A method comprising: providing a slurry to a polishing pad that is disposed on a wafer platen, the slurry comprising a plurality of electrically charged abrasive particles having a first electrical polarity; moving a first side of a wafer into contact with the slurry and the polishing pad; applying a first electrical charge having a second electrical polarity, opposite the first electrical polarity, to a first conductive rod; moving the first side of the wafer away from the polishing pad while the first electrical charge is applied to the first conductive rod; moving a first wafer brush into contact with the first side of the wafer; applying a second electrical charge having the second electrical polarity, opposite the first electrical polarity, to a second conductive rod arranged within the first wafer brush; and moving the first wafer brush away from the first side of the wafer.

A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) apparatus is provided. The CMP apparatus includes at least one platen; and a polishing pad disposed on the platen. The CMP apparatus also includes a polishing head disposed above the platen and configured to clamp a to-be-polished wafer; and a basic solution supply port disposed above the platen and configured to supply a basic solution onto a surface of the polishing pad. Further, the CMP apparatus includes a slurry arm disposed above the platen and configured to supply a polish slurry on the surface of the polishing pad; and a deionized water supply port configured to supply deionized water onto the surface of the polishing pad. Further, the CMP apparatus also includes a negative power source configured to apply a negative voltage onto the surface of the polishing pad.

A process tool including a polishing pad on a top surface of a wafer platen. A wafer carrier is configured to hold a wafer over the polishing pad. A slurry dispenser is configured to dispense an abrasive slurry including a plurality of charged abrasive particles having a first polarity onto the polishing pad. A first conductive rod is within the wafer platen and coupled to a first voltage supply. A wafer roller is configured to support the wafer. A first wafer brush is arranged beside the wafer roller. A second conductive rod is within the first wafer brush and coupled to a second voltage supply. The first voltage supply is configured to apply a first charge having a second polarity, opposite the first polarity, to the first conductive rod. The second voltage supply is configured to apply a second charge having the second polarity to the second conductive rod.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of substrates. In one embodiment, a carrier head for a CMP apparatus is disclosed herein. The carrier head includes a body, a retaining ring, and a sensor assembly. The retaining ring is coupled to the body. The sensor assembly is positioned at least partially in the body. The sensor assembly includes a transmitter, an antenna, and a vibrational sensor. The transmitter has a first end and a second end. The antenna is coupled to the first end of the transmitter. The vibrational sensor is coupled to the second end. The vibrational sensor is configured to detect vibration during chemical mechanical processes with respect to radial, azimuthal, and angular axes of the carrier head.

Exemplary substrate electrochemical planarization apparatuses may include a chuck body defining a substrate support surface. The apparatuses may include a retaining wall extending from the chuck body. The apparatuses may include an electrolyte delivery port disposed radially inward of the retaining wall. The apparatuses may include a spindle that is positionable over the chuck body. The apparatuses may include an end effector coupled with a lower end of the spindle. The end effector may be conductive. The apparatuses may include an electric contact extending from the chuck body or retaining wall. The apparatuses may include a current source. The current source may be configured to provide an electric current to an electrolyte within an open interior defined by the retaining wall.

A polishing apparatus 100 includes a first electric motor 14 that rotationally drives a polishing table 12, and a second electric motor 22 that rotationally drives a top ring 20 that holds a semiconductor wafer 18. The polishing apparatus 100 includes: a current detection portion 24; an accumulation portion 110 that accumulates, for a prescribed interval, current values of three phases that are detected by the current detection portion 24; a difference portion 112 that determines a difference between a detected current value in an interval that is different to the prescribed interval and the accumulated current value; and an endpoint detection portion 29 that detects a polishing endpoint that indicates the end of polishing of the surface of the semiconductor wafer 18, based on a change in the difference that the difference portion 112 outputs.

Disclosed are substrate polishing apparatuses, substrate polishing systems, and/or substrate polishing methods. The substrate polishing apparatus may include an electric field applying module, and a platen that rotates a polishing pad. The electric field applying module may include an inner electrode having a circular shape when viewed in plan. The platen may be on the inner electrode. A central axis of the inner electrode may be spaced apart from a central axis of the platen. The inner electrode may include a first electrode and a second electrode that may surround the first electrode and may have an annular shape.

An end point detection method is provided for detecting and end point based on a drive current supplied to a drive unit that rotates and drives one of a polishing table and a holding unit. The end point detection method includes: a step (S102) of determining whether a polishing condition of a polishing process to be executed coincides with a preset specific polishing condition; a step (S103) of adjusting a current control parameter in a drive control unit that controls the drive current, the current control parameter related to a change in the drive current with respect to a change in a driving load of the drive unit, if it is determined that the polishing condition coincides with the specific polishing condition; and a step (S105) of detecting the drive current supplied to the drive unit based on the adjusted current control parameter.

A photoelectric fluid field cluster catalytic method for atomic-scale deterministic processing, comprises the following steps: selecting nanoparticles with photocatalytic activity as a photocatalytic medium, and using a photoreduction method to realize the precipitation of metal nanoparticles on a surface of the photocatalytic medium, thus creating photoelectrocatalytic clusters; illuminating a coupling area between a surface to be processed of a workpiece, the photoelectrocatalytic clusters and a flexible tool with a catalytic light source, and simultaneously applying a bias voltage to a conductive tray of the workpiece; and applying a normal load to a flexible tool head and setting a rotation speed to generate a hydrodynamic pressure to drive a polishing solution to flow, thus enabling controllable removal with atomic-level precision. The disclosure utilizes the metal particles in the photoelectrocatalytic clusters to capture photogenerated electrons, thereby prolonging the lifetime of photogenerated carriers.

A polishing platform of a polishing apparatus includes a platen, a polishing pad, and an electric field element disposed between the platen and the polishing pad. The polishing apparatus further includes a controller configured to apply voltages to the electric field element. A first voltage is applied to the electric field element to attract charged particles of a polishing slurry toward the polishing pad. The attracted particles reduce overall topographic variation of a polishing surface presented to a workpiece for polishing. A second voltage is applied to the electric field element to attract additional charged particles of the polishing slurry toward the polishing pad. The additional attracted particles further reduce overall topographic variation of the polishing surface presented to the workpiece. A third voltage is applied to the electric field element to repel charged particles of the polishing slurry away from the polishing pad for improved cleaning thereof.