Substrate polishing apparatus and method of polishing substrate using the same

Abstract

Provided is a substrate polishing apparatus that includes a polishing unit and a pad supporting member. The polishing unit includes a polishing pad polishing a substrate seated on a substrate supporting member, and a pad driving member moving the polishing pad. The pad supporting member is disposed at a side of the substrate supporting member to support a portion of a polishing surface the polishing pad without contacting the substrate when an edge of the substrate seated on the substrate supporting member is polished. Accordingly, the substrate polishing apparatus prevents the polishing pad from being inclined to the outer side of a substrate while an edge of the substrate is polished, thereby improving polishing efficiency and preventing the breakage of a substrate during a polishing process.

1 . A substrate polishing apparatus comprising:
 a substrate supporting member on which a substrate is seated;   a polishing unit including a polishing pad disposed above the substrate supporting member to polish the substrate seated on the substrate supporting member, and a pad driving member moving the polishing pad to vary a relative position of the polishing pad to the substrate supporting member; and   at least one pad supporting member disposed at a side of the substrate supporting member to support a portion of a polishing surface the polishing pad without contacting the substrate when an edge of the substrate seated on the substrate supporting member is polished.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate driving member rotating the substrate supporting member about a central axis thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the polishing surface of the polishing pad has an area less than that of a top surface of the substrate supporting member. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the pad driving member swings the polishing pad. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the pad driving member comprises:
 a vertical arm connected to the polishing pad and vertically extending and rotating about a central axis thereof to rotate the polishing pad;   a swingable swing arm connected to an upper end of the vertical arm to swing the polishing pad; and   a driving part connected to an end of the swing arm and providing torque for swing the swing arm to the swing arm and providing torque for rotating the vertical arm to the vertical arm through the swing arm.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the pad supporting member is disposed on a movement track of the polishing pad or on an extension line of the movement track. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the movement track has an arc shape. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a bowl unit having an open upper portion and an inside where the pad supporting member is disposed. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the pad supporting member comprises:
 a supporting body disposed at a side of the substrate supporting member; and   a supporting pad coupled to an upper portion of the supporting body and spaced apart from the substrate supporting member and supporting the polishing pad when an edge of the substrate is polished.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the supporting pad is removably coupled to the supporting body. 
     
     
         11 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a first position sense part sensing a height of the pad supporting member to output a position value of a top surface of the supporting pad to sense a wear degree of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         12 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the supporting body is fixed to a bottom surface of the bowl unit. 
     
     
         13 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the pad supporting member further comprises a position adjustment part vertically moving the supporting body or the supporting pad to adjust a vertical position of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the position adjustment part comprises a driving motor or a cylinder, and the driving motor or the cylinder is fixed to a lower portion of the supporting body. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a first position sense part sensing a height of the pad supporting member to output a vertical position value of a top surface of the supporting pad to sense a wear degree of the supporting pad; and   a control unit receiving the vertical position value of the top surface of the supporting pad output from the first position sense part, and controlling the position adjustment part according to the received vertical position value to adjust a position of the top surface of the supporting pad.   
     
     
         16 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a second position sense part sensing a relative horizontal position of the polishing pad to the substrate supporting member to provide a horizontal position value of the polishing pad to the control unit 
     
     
         17 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the control unit controls the position adjustment part according to the received horizontal position value of the polishing pad and the vertical position value of the top surface of the supporting pad to adjust the position of the upper surface of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         18 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the position adjustment part comprises a bellows expanded and contracted by air pressure, and
 the bellows is disposed between the supporting body and the supporting pad and adjusts a vertical position of the supporting pad through contraction and expansion.   
     
     
         19 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the supporting body has a column shape, and
 a top surface of the supporting pad has an area less than that of the polishing surface of the polishing pad.   
     
     
         20 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the polishing pad has a radius that is equal to or less than a sum of a distance between the supporting pad and the substrate supporting member and a width of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         21 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the supporting pad has a circular top surface, and the polishing pad has a radius that is equal to or less than a sum of a distance between the supporting pad and the substrate supporting member and a width of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         22 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the supporting pad is formed of synthetic resin. 
     
     
         23 . A substrate polishing apparatus comprising:
 a bowl unit having an open upper portion;   a rotatable substrate supporting member on which a substrate is seated, and disposed in the bowl unit;   a polishing unit including a polishing pad disposed above the substrate supporting member to polish the substrate seated on the substrate supporting member in a polishing process, and a pad driving member moving the polishing pad from a central region of the substrate seated on the substrate supporting member to an edge region of the substrate or to a position beyond the edge region of the substrate; and   a pad supporting member disposed in the bowl unit and including a supporting pad spaced apart from the substrate supporting member and disposed at a side of the substrate supporting member   
     
     
         24 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the pad supporting member comprises:
 a supporting body disposed at a side of the substrate supporting member; and   a supporting pad coupled to an upper portion of the supporting body and spaced apart from the substrate supporting member and supporting the polishing pad when an edge of the substrate is polished.   
     
     
         25 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the pad supporting member comprises a position adjustment part coupled to the supporting body or the supporting pad and vertically moving the supporting body or the supporting pad to adjust a vertical position of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         26 . The substrate polishing apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the polishing pad has a radius that is equal to or less than a sum of a distance between the supporting pad and the substrate supporting member and a width of the supporting pad. 
     
     
         27 . A substrate polishing method comprising:
 seating a substrate on a substrate supporting member;   disposing a polishing pad above the substrate supporting member; and   pressing and polishing, by the polishing pad, the substrate while at least one of the substrate supporting member and the polishing pad is rotated,   wherein the polishing of the substrate includes polishing an edge of the substrate while a portion of the polishing pad without contacting the substrate is supported by a pad supporting member.   
     
     
         28 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 27 , wherein the polishing pad has a diameter less than that of the substrate, and the polishing pad moves from a central region of the substrate to the edge of the substrate to polish the substrate. 
     
     
         29 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 28 , wherein the polishing pad swings on an upper portion of the substrate to polish the substrate. 
     
     
         30 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 27 , wherein a top surface of the pad supporting member and a top surface of the substrate contacting the polishing pad are disposed on the same line when being viewed from side. 
     
     
         31 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 30 , wherein the polishing of the edge of the substrate comprises:
 sensing a vertical position of the top surface of the pad supporting member; and   adjusting a vertical position of a top surface of a horizontal adjustment part according to a value of the sensed vertical position such that, when being viewed from side, the top surface of the pad supporting member and the top surface of the substrate are disposed on the same line.   
     
     
         32 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 31 , wherein the sensing of the vertical position of the top surface of the pad supporting member and the adjusting of the vertical position of the top surface of the pad supporting member are performed while the polishing pad polishes the edge of the substrate. 
     
     
         33 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 27 , wherein the polishing of the substrate comprises:
 sensing a horizontal position of the polishing pad on the substrate; and   adjusting a vertical position of a top surface of the pad supporting member according to a value of the horizontal position of the polishing pad   
     
     
         34 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 33 , wherein the adjusting of the vertical position of the top surface of the pad supporting member comprises:
 moving the top surface of the pad supporting member downward to dispose, when being viewed from side, the top surface of the pad supporting member below a top surface of the substrate when the polishing pad is disposed in a region except for the edge of the substrate; and   moving the top surface of the pad supporting member upward such that the pad supporting member supports a portion of a polishing surface of the polishing pad without contacting the substrate when the polishing pad is disposed at the edge of the substrate.   
     
     
         35 . The substrate polishing method of  claim 34 , wherein the moving of the top surface of the pad supporting member upward comprises:
 sensing a vertical position of a top surface of a horizontal adjustment part; and   adjusting the vertical position of the top surface of the pad supporting member such that, when being viewed from side, the top surface of the pad supporting member and the top surface of the substrate are disposed on the same line.