CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING APPARATUS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001]This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0039286 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 21, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

[0002]Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus.

2. Description of Related Art

[0003]A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus is used in a polishing process to planarize a surface of a semiconductor wafer.

[0004]During the polishing process, an excessive heat may be generated in the polishing pad due to a friction between the polishing pad and the wafer, or between the polishing pad and the retainer ring. In this case, the hardness of the polishing pad may be reduced and the removal rate (a removal rate) in the polishing process may be reduced.

SUMMARY

[0005]One or more embodiments provide a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus that may improve a reliability in the polishing process.

[0006]The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the object mentioned above, and other technical objects that are not mentioned may be clearly understood to a person of an ordinary skill in the art using the following description.

[0007]According to an aspect of one or more embodiments, there is provided a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus including a polishing platen, a polishing pad on a first surface of the polishing platen, a polishing head on the polishing pad, the polishing head being configured to fix the wafer, a wafer accommodating part protruded from a first surface of the polishing head facing the first surface of the polishing pad, the wafer accommodating part having a ring shape along an edge of the first surface of the polishing head, and a cooling device including a cooling pipe on an exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part.

[0008]According to another aspect of one or more embodiments, there is provided a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus including a polishing platen, a polishing pad on the polishing platen, a polishing head on the polishing pad and configured to fix the wafer, a wafer accommodating part protruded from a first surface of the polishing head facing a first surface of the polishing pad and having a ring shape positioned along an edge of the first surface of the polishing head, and a cooling device including a cooling pipe inside or on an exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part, wherein the wafer accommodating part includes a body part and a plurality of protruding portions protruded from a second surface of the body part and arranged along a circumference direction of the body part, and at least some of the body part and the plurality of protruding portions include a thermal conductivity polymer material.

[0009]According to still another aspect of one or more embodiments, there is provided a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus including a polishing platen, a polishing pad including a lower polishing pad on a first surface of the polishing platen and an upper polishing pad on the lower polishing pad, a polishing head on the polishing pad and configured to fix the wafer, a wafer accommodating part protruded from the first surface of the polishing head facing the first surface of the polishing pad, the wafer accommodating part having a ring shape along an edge of the first surface of the polishing head, a rotation axis connected to the first surface of the polishing head and extending in a first direction vertical to the first surface of the polishing pad, and a cooling device on the polishing pad, wherein the cooling device includes a cooling pipe on an exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part, a first cooling water supply pipe on a first side with respect to the rotation axis and extending in the first direction, a first cooling water discharge pipe on a second side with respect to the rotation axis opposite to the first cooling water supply pipe, and extending in the first direction, a second cooling water supply pipe between the first cooling water supply pipe and the first cooling water discharge pipe and extending in the first direction, a second cooling water discharge pipe on a side with respect to the rotation axis opposite to the second cooling water supply pipe and extending in the first direction, a first connecting member between the first cooling water supply pipe and the cooling pipe, a second connecting member between the first cooling water discharge pipe and the cooling pipe, a third connecting member between the second cooling water supply pipe and the cooling pipe, and a fourth connecting member between the second cooling water discharge pipe and the cooling pipe.

[0010]According to one or more embodiments, by more effectively reducing the friction heat generated on the polishing pad during the polishing process, the reliability in the chemical mechanical polishing process may be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011]Embodiments will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus taken along a line I-I′ of FIG. 2;

[0015]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view for a region A of FIG. 3;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus taken along a line II-II′ of FIG. 5;

[0018]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view for a region B of FIG. 5;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus taken along a line III-III′ of FIG. 8;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments;

[0022]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments;

[0023]FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments;

[0024]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments; and

[0025]FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026]The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

[0027]In order to clearly explain the present disclosure, a portion that is not directly related to the present disclosure is omitted, and the same reference numerals are attached to the same or similar constituent elements through the entire specification.

[0028]Further, in the drawings, the sizes and thicknesses of the components are exemplarily provided for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for convenience of description.

[0029]It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Further, in the specification, the word “on” or “above” means positioned on or below the object portion, and does not necessarily mean positioned on the upper side of the object portion based on a gravitational direction.

[0030]In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0031]Further, in this specification, the phrase “on a plane” means viewing a target portion from the top, and the phrase “on a cross-section” means viewing a cross-section formed by vertically cutting a target portion from the side.

[0032]Hereinafter, a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments will be described with reference to drawings.

[0033]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus taken along a line I-I′ of FIG. 2.

[0034]Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments is an apparatus for polishing a wafer 10, and may include a polishing platen 110, a polishing pad 120 attached to the upper surface of the polishing platen 110, a wafer carrier 130 positioned on the polishing pad 120, and cooling device 200 positioned above the polishing pad 120. The wafer carrier 130 may include a polishing head 131 and a wafer accommodating part 132 positioned on one surface of the polishing head 131.

[0035]The chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 performs a mechanical polishing while the wafer 10 mounted on the bottom of the polishing head 131 is contact with the polishing pad 120, and a chemical polishing is performed through a chemical reaction by a slurry supplied from the slurry supplier 160.

[0036]The polishing platen 110 may apply a rotation energy to the polishing pad 120 so that it is rotatable in a certain direction. For example, the polishing pad 120 may be placed (or attached) on the polishing platen 110 and be rotated by the driving of the polishing platen 110.

[0037]The polishing pad 120 uniformly planarizes the surface of the wafer 10 and may perform the mechanical polishing. The polishing pad 120 may be positioned on the polishing platen 110 and rotated by the driving of the polishing platen 110. Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the polishing pad 120 is shown as consisting of one pad, but is not limited thereto. For example, the polishing pad 120 may have a structure in which two or more pads are stacked in an upward direction (opposite to a first direction DR1) and a downward direction (first direction DR1).

[0038]The wafer carrier 130 may include a polishing head 131 positioned on the polishing pad 120, and a wafer accommodating part 132 positioned along the edge of one surface facing the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. The polishing head 131 may fix the wafer 10. For example, the wafer 10 may be adsorbed to the lower surface of polishing head 131. For example, the wafer 10 may be adsorbed to the lower surface of the polishing head 131 by at least one inhale pipe that passes through a rotation axis 140, which will be described later, and the interior of the polishing head 131 and is exposed to the lower surface of the polishing head 131. As the polishing head 131 rotates, the wafer 131 adsorbed on the polishing head 131 may rotate along with the polishing head 131 in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. In one or more embodiments, the polishing head 131 may rotate in the clockwise direction, or the counterclockwise direction while being tilted in one direction.

[0039]The chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments may further include the rotation axis 140 connected to the upper surface of the polishing head 131. One end of the rotation axis 140 may be connected to the central axis of the polishing head 131. The rotation axis 140 may be extended in the first direction DR1. The polishing head 131 may be rotated in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction around the rotation axis 140.

[0040]The polishing head 131 may press the polishing surface of the wafer 10 onto the polishing pad 120. For example, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the polishing head 131 may press the wafer 10 in the first direction DR1. The polishing head 131 may further include a thin elasticity membrane positioned on one surface facing the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. The wafer 10 may be rotated along with the polishing head 131 while the polishing surface is pressed toward the upper surface of the polishing pad 120, and thus the polishing surface of the wafer 10 can be polished.

[0041]The wafer accommodating part 132 may prevent the wafer 10 from leaving to the outside of the wafer carrier 130 during the polishing process. The wafer accommodating part 132 may be protruded from one surface of the polishing head 131 in a downward direction. For example, the wafer accommodating part 132 may be protruded in the downward direction DR1 from one surface of the polishing head 131 facing the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. The wafer accommodating part 132 may have a ring shape. For example, the wafer accommodating part 132 may have the ring shape positioned along the edge of one surface of the polishing head 131 facing the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, although the wafer accommodating part 132 is shown to be spaced apart from the upper surface of the polishing pad 120, at least a portion of the wafer accommodating part 132 may be in contact with the polishing pad 120 during the polishing process. The wafer accommodating part 132 may be fixed to the lower surface of the polishing head 131 and rotate in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction together with the polishing head 131.

[0042]In one or more embodiments, the wafer accommodating part 132 may include a polymer material. For example, the wafer accommodating part 132 may include synthetic resin materials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide PI ( ), etc. In one or more embodiments, the wafer accommodating part 132 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material in at least some regions. For example, the wafer accommodating part 132 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material in some regions adjacent to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. For example, wafer accommodating part 132 may include at least one of carbon nano tube (CNT) or aluminum nitride (AlN). The specific details regarding this will be described later.

[0043]The chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments may further include a cooling device 200 positioned on the polishing pad 120. The cooling device 200 may be configured to cool at least some regions of the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100. For example, the cooling device 200 may be configured to cool the region where heat is generated by the friction during the polishing process of the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100.

[0044]Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments may include a cooling pipe 210 positioned on the exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part 132. The cooling pipe 210 may also be positioned on the exterior surface of the polishing head 131. The cooling pipe 210 may be positioned along the outer circumference surface of the polishing head 131 and the wafer accommodating part 132. The cooling pipe 210 may be spaced apart from the outer circumference surface of the polishing head 131 and the wafer accommodating part 132 by a predetermined distance. The cooling pipe 210 may cover at least some region of the outer circumference surface of the polishing head 131. The cooling pipe 210 may cover at least some region of the outer circumference surface of the wafer accommodating part 132. The cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on the polishing pad 120. The cooling pipe 210 may be spaced apart from the polishing pad 120 in the thickness direction. The cooling pipe 210 may be spaced apart from the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 along the first direction DR1. The cooling pipe 210 may not be in contact with the polishing pad 120. In one or more embodiments, the cooling pipe 210 may not move during the polishing process. For example, even if the polishing head 131 rotates during the polishing process, the cooling pipe 210 may be fixed without moving.

[0045]In one or more embodiments, the cooling pipe 210 may include a material with excellent thermal conductivity. For example, the cooling pipe 210 may include metal materials such as copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al).

[0046]The cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments may include a cooling water supply pipe 230 for supplying a cooling water to the cooling pipe 210, a cooling water discharge pipe 250 for discharging the used cooling water, and connecting members 270 connecting the cooling water supply pipe 230 and the cooling pipe 210 and provided between the water supply pipe 230 and the cooling pipe 210, or the cooling water discharge pipe 250 and the cooling pipe 210. The cooling water may flow inside the cooling pipe 210. The used cooling water may mean a cooling water that has circulated inside the cooling pipe at least once.

[0047]The cooling water supply pipe 230 may be extended in the first direction DR1. The cooling water supply pipe 230 may be positioned on one side of the rotation axis 140. The cooling water supply pipe 230 may be positioned adjacent to the sidewall of the rotation axis 140. Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, some regions of the side of the cooling water supply pipe 230 are shown as being in contact with the sidewall of the rotation axis 140, but embodiments are not limited thereto, and the cooling water supply pipe 230 may be spaced apart from the rotation axis 140 in the horizontal direction. The cooling water flowing in from the outside may flow to the cooling water supply pipe 230. The cooling water flowing into the cooling water supply pipe 230 may flow into the cooling pipe 210 through the connecting member 270.

[0048]The cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments may include a plurality of cooling water supply pipes 230. For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooling device 200 may include two cooling water supply pipes 230a and 230b. However, the number of the cooling water supply pipes 230 included in the cooling device 200 is not limited thereto. For example, the cooling device 200 may include three or more cooling water supply pipes 230.

[0049]The cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be extended in the first direction DR1. The cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be positioned on the other side of the rotation axis 140. The cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be positioned on the opposite side of the cooling water discharge pipe 250 with the rotation axis 140 in between. The cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be positioned adjacent to the sidewall of the rotation axis 140. Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, some regions of the side surface of the cooling water discharge pipe 250 are shown as being in contact with the sidewall of the rotation axis 140, but embodiments are not limited thereto, and the cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be spaced apart from the rotation axis 140 in the horizontal direction. The used cooling water inflowing from the cooling pipe 210 may flow to the cooling water discharge pipe 250. The cooling water that flows into the cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be discharged to the outside.

[0050]The cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments may include a plurality of cooling water discharge pipes 250. For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooling device 200 may include two cooling water discharge pipes 250a, and 250b. However, the number of the cooling water discharge pipes 250 included in the cooling device 200 is not limited thereto. For example, the cooling device 200 may include three or more cooling water discharge pipes 250.

[0051]The connecting members 270 may connect between the cooling pipe 210 and the cooling water supply pipe 230, or the cooling pipe 210 and the cooling water discharge pipe 250. When the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 includes the plurality of cooling water supply pipes 230, the plurality of connecting members 270 may connect the cooling pipe 210 and the plurality of cooling water supply pipes 230, respectively. Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the first connecting member 271 may connect the first cooling water supply pipe 230a and the cooling pipe 210, and the second connecting member 272 may connect the second cooling water supply pipe 230b and the cooling pipe 210. The third connecting member 273 may connect the first cooling water discharge pipe 250a and the cooling pipe 210, and the fourth connecting member 274 may connect the second cooling water supply pipe 250b and the cooling pipe 210. The cooling water flowing in from the outside into the first and second cooling water supply pipes 230a and 230b may flow into the cooling pipe 210 through the first connecting member 271 and the second connecting member 272, respectively. The cooling water circulating through the cooling pipe 210 may flow into the first and second cooling water discharge pipes 250a and 250b, respectively, through the third connecting member 273 and the fourth connecting member 274 and then be discharged to the outside.

[0052]Each connecting member 270 may have a shape substantially similar to a letter ‘L’ of an alphabet turned upside down. Each end of the plurality of connecting members 271, 272, 273, and 274 may be connected to one of the first and second cooling water supply pipes 230a and 230b and the third and fourth cooling water supply pipes 250a, and 250b, and the other end thereof may be connected to the cooling pipe 210. In the one or more embodiments, the connecting members 270 may cover at least a partial region of the upper surface of the polishing head 131 and at least a partial region of the side surface of the polishing head 131, respectively. In the one or more embodiments, the connecting members 270 may be spaced apart from the upper surface and side surface of the polishing head 231. While the polishing head 231 is running, the first and second cooling water supply pipes 230a and 230b, the third and fourth cooling water supply pipes 250a and 250b, and the connecting member 270 may not move.

[0053]The chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments may further include a conditioner 150 and a slurry supplier positioned on the polishing pad 120.

[0054]The conditioner 150 may be a member that conditions the surface of the polishing pad 120. For example, the conditioner 150 may maintain the surface roughness of the polishing pad 120 in an optimal state by polishing the surface of the polishing pad 120. While polishing the wafer 10 with the wafer carrier 130 or stopping the polishing of the wafer 10, the conditioner 150 may restore or maintain the surface roughness of the polishing pad 120 by polishing the polishing pad 120. In one or more embodiments, the conditioner 150 may be constructed by fixing polishing particles, for example, artificial diamond particles, using a nickel (Ni) adhesive layer on a circular disk made of a metal. In one or more embodiments, the conditioner 150 may rotate in a certain direction. For example, the conditioner 150 may rotate in the same direction as the polishing platen 110 and the wafer carrier 130 and may control the roughness of the polishing pad 120.

[0055]The slurry supplier 160 may be a member that supplies a slurry to the polishing pad 120. The slurry supplier 160 is positioned above the polishing pad 120, and supplies the slurry to the polishing pad 120, so that the slurry is transferred to the wafer 10 through the micropores formed in the polishing pad 120, thereby performing not only the mechanical polishing of the wafer 10 depending on the rotation of the wafer carrier 130, but also the chemical polishing by the slurry simultaneously.

[0056]During the polishing process, the wafer accommodating part 132 may be fixed to the polishing head 131, rotated with the polishing head 131, and pressed on the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. In this case, a friction heat may occur in the region where the polishing pad 120 and the wafer accommodating part 132 come into contact. When the polishing pad 120 is heated excessively due to the friction heat generated in the polishing process, the hardness of the polishing pad 120 may decrease and the polishing speed (a removal rate) may decrease. Additionally, when a material (e.g., molybdenum (Mo)) with a relatively low melting point is positioned on the polishing surface of the wafer, the material may melt due to the friction heat, and in this case, it may not be easy to accurately determine the end point of the polishing process.

[0057]According to the one or more embodiments, the polishing pad 120 may be prevented from being excessively heated by the friction heat by installing the cooling pipe 210 in the contact region between the wafer accommodating part 132 and the polishing pad 120, where the friction heat may be generated during the polishing process.

[0058]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a region A in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 4, the polishing head 131 according to the one or more embodiments may be tilted at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. As the polishing head 131 is tilted with respect to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120, the distance between the lower surface of the polishing head 131 and the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may not be constant. For example, the distance between the lower surface of the polishing head 131 and the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may gradually increase or gradually decrease from one side of the polishing head 131 to the opposite side of the polishing head 131. For example, the polishing head 131 may be tilted diagonally to the left with respect to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120, as shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, in FIG. 4, the distance between the lower surface of the polishing head 131 and the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may gradually increase from the left end to the right end of the polishing head 131.

[0059]In the one or more embodiments, the portion where the cooling water inflows into the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on a side of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 that is relatively close to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120, and the portion where the cooling water is discharged from the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on a side of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 that is relatively far from the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. The portion where the cooling water flows into the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on one side of the polishing head 131, and the portion where the cooling water is discharged from the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on the other side of the polishing head 131. At this time, the distance between one side of the polishing head 131 and the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may be smaller than the distance between the other side of the polishing head 131 and the upper surface of the polishing pad 120.

[0060]For example, there may be a case where the cooling device 200 includes one cooling water supply pipe 230 and one cooling water discharge pipe 250. In this example, the connection portion between the other side of the connecting member of which one side is connected to the cooling water supply pipe 230, and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned outside the point of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 with the closest distance to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 among the entire region of the lower surface of the polishing head 131. The connection part between the other side of the connecting member of which one side is connected to the cooling water discharge pipe 250, and the cooling pipe 210, may be positioned outside the point of the greatest distance from the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 among the entire region of the lower surface of the polishing head 131.

[0061]For example, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the cooling device 200 may include two cooling water supply pipes 230 and two cooling water discharge pipes 250. In this example, the connection portion between the first connecting member 271 and the cooling pipe 210, and the connection portion between the second connecting member 272 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on both sides of the point of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 with the closest distance to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 among the entire region of the lower surface of the polishing head 131. The connection portion between the third connecting member 273 and the cooling pipe 210, and the connection portion between the fourth connecting member 274 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on both sides of the point of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 at the greatest distance from the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 among the entire region of the lower surface of the polishing head 131.

[0062]For example, referring to FIG. 2, among the lower surface entire region of the polishing head 131, the first point P1 may be the point with the closest distance to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. In this example, the connection portion between the first connecting member 271 and the cooling pipe 210 and the connection portion between the second connecting member 272 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on both sides of the first point P1. The distance between the connection portion between the first connecting member 271 and the cooling pipe 210 and the first point P1, and the distance between the connection portion between the second connecting member 272 and the cooling pipe 210 and the first point P1 may be substantially the same. For example, the connection portion between the first connecting member 271 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned outside a point approximately 45° away in the clockwise direction along the circumference of the polishing head 131 from the first point P1. For example, the connection portion between the second connecting member 272 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned outside a point approximately 45° away in the counterclockwise direction along the circumference of the polishing head 131 from the first point P1.

[0063]For example, referring to FIG. 2, among the lower surface entire region of the polishing head 131, the second point P2 may be the point of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 with the greatest distance from the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. In this example, the connection portion between the third connecting member 273 and the cooling pipe 210 and the connection portion between the fourth connecting member 274 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned on both sides of the second point P2. The distance between the connection portion between the third connecting member 273 and the cooling pipe 210 and the second point P2, and the distance between the connection portion between the fourth connecting member 274 and the cooling pipe 210 and the second point P2 may be substantially the same. For example, the connection portion between the third connecting member 273 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned outside a point approximately 45° away in the clockwise direction along the circumference of the polishing head 131 from the second point P2. For example, the connection portion between the second connecting member 272 and the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned outside a point approximately 45° away in the counterclockwise direction along the circumference of the polishing head 131 from the second point P2.

[0064]According to the one or more embodiments, when the polishing head 131 is driven while being tilted in one direction, the cooling water supply pipes 230 are placed on the side where more friction heat is generated, and the cooling water discharge pipes 250 are placed on the side where less friction heat is generated, thereby the friction heat may be cooled efficiently.

[0065]FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 are views to explain the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments. For example, FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus along line II-II′ in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the region B in FIG. 5. Since the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 is substantially the same as the previous embodiments, the description thereof will be omitted and the differences will be mainly explained below. For the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments, the configuration of the cooling water supply pipe 230 and the cooling water discharge pipe 250 being positioned inside the rotation axis 140 and that the cooling device 200 rotates together with the polishing head 131 may be different from the previous embodiments.

[0066]Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in the cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments, the cooling water supply pipe 230 and the cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be positioned inside the rotation axis 140. The cooling water supply pipe 230 and the cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be extended in the first direction DR1. The cooling water supply pipe 230 may be positioned adjacent to the inner sidewall of the rotation axis 140. In the one or more embodiments, the cooling water supply pipe 230 may be fixed to the polishing head 131 and rotate along with the polishing head 131 around the central axis of the polishing head 131. In one or more embodiments, the first cooling water supply pipe 230a and the second cooling water supply pipe 230b may face each other in the horizontal direction.

[0067]The cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be positioned adjacent to the inner sidewall of the rotation axis 140. In the one or more embodiments, the cooling water supply pipe 230 may be fixed to the polishing head 131 and rotate around the central axis of the polishing head 131 in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction. In one or more embodiments, the first cooling water discharge pipe 250a and the second cooling water discharge pipe 250b may face each other in the horizontal direction.

[0068]Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments may include a cooling pipe 210 positioned on the exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part 132. The cooling pipe 210 may also be positioned on the exterior surface of polishing head 131. The cooling pipe 210 may be positioned along the outer circumference surface of the polishing head 131 and the wafer accommodating part 132. The cooling pipe 210 may be in contact with the outer circumference surface of the polishing head 131 and the wafer accommodating part 132. For example, the inner circumference surface of the cooling pipe 210 may be in contact with at least a portion of the outer circumference surface of the wafer accommodating part 132 and at least a portion of the outer circumference surface of the polishing head 131. In one or more embodiments, when the polishing head 131 rotates, the cooling pipe 210 may rotate with the polishing head 131 about the central axis of the polishing head 131.

[0069]The cooling device 200 according to the one or more embodiments may include a connecting member 270 that connects the cooling water supply pipes 230 and the cooling water discharge pipes 250 with the cooling pipe 210.

[0070]In one or more embodiments, the plurality of connecting members 271, 272, 273, and 274 may include an upper connecting member and a lower connecting member, respectively. For example, referring to FIG. 6, the first connecting member 271 may include a first upper connecting member 271a of which one end is connected to the first cooling water supply pipe 230a, and a first lower connecting member 271b of which one end is connected to the cooling pipe 210. The other end of the first upper connecting member 271a and the other end of the first lower connecting member 271b may be connected to each other. The third connecting member 273 may include a third upper connecting member 273a of which one end is connected to the first cooling water discharge pipe 250a, and a third lower connecting member 273b of which one end is connected to the cooling pipe 210. The other end of the third upper connecting member 273a and the other end of the third lower connecting member 273b may be connected to each other. In one or more embodiments, the upper connecting members 271a and 273a may include a flexible material, and the lower connecting members 271b and 273b may include a rigid material. For example, the lower connecting members 271b and 273b may include materials with relatively high thermal conductivity. For example, the lower connecting members 271b and 273b may include the same material as the cooling pipe 210. For example, the lower connecting members 271b and 273b may include metal materials such as copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al).

[0071]Referring to FIG. 6, the upper connecting members 271a and 273a may cover at least a partial region of the upper surface of the polishing head 131. The lower connecting members 271b and 273b may cover at least some regions of the side of the polishing head 131. In the one or more embodiments, the upper connecting members 271a and 273a may be spaced apart from the upper surface of the polishing head 131. The lower connecting members 271b and 273b may be in contact with the side of the polishing head 131. In one or more embodiments, the plurality of connecting members may rotate together with the polishing head 131 about the central axis of the polishing head 131 when the polishing head 131 rotates.

[0072]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a region B of FIG. 5. Referring to FIG. 7, the rotation axis 140 according to the one or more embodiments may include an inner axis 141 connected to the upper surface of the polishing head 131, a first housing 143 adjacent to and surrounding the side of the inner axis 141, and a second housing 145 adjacent to and surrounding the exterior surface of the first housing 143.

[0073]One end of the inner axis 141 may be connected to the center of the upper surface of the polishing head 131. The inner axis 141 may be extended in the first direction DR1. In one or more embodiments, the inner axis 141 may not rotate. The polishing head 131 may rotate around the central axis (CX).

[0074]The first housing 143 may be a cylinder shape including a hollow interior. The inner axis 141 may be positioned in the hollow of the first housing 143. For example, the first housing 143 may be adjacent to and surround the exterior surface of the inner axis 141. The first housing 143 may include a cooling water supply pipe 230 and a cooling water discharge pipe 250 therein. For example, the first housing 143 may include a plurality of through holes formed therein, and a cooling water supply pipe 230 and a cooling water discharge pipe 250 may be positioned inside each through hole. In FIG. 7, only the first cooling water supply pipe 230a and the first cooling water discharge pipe 250a are shown inside the first housing 143, but the second cooling water supply pipe 230b and the second cooling water discharge pipe 250b described with reference to FIG. 5 may be included inside the first housing 143. In one or more embodiments, the lower surface of the first housing 143 may be in contact with the upper surface of the polishing head 131. The first housing 143 and the cooling water supply pipes 230 and cooling water discharge pipes 250 included in the first housing 143 may rotate together with the polishing head 131 around the central axis CX of the polishing head 131 when the polishing head 131 rotates.

[0075]The second housing 145 may be adjacent to and surround the exterior surface of the first housing 143. The inner surface of the second housing 145 may be spaced apart from the exterior surface of the first housing 143 by a predetermined interval. The second housing 145 may include a cyclic opening OP formed along the circumference. The part of the exterior surface of the first housing 143 may be exposed by the opening OP. The second housing 145 may be separated into an upper housing 145a and a lower housing 145b by the opening OP. In one or more embodiments, the lower surface of the lower housing 145b may be in contact with the upper surface of the polishing head 131. When the polishing head 131 rotates, the lower housing 145b may rotate together with the polishing head 131 around the central axis CX of the polishing head 131. In one or more embodiments, the upper housing 145a may not rotate.

[0076]In the one or more embodiments, the cooling water supply pipes 230 and the cooling water discharge pipes 250 may be connected to the connecting members 270 through the opening OP. Referring to FIG. 7, the first cooling water supply pipe 230a may be connected to one end of the first upper connecting member 271a through opening OP. The first cooling water discharge pipe 250a may be connected to one end of the third upper connecting member 273a through the opening OP.

[0077]FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments. For example, FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus along a line III-III′ in FIG. 8. Since the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 is substantially the same as the previous embodiments, the description thereof will be omitted and the differences will be mainly explained below. The chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments may be different from the previous embodiments in that the cooling pipe 210 and the connecting member 270 are positioned inside the wafer accommodating part 132 and the polishing head 131, respectively.

[0078]Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, in the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments, the cooling pipe 210 may be positioned inside the wafer accommodating part 132. In the one or more embodiments, the wafer accommodating part 132 and the cooling pipe 210 may have a ring shape. The cooling pipe 210 can be positioned along the circumference of the wafer accommodating part 132 inside the wafer accommodating part 132.

[0079]In the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 100 according to the one or more embodiments, the connecting members 270 may be positioned inside the polishing head 131. Each connecting member 270 may have a shape substantially similar to the letter ‘L’ of the alphabet flipped upside down. The connecting members 270 may be positioned along the upper surface and side of the polishing head 131. In the one or more embodiments, each connecting member 270 may connect the cooling water supply pipes 230 and cooling water discharge pipes 250 positioned inside the rotation axis 140 with the cooling pipe 210 positioned inside the wafer accommodating part 132. Referring to FIG. 9, the first connecting member 271 may connect the first cooling water supply pipe 230a and the cooling pipe 210, and the third connecting member 273 may connect the first cooling water discharge pipe 250a and the cooling pipe 210.

[0080]FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the wafer accommodating part 132 according to one or more embodiments. For example, FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part along a line IV-IV′ in FIG. 10.

[0081]Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the wafer accommodating part 132 according to the one or more embodiments may include a body portion 133 and a plurality of protruding portions 134 protruded from the lower surface of the body part 133.

[0082]The body part 133 may be positioned along the edge of the lower surface of the polishing head 131 described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9. The body part 133 may be protruded from the lower surface of the polishing head 131 in the first direction DR1. As described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the body part 133 may include a cooling pipe 210 therein. However, embodiments are not limited thereto, and the body part 133 may not include the cooling pipe 210 inside. For example, the wafer accommodating part 132 including the body part 133 and the protruding portion 134 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, as described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7, may also be applied even to a case that the cooling pipe 210 is positioned outside the wafer accommodating part 132.

[0083]The plurality of protruding portions 134 may be protruded from the lower surface of the body part 133 along the first direction DR1. Referring to FIG. 10, the cross-section of the protruding portion 134 along the horizontal direction is shown as having a trapezoid shape with rounded upper and lower sides, but the cross-section shape of the protruding portion 134 is not limited thereto. For example, the protruding portion 134 may have a rectangular shape, triangle or circular cross-section shape. The plurality of protruding portions 134 may be arranged along the second direction DR2. The second direction DR2 may be a direction according to the circumference of body part 133.

[0084]Referring to FIG. 11, the body part 133 and the protruding portion 134 may include different materials. In one or more embodiments, the body part 133 may include a polymer material. For example, the body part may include synthetic resin materials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), etc. In one or more embodiments, the protruding portion 134 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material. For example, the protruding portion 134 may include at least one of CNT or AlN.

[0085]The protruding portions 134, in the polishing process, may be in direct contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9. For example, the lower surface of each of the protruding portions 134 may be in contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad 120. In the one or more embodiments described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, the wafer accommodating part 132 may be cooled by the cooling pipes 210 positioned on or inside the exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part 132. In one or more embodiments, the protruding portions 134 that are in direct contact with the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material, and thus the friction heat that may be generated during the polishing process may be more efficiently cooled.

[0086]FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments. For example, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part along a line IV-IV′ in FIG. 10. The wafer accommodating part 132 shown in FIG. 12 may be different from the previous embodiments in that only the portion of the protruding portions 134 includes a thermal conductivity polymer material.

[0087]In one or more embodiments, some of the protruding portions 134 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material. Referring to FIG. 12, the first protruding portion 134a may include a thermal conductivity polymer material, and the second protruding portion 134b may not include a thermal conductivity polymer material. For example, the second protruding portion 134b may include the same material as the body part 133. In some embodiments, the first protruding portion 134a and the second protruding portion 134b may be arranged alternating with each other along the second direction DR2. For example, the protruding portions 134 may be arranged along the second direction DR2 in the order of the first protruding portion 134a/the second protruding portion 134b/the first protruding portion 134a/the second protruding portion 134b.

[0088]The thermal conductivity polymer material (e.g., CNT or AlN) may deteriorate and be worn out by the polishing pad (120, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9) compared with a synthetic resin material such as polyetheretherketone; polyether ether ketone (EK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate; polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI). In one or more embodiments, a portion of the plurality of protruding portions 134 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material, thereby slowing the wear speed of the protruding portions 134 and effectively cooling the friction heat generated in the polishing process.

[0089]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments. For example, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer accommodating part along a line IV-IV′ in FIG. 10. The wafer accommodating part 132 shown in FIG. 13 may be different from the previous embodiments in that the body part 133 includes a thermal conductivity polymer material.

[0090]Referring to FIG. 13, the body part 133 of the wafer accommodating part 132 according to the one or more embodiments may include a thermal conductivity polymer material. The protruding portions 134 may include the synthetic resin material described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In one or more embodiments, the wafer accommodating part 132 may be cooled by cooling pipes (210, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9) positioned on or inside the exterior surface of the wafer accommodating part 132. In one or more embodiments, the body part 133 adjacent to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material, and thus a friction heat that may be generated during the polishing process may be efficiently cooled.

[0091]FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part according to one or more embodiments. For example, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a wafer accommodating part along a line IV-IV′ in FIG. 10. The wafer accommodating part 132 shown in FIG. 14 may be different from the previous embodiments in that some regions of the body part 133 include a thermal conductivity polymer material.

[0092]Referring to FIG. 14, at least some regions of the body part 133 of the wafer accommodating part 132 according to the one or more embodiments may include a thermal conductivity polymer material. For example, in the entire region of the lower surface of the body part 133, at least some of the regions excluding the region overlapping the protruding portions 134 in the first direction DR1 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material. In one or more embodiments, among the entire region of the body part 133, the region adjacent to the upper surface of the polishing pad 120 may include a thermal conductivity polymer material, and thus the friction heat that may be generated during the polishing process may be efficiently cooled.

[0093]While embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims and their equivalents.