Provided is a method of lapping a semiconductor wafer, which can suppress the formation of a ring-shaped pattern in a nanotopography map. The method of lapping a semiconductor wafer includes: a stopping step of stopping lapping of a semiconductor wafer; a reversing step of reversing surfaces of the semiconductor wafer facing a upper plate and a lower plate after the stopping step; and a resuming step of resuming lapping of the semiconductor wafer after the reversing step while maintaining the reversal of the surfaces facing the plates.

A carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus configured to double-side polish providing a semiconductor silicon wafer. The carrier being disposed between upper and lower turn tables have a polishing pad attached, and includes a holding hole formed to hold the semiconductor silicon wafer between the upper and lower turn tables during polishing. The carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus is made of a resin. An average contact angle with pure water of front and back surfaces of the carrier, which come into contact with the polishing pads, is 45° or more and 60° or less, and a difference in average contact angles between the front surface and the back surface is 5° or less, which provides a carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus capable of enhancing the polishing rate for a semiconductor silicon wafer by using a resinous carrier; and a double-side polishing apparatus and method which employ the carrier.

A carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus configured to double-side polish providing a semiconductor silicon wafer. The carrier being disposed between upper and lower turn tables have a polishing pad attached, and includes a holding hole formed to hold the semiconductor silicon wafer between the upper and lower turn tables during polishing. The carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus is made of a resin. An average contact angle with pure water of front and back surfaces of the carrier, which come into contact with the polishing pads, is 45° or more and 60° or less, and a difference in average contact angles between the front surface and the back surface is 5° or less, which provides a carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus capable of enhancing the polishing rate for a semiconductor silicon wafer by using a resinous carrier; and a double-side polishing apparatus and method which employ the carrier.

An embodiment relates to a wafer loading apparatus of wafer polishing equipment. Provided is the wafer loading apparatus of wafer polishing equipment, comprising: a wafer polisher that includes a polishing carrier having a wafer hole formed therein in which a wafer is loaded, wherein both sides of the wafer are polished by top and bottom boards; a wafer transferrer that includes a transfer arm disposed above the polishing carrier to transfer the wafer, wherein a transfer plate corresponding to a shape of the wafer is connected to one end the transfer arm; a wafer position detector mounted on a bottom surface of the transfer plate to detect a position of the wafer hole; a plurality of wafer attachment/detachment units formed on an edge portion of the transfer plate; a wafer aligner mounted on a top surface of the transfer plate to align the wafer; and a controller to which data on the position of the wafer hole, which is detected by the wafer position detector, is transmitted and which calculates a position where the wafer is to be loaded by the wafer attachment/detachment unit and the wafer aligner.

A method of producing a carrier for use in a double-side polishing apparatus, the method including engaging an insert with a holding hole formed in a carrier body and sticking the insert to the holding hole, the carrier body being configured to be disposed between upper and lower turn tables to which polishing pads are attached of the double-side polishing apparatus, the holding hole being configured to hold a wafer during polishing, the insert being configured to contact an edge of the wafer to be held, the method including: performing a lapping process and a polishing process on the insert; engaging the insert subjected to the lapping process and the polishing process with the holding hole of the carrier body; and sticking and drying the engaged insert while applying a load to the insert in a direction perpendicular to main surfaces of the carrier body.

A method of producing a carrier for use in a double-side polishing apparatus, the method including engaging an insert with a holding hole formed in a carrier body and sticking the insert to the holding hole, the carrier body being configured to be disposed between upper and lower turn tables to which polishing pads are attached of the double-side polishing apparatus, the holding hole being configured to hold a wafer during polishing, the insert being configured to contact an edge of the wafer to be held, the method including: performing a lapping process and a polishing process on the insert; engaging the insert subjected to the lapping process and the polishing process with the holding hole of the carrier body; and sticking and drying the engaged insert while applying a load to the insert in a direction perpendicular to main surfaces of the carrier body.

A non-contact-type apparatus for measuring wafer thickness includes a monolithic-type wavelength sweeping semiconductor laser light source having a laser source, a laser control unit that controls the laser source, and a processor to control the laser source to oscillate laser light having a wavelength that changes with a setting profile relative to time; an optical system that guides and emits the laser light onto a wafer; a detection unit that detects an interference light signal of reflected light; an A/D converter that converts the interference light signal detected by the detection unit into a digital signal; and a calculation unit that calculates a thickness of the wafer by analyzing the digital signal from the A/D converter. The processor causes the laser control unit to operate with a clock signal, and to oscillate laser light that performs wavelength-sweeping with the setting profile relative to the time, from the laser source. The A/D converts the interference light signal by generating a sampling clock in synchronization with the clock signal or directly using the clock signal as a sampling clock.

A double-side polishing method for a work includes: a pre-polishing index calculation step of calculating an index Xp for a work having been subjected to double-side polishing in the last batch; a target polishing time calculation step of calculating a target polishing time of the current batch using a predetermined prediction formula; and a double-side polishing step of performing double-side polishing of a work using the target polishing time. A double-side polishing apparatus for a work includes: a measurement unit for measuring thicknesses of a work having been subjected to double-side polishing in the last batch; a first calculation unit calculating an index Xp; a second calculation unit calculating a target polishing time Tt of the current batch using a predetermined prediction formula; and a control unit controlling double-side polishing of the work using the calculated target polishing time Tt.

A double-side polishing method for a work includes: a pre-polishing index calculation step of calculating an index Xp for a work having been subjected to double-side polishing in the last batch; a target polishing time calculation step of calculating a target polishing time of the current batch using a predetermined prediction formula; and a double-side polishing step of performing double-side polishing of a work using the target polishing time. A double-side polishing apparatus for a work includes: a measurement unit for measuring thicknesses of a work having been subjected to double-side polishing in the last batch; a first calculation unit calculating an index Xp; a second calculation unit calculating a target polishing time Tt of the current batch using a predetermined prediction formula; and a control unit controlling double-side polishing of the work using the calculated target polishing time Tt.

A double-side polishing method including: disposing a wafer between a polishing pad attached to an upper surface of a lower turn table and a polishing pad attached to a lower surface of an upper turn table provided above the lower turn table; and polishing both sides of the wafer. An absolute value of a difference between a gap at inner circumferential portions of the two polishing pads and a gap at outer circumferential portions thereof is defined as a pad gap. The pad gap is larger when the both sides of the wafer are polished than when the two polishing pads are dressed. This provides a double-side polishing method that simultaneously achieves enhancement of quality level (processing precision) and extension of cloth life.