The eddy current sensor for measuring the film thickness of a conductive film formed on a substrate includes a core made of a magnetic material that has a base portion, and outer legs provided to the base portion at both end portions in a first direction of the base portion respectively, an excitation coil that is arranged on the core and forms an eddy current in the conductive film, and a detection coil that is arranged on the core and detects the eddy current formed in the conductive film. The length of the base portion in the first direction is not less than the length of the base portion in a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a support for a polishing pad having a polishing surface, and an electromagnetic induction monitoring system to generate a magnetic field to monitor a substrate being polished by the polishing pad. The electromagnetic induction monitoring system includes a core and a coil wound around a portion of the core. The core includes a back portion, a center post extending from the back portion in a first direction normal to the polishing surface, and an annular rim extending from the back portion in parallel with the center post and surrounding and spaced apart from the center post by a gap. A width of the gap is less than a width of the center post, and a surface area of a top surface of the annular rim is at least two times greater than a surface area of a top surface of the center post.

A polishing endpoint detecting method capable of accurately detecting a polishing endpoint of a substrate is disclosed. The polishing endpoint detecting method includes: polishing a substrate W; creating a film-thickness profile of the substrate by used of a film-thickness sensor 7 mounted to a polishing table 2; dividing the film-thickness profile into a plurality of measurement zones and selecting a monitoring zone from the plurality of measurement zones for determining a polishing endpoint of the substrate; determining whether or not the monitoring zone is changed to another measurement zone based on changes in the film-thickness profile obtained from start to end of polishing of the substrate; and determining a polishing endpoint of the substrate based on the signals in the monitoring zone.

A polishing apparatus includes a polishing table with a polishing pad for polishing a film formed on a semiconductor wafer. The polishing apparatus includes a first sensor that outputs a first signal corresponding to the film thickness of the film and a second sensor that is more sensitive than the first sensor and that outputs a second signal corresponding to the film thickness of the film. When the film thickness of the film is equal to or less than a predetermined film thickness, the film thickness detector detects the film thickness of the film according to a second signal. When the film is thicker than the predetermined film thickness, the film thickness detector detects the film thickness of the film according to the first signal and the second signal.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for polishing a surface of a substrate having a film whose thickness varies along a circumferential direction of the substrate. The polishing method includes: obtaining a film-thickness distribution in a circumferential direction of a substrate (W); determining a first area having a maximum or minimum film thickness based on the film-thickness distribution; rotating a polishing table (3) holding a polishing pad (2); pressing a surface of the substrate (W) against the polishing pad (2) while rotating the substrate by a polishing head (1); and polishing the first area at a removal rate different from that of a second area in the surface of the substrate (W).

A localized chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) platform is provided. A table is configured to support a workpiece with a to-be-polished surface. A polishing pad is spaced from the table with a width less than about half that of the table. The polishing pad is configured to individually polish rough regions of hillocks or valleys on the to-be-polished surface. A slurry distribution system is configured to apply slurry to an interface between the polishing pad and the workpiece. A cleaning system is configured to clean the workpiece in situ on the table. A drying system is configured to dry the workpiece in situ on the table. A method for CMP with local profile control and a system with local profile control are also provided.

A polishing method capable of obtaining a stable film thickness without being affected by a difference in measurement position is disclosed. The polishing method includes: rotating a polishing table that supports a polishing pad; pressing the surface of the wafer against the polishing pad; obtaining a plurality of film-thickness signals from a film thickness sensor during a latest predetermined number of revolutions of the polishing pad, the film thickness sensor being installed in the polishing table; determining a plurality of measured film thicknesses from the plurality of film-thickness signals; determining an estimated film thickness at a topmost portion of the raised portion based on the plurality of measured film thicknesses; and monitoring polishing of the wafer based on the estimated film thickness at the topmost portion of the raised portion.

An eddy current sensor assembly includes an eddy current sensor and an output signal processing circuit that processes an output signal from the eddy current sensor. The output signal processing circuit includes a mixer circuit that accepts the output signal and a signal of the predetermined frequency as input, multiplies the two signals received as input, and outputs an output signal obtained by the multiplication, and a low-pass filter that accepts the output signal output by the mixer circuit as input, cuts a high-frequency signal included in the output signal received as input, and outputs at least a direct-current (DC) signal.

A polishing device is provided to suppress deterioration in reproducibility of a polishing profile due to a variation or change with time of a shape of a retaining ring of a substrate holding member for each of retaining rings. The polishing device includes: a polishing head configured to press a substrate against a polishing pad and have a retainer ring surrounding the substrate pressed against the polishing pad; a measurement sensor configured to measure a surface shape of the retainer ring; and a controller configured to determine a polishing condition of the substrate based on the surface shape of the retainer ring measured by the measurement sensor.

An eddy current probe comprises a first planar coil, a second planar coil and a flexible substrate. The first coil comprises a first conductor having a spiral geometry, and the second coil comprises a second conductor having a spiral geometry. The first conductor is arranged concentrically with the second conductor, with the first conductor being juxtaposed with the second conductor, and the concentrically arranged first and second conductors are embedded within the flexible substrate.