Provided is a wafer polishing method capable of improving nanotopography characteristics within a site on the surface of a wafer having a 2 mm square area or a small area equivalent thereto and a silicon wafer polished by the wafer polishing method, and further provided is a method of chemical-mechanical polishing the surface of a wafer through a polishing step in two or more polishing steps with different polishing rates, in which the in-plane thickness variation (standard deviation) of a polishing pad 150 used in a polishing step with a machining allowance of 0.3 μm or more is 2.0 μm or less.

An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a rotatable platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid distribution system. The polishing liquid distribution system includes a dispenser positioned to deliver a polishing liquid to a portion of a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a curved barrier positioned after the dispenser to spread fresh polishing liquid from the dispenser.

An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a rotatable platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid distribution system. The polishing liquid distribution system includes a dispenser positioned to deliver a polishing liquid to a portion of a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a curved barrier positioned after the dispenser to spread fresh polishing liquid from the dispenser.

The present disclosure relates to a polishing system in which accuracy and easiness of attachment and detachment of a polishing pad to a surface plate are maximized, the polishing system including: a surface plate having a polishing pad mounted on an upper portion; and the polishing pad mounted on the surface plate, in which the polishing pad includes: a polishing surface and a surface plate attachment surface that is a rear surface of the polishing surface, the surface plate attachment surface includes: at least one engraved portion, the surface plate includes at least one embossed portion, and the embossed portion and the engraved portion have a complementary coupling structure, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device to which the polishing system is applied.

The present disclosure relates to a polishing system in which accuracy and easiness of attachment and detachment of a polishing pad to a surface plate are maximized, the polishing system including: a surface plate having a polishing pad mounted on an upper portion; and the polishing pad mounted on the surface plate, in which the polishing pad includes: a polishing surface and a surface plate attachment surface that is a rear surface of the polishing surface, the surface plate attachment surface includes: at least one engraved portion, the surface plate includes at least one embossed portion, and the embossed portion and the engraved portion have a complementary coupling structure, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device to which the polishing system is applied.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for a method of removing material on a substrate. An exemplary method includes rotating a substrate about a first axis in a first direction and urging a surface of the substrate against a polishing surface of a polishing pad while rotating the substrate, wherein rotating the substrate about the first axis includes rotating the substrate a first angle at a first rotation rate, and then rotating the substrate a second angle at a second rotation rate, and the first rotation rate is different from the second rotation rate.

Disclosed is a polishing head for a polishing apparatus for polishing a quadrangular substrate using a polishing pad attached to a polishing table, comprising a head body portion, a plurality of elastic bags disposed in a surface of the head body portion, which is to face the polishing table, and a substrate holding plate for holding the substrate, the substrate holding plate being pressed by the elastic bags in a direction away from the head body portion, the head body portion being provided with channels for bags, which are in communication with the respective elastic bags, the polishing head further including at least two support plates disposed between the elastic bags on one hand and the substrate holding plate on the other, the elastic bags being configured to press the substrate holding plate through the support plates.

A carrier head includes a base assembly, a substrate mounting surface connected to the base assembly, and a plurality of segments disposed circumferentially around the substrate mounting surface to provide a retaining ring to surround a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface. An inner surface of each of the plurality of segments is configured to engage the substrate, and each segment of the plurality of segments of the retaining ring is pivotally connected to the base assembly such that a lower portion of each segment of the retaining ring is swingable toward and away from the substrate.

A carrier head includes a base assembly, a substrate mounting surface connected to the base assembly, and a plurality of segments disposed circumferentially around the substrate mounting surface to provide a retaining ring to surround a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface. An inner surface of each of the plurality of segments is configured to engage the substrate, and each segment of the plurality of segments of the retaining ring is pivotally connected to the base assembly such that a lower portion of each segment of the retaining ring is swingable toward and away from the substrate.

The present disclosure relates to a polishing pad, a method for manufacturing the polishing pad, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the polishing pad, and the present disclosure can prevent an error in detecting the end point due to the window in the polishing pad by minimizing the effect on transmittance according to the surface roughness of the window in the polishing pad in the polishing process, and allows the fluidity and loading rate of the polishing slurry in the polishing process to be implemented at similar levels by maintaining the surface roughness difference between the polishing layer and the window in the polishing pad within the predetermined range, thereby enabling the problem of deterioration of polishing performance due to the surface difference between the polishing layer and the window to be prevented.

Further, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device to which a polishing pad is applied may be provided.