A method of processing a plate-shaped workpiece is provided. The method includes the steps of sticking a protective member to a face side of the workpiece, holding the face side of the workpiece on a holding surface of a chuck table with the protective member interposed therebetween, grinding a reverse side of the workpiece held on the chuck table to thin the workpiece by rotating a grinding wheel including grinding stones that contain abrasive grains, while a grinding fluid is being supplied from a grinding fluid supply nozzle to the reverse side of the workpiece, and after the step of grinding the reverse side of the workpiece, treating the workpiece or the grinding stones by rotating the grinding wheel and bringing the grinding stones into contact with the reverse side of the workpiece, while stopping supplying the grinding fluid from the grinding fluid supply nozzle.

A polishing pad useful in chemical mechanical polishing comprising a polishing portion having a top polishing surface and comprising a polishing material an opening through the polishing pad, and a transparent window within the opening in the polishing pad, the transparent window being secured to the polishing pad and being transparent to at least one of magnetic and optical signals, the transparent window having a thickness and a top surface having a plurality of elements separated by interconnected recesses to provide a pattern in the top surface that includes recesses for improved deflection into a cavity in the polishing pad during polishing.

A silicon wafer single-side polishing method that can significantly improve the stepped minute defect occurrence rate is provided. The silicon wafer single-side polishing method comprises: a first polishing step of performing polishing on one side of a silicon wafer under a first polishing condition; and a second polishing step of performing polishing on the silicon wafer under a second polishing condition in which at least one of an applied pressure and a relative speed in the first polishing condition is changed, after the first polishing step, wherein a polishing rate ratio according to the first polishing condition is higher than a polishing rate ratio according to the second polishing condition.

Methods of semiconductor processing may include contacting a substrate with a first slurry and a first platen. The substrate may include silicon oxide defining one or more features, a liner extending across the silicon oxide and within the one or more features, and a copper-containing layer deposited on the liner and extending within the one or more features. The first slurry and the first platen may remove a first portion of the copper-containing layer. The methods may include contacting the substrate with a second slurry and a second platen, which may remove at least a portion of the liner. The methods may include contacting the substrate with a third slurry and a third platen, which may remove a second portion of the copper-containing layer. The methods may include contacting the substrate with a fourth slurry and a fourth platen, which may remove at least a portion of the silicon oxide.

A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate and bring a lower surface of the substrate into contact with the polishing pad, and an in-situ friction monitoring system including a friction sensor. The friction sensor includes a pad portion having a substrate contacting portion with an upper surface to contact the lower surface of the substrate, and a pair of capacitive sensors positioned below and on opposing sides of the substrate contacting portion.

A substrate carrier configured to be attached to a polishing system for polishing a substrate is described herein. The substrate carrier includes a housing including a plurality of load couplings and a retaining ring coupled to the housing. The retaining ring can include an annular body having a central axis, an inner edge facing the central axis of the annular body, the inner edge having a diameter configured to surround a substrate, and an outer edge opposite the inner edge, wherein the plurality of load couplings contact the retaining ring at different radial distances measured from the central axis, and wherein the plurality of load couplings are configured to apply a radially differential force to the retaining ring.

In a scheme in which a top ring is held to an end portion of a swing arm, the present invention improves accuracy of polishing end point detection. A polishing apparatus for polishing between a polishing pad 10 and a semiconductor wafer 16 disposed opposed to the polishing pad 10 includes a polishing table 30A for holding the polishing pad 10 and a top ring 31A for holding the semiconductor wafer 16. A swing shaft motor 14 swings a swing arm 110 for holding the top ring 31A. The arm torque detection section 26 detects arm torque applied to the swing arm 110. An end point detection section 28 detects a polishing end point indicating an end of polishing based on the detected arm torque.

A method grinds a semiconductor wafer by treating the semiconductor wafer so as to remove material by way of a grinding tool containing grinding teeth having a height h, with a coolant being supplied into a contact region between the semiconductor wafer and the grinding tool, in which, at any time of the grinding, a flushing fluid is applied onto a region on one side of the semiconductor wafer by way of a nozzle.

A polishing apparatus and a polishing method capable of accurately measuring a film thickness of a workpiece, such as wafer, substrate, or panel, used in manufacturing of semiconductor devices during polishing of the workpiece are disclosed. The processing system is configured to determine a film thickness of the workpiece based on relative reflectance data calculated by a calculation formula expressed as: the relative reflectance data=MD1/[BD1.Math.k], where MD1 represents first intensity measurement data indicating intensity of the reflected light from the workpiece measured by the first spectrometer, BD1 represents the first base intensity data, and k represents a rate of change in second intensity measurement data with respect to the second base intensity data. The second intensity measurement data is indicative of intensity of the light of the light source measured by the second spectrometer during polishing of the workpiece.

One object is to provide a polishing machine and a polishing method capable of improving a processing accuracy on the surface of an object. A method of polishing an object is provided. Such a method comprises: a first step of polishing an object by moving the object and a first polishing pad having a smaller dimension than that of the object relative to each other while the first polishing pad is made to contact the object, a second step of polishing the object, after the first step of polishing, by moving the object and a second polishing pad having a larger dimension than that of the object relative to each other while the second polishing pad is made to contact the object, and a step of detecting the state of the surface of the object before the first step of polishing.