels for fluid flow.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing section and a transport section. The polishing section has a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport mechanism. The first polishing unit has a first polishing apparatus and a second polishing apparatus. The second polishing unit has a third polishing apparatus and a fourth polishing apparatus. Each of the first to fourth polishing apparatuses has a polishing table to which a polishing pad is mounted, a top ring, and auxiliary units that perform a process on the polishing pad during polishing. Around the polishing table, a pair of auxiliary unit mounting units for mounting the respective auxiliary units in a left-right switchable manner with respect to a straight line connecting a swing center of the top ring and a center of rotation of the polishing table is provided at respective positions symmetrical with respect to the straight line.

A method of conditioning a polishing pad includes receiving information on a roughness of the polishing pad from a first sensor. The method further includes conditioning the polishing pad using a conditioner. The method further includes detecting the roughness of the polishing pad following the conditioning. The method further includes repeating the conditioning in response to the detected roughness of the polishing pad being outside of a threshold roughness range.