Dresser disk cleaning brush, cleaning apparatus, and cleaning method

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning brush and a cleaning apparatus that can effectively discharge dust, removed from a dresser disk of a CMP apparatus upon cleaning the dresser disk, to the outside of the cleaning system in order to prevent the dust from being again deposited on the dresser disk. A cleaning brush includes a large number of brushes formed to protrude on its top surface, vertical through-holes and into which a nozzle for ejecting a cleaning fluid is inserted, and a recessed groove formed on a lower surface that lower ends of the through-holes and face. It is configured such that dust deposited onto the brushes upon cleaning the dresser disk is discharged to outside from the recessed groove through a gap between the surrounding of the nozzle and the inner surface of the through-holes and together with the cleaning fluid.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a dresser disk by using a cleaning brush and a first nozzle ejecting a cleaning fluid, the method comprising: cleaning the dresser disk by sliding contact with the cleaning brush and ejecting the cleaning fluid from the first nozzle when the dresser disk is in a first, lower position; during the cleaning, discharging dust generated from the cleaning of the dresser disk and deposited onto the cleaning brush together with the cleaning liquid to an outside of a cleaning part through a gap between an inner surface of a vertical through-hole formed in the cleaning part and a periphery of the first nozzle inserted in the through-hole, wherein the cleaning brush is attached to the cleaning part; moving the dresser disk to a second, upper position spaced from the cleaning brush, after cleaning the dresser disk with the cleaning brush; and after moving the dresser disk to the second, upper position, cleaning the dresser disk by ejecting the cleaning fluid from the first nozzle and from a second nozzle arranged at a location along a side part of the dresser disk located at the second, upper position to clean the dresser disk when the dresser disk and the cleaning brush are spaced apart from each other.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a groove is provided inside the cleaning part, and a part of the cleaning fluid which cleaned the dresser disk is drained from the groove.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the groove is formed on a lower surface of the cleaning part and the vertical through-hole in the cleaning part communicates with the groove.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning in the first position and the cleaning in the second position are conducted while the dresser disk is rotated.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first nozzle is one of a plurality of nozzles and the cleaning is conducted by the plurality of nozzles in which the cleaning fluid is ejected from an underside of the dresser disk.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning brush is positioned below the dresser disk and engages the underside of the dresser disk when the dresser disk is in the first, lower position.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning brush comprises a plurality of brushes mounted on a top surface of the cleaning part.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning brush comprises a brush group that is arranged to protrude on a top surface of the cleaning brush in a houndstooth manner as viewed in a plane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an appearance of a cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a cross-section of a half side of the cleaning brush illustrated in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3A is a top view and FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the cleaning brush illustrated in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of an arm portion, to which the cleaning brush is mounted, of the cleaning apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

(5) FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the arm portion of the cleaning apparatus and parts of the cleaning brush that are exploded.

(6) FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating an essential part of the portion of the cleaning apparatus in FIG. 1 to which the cleaning brush is mounted.

(7) FIG. 7 is an appearance view illustrating the state in which a dresser disk is scrubbed by the cleaning apparatus in FIG. 1.

(8) FIG. 8 is a side view of an essential part illustrated in FIG. 7.

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective sectional view illustrating the state in which a dresser disk is rinsed by the cleaning apparatus in FIG. 1.

(10) FIG. 10 is an appearance view of a cleaning brush according to another embodiment.

(11) FIG. 11 is an appearance view of a cleaning brush according to still another embodiment.

(12) FIG. 12 is a sectional view illustrating a cleaning brush mounted to an arm portion of a cleaning apparatus according to still another embodiment.

(13) FIGS. 13A and 13B are a view for describing a configuration of one example of a CMP apparatus, wherein FIG. 13A is a plan view, and FIG. 13B is a side view.

(14) FIG. 14 is a view illustrating one example of a configuration of a conventional cleaning apparatus of a dresser disk.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(15) Preferable embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(16) FIG. 1 illustrates a dresser-disk cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning apparatus 1 includes an apparatus body 2 and a cleaning brush 3, wherein the cleaning brush 3 is integrally fixed to an arm portion 21 of the apparatus body 2 having a nozzle 24 for ejecting a cleaning fluid formed to protrude on its top surface. The cleaning apparatus 1 is arranged at the side of a polishing table of a CMP apparatus which is not illustrated.

(17) A protruding portion 22 protrudes upward from one end of the horizontal arm portion 21 of the apparatus body 2, and a supply channel 23 for a cleaning fluid is formed in the apparatus body as illustrated in FIG. 9 described later, whereby the cleaning fluid can be ejected from three nozzles 24, which are mounted to protrude from the top surface of the arm portion 21 such that the upper half part protrudes from the arm portion 21, and the lower end communicates with the supply channel 23, and a nozzle 25 that is mounted to an upper end of the protruding portion 22 so as to communicate with the supply channel 23. The cleaning fluid can be supplied by driving a cleaning fluid supply mechanism which is not illustrated.

(18) The cleaning brush 3 is made of a material having elasticity, such as synthetic resin. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cleaning brush 3 has a horizontally long top surface having almost an elliptic shape as viewed in a plane, and a large number of brushes 31a formed by bundling a set of thin nylon hairs are implanted integrally on the top surface.

(19) More specifically, the cleaning brush 3 includes two parts, which are a brush body 31 having a large number of brushes 31a protruding on its top surface and having formed therein three through-holes 31b into which the respective nozzles 24 are inserted, and a base 32 having formed therein three through-holes 32a, into which the respective nozzles 24 are inserted similarly, the base supporting the brush body 31 placed on the top surface of the base.

(20) Recessed grooves 32b that are wider than the respective through-holes 32a and extend to both side faces in the widthwise direction of the base 32 are formed on the portion of the bottom surface of the base 32 that the lower end of each of the through-holes 32a faces.

(21) Notches 31c and 32c having a U-shaped cross-section and with which a fixing member 4 such as a fastening screw is engaged are formed respectively on both ends of the brush body 31 and the base 32 in the longitudinal direction.

(22) As illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the through-holes 31b on the brush body 31 and the through-holes 32a on the base 32 are formed to correspond to the positions where the nozzles 24 on the arm portion 21 of the apparatus body 2 protrude, and are formed to have the same inner diameter on the portion near the center of the brush body 31 and the base 32 at equal spaces. A large number of brushes 31a protruding on the top surface of the brush body 31 is arranged to enclose the surrounding of the upper end of each through-hole 31b in plural rows, and are arranged in houndstooth manner in which the adjacent brushes are shifted from each other.

(23) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the through-hole 31b on the brush body 31 and the through-hole 32a on the base 32 are formed to have the inner diameter a larger than the outer diameter of the nozzle 24. In a state in which the brush body 31 and the base 32 are superimposed, and mounted on the top surface of the arm portion 21, and nozzle 24 is inserted into the through-holes 31b and 32a, a gap of about 1 mm to 5 mm is secured between the surrounding of the nozzle 24 and the inner surface of the through-holes 31b and 32a. This gap communicates with the recessed groove 32b formed on the lower surface of the base 32.

(24) As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cleaning brush 3 is configured such that the nozzle 24 is inserted into the through-holes 31b and 32a, and with this state, the base 32 and the brush body 31 are vertically superimposed and mounted on the top surface of the arm portion 21 of the apparatus body 2. The fixing member 4 is engaged with each of the notches 31c and 32c formed on both ends of the brush body and the base, and the shaft of the fixing member 4 is fastened and fixed to the arm portion 21. The cleaning brush 3 is thus fixed, and hence, the cleaning apparatus 1 is completed.

(25) In order to clean the dresser disk by using the cleaning apparatus 1 thus configured according to the present embodiment, the pad contact surface of the dresser disk 5 supported to the lower part of the moving arm 51 is brought into contact with the brushes 31a on the cleaning brush 3, and with this state, the dresser disk 5 is rotated, while the cleaning fluid is ejected from the nozzle 24 as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Thus, the pad contact surface is scrubbed.

(26) In this case, the dust deposited onto the pad contact surface of the dresser disk 5 is scraped by the relative sliding movement of the brushes 31a. The dust removed from the pad contact surface descends onto the top surface of the cleaning brush 3 together with the cleaning fluid, flows down in the through-holes 31b and 32a, into which the nozzle 24 is inserted, through the gap formed between the inner surface of the through-holes 31b and 32a and the surrounding of the nozzle 24, and is discharged to the outside of the cleaning brush 3 from the recessed groove 32b communicating with the lower end of the through-hole 32a.

(27) This structure can prevent the dust removed from the pad contact surface from being adhered and deposited between the brush 31a and the brush 31a or on the upper end of the through-hole 31b located above the nozzle 24. Thus, this structure can effectively prevent the dust from again being deposited onto the dresser disk 5, resulting in that fresh cleaning fluid can always be ejected from the nozzle 24.

(28) Then, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the dresser disk 5 is arranged above the cleaning brush 3 with an appropriate space, and with this state, the dresser disk 5 rotates, while ejecting the cleaning fluid from the nozzles 24 arranged in the top surface of the cleaning brush 3 and the nozzle 25 mounted on the upper part of the protruding portion 22 of the apparatus body 2, in order to rinse the pad contact surface. Thus, the cleaning of the dresser disk 5 is completed.

(29) Since the dresser disk 5 is rinsed by the ejected cleaning fluid after it is scrubbed as described above, the dust that cannot be removed during the scrubbing operation can surely be washed away.

(30) The through-holes 31b and 32a, which are formed on the cleaning brush 3, and into which the nozzles 24 are inserted, are formed according to the number of the nozzles 24 protruding on the arm portion 21 of the apparatus body 2. For example, when four nozzles 24 are provided to protrude from the arm portion 21, four through-holes 31b and 32a into which the corresponding nozzle 24 is inserted are formed according to four nozzles as illustrated in FIG. 10.

(31) As illustrated in FIG. 11, the brushes 31a may be formed to protrude between the through-holes 31b and 31b on the top surface of the cleaning brush 3.

(32) As illustrated in FIG. 12, a dust discharge channel 33 that has a size by which the dust can pass together with the cleaning fluid, has one end open to the top surface of the cleaning brush 3, and has the other end communicating with the recessed groove 32b may be formed, separate from the through-holes 31b and 32a into which the nozzles 24 are inserted, and the dust may be discharged to outside through the dust discharge channel 33.

(33) The illustrated cleaning brush 3, the apparatus body 2, and the cleaning apparatus 1 are only illustrative of the embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can be made by another appropriate form. The cleaning brush 3 may be formed such that the brush body 31 and the base 32 are integrally formed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(34) 1 CLEANING APPARATUS 2 APPARATUS BODY 21 ARM PORTION 22 PROTRUDING PORTION 23 FLUID SUPPLY CHANNEL 24, 25 NOZZLE 3 CLEANING BRUSH 31 BRUSH BODY 32 BASE 31a BRUSH 31b, 32a THROUGH-HOLE 32b RECESSED GROOVE 31c, 32c NOTCH 4 FIXING MEMBER 5 DRESSER DISK