Polishing method, polishing apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Abstract

A polishing method includes a first polishing step of halfway polishing a film to be polished formed on a substrate, and a second polishing step of further polishing the polished film, wherein a first film thickness profile showing an in-plane distribution of a film thickness of the polished film after the second polishing step for a first substrate is measured, and the first polishing step for a second substrate is executed to obtain a second film thickness profile which has a size relation in a film thickness opposite to the first film thickness profile.

1 . A polishing apparatus polishing a film to be polished formed on a substrate at a first polishing step and a second polishing step, the apparatus comprising:
 a polishing platen;   a polishing head arranged so as to be opposed to the polishing platen and including a plurality of pressure zones;   a film thickness monitor measuring a distribution of a film thickness of the polished film at the time of polishing the polished film;   a control mechanism feedback-controlling a pressure to be applied to the plurality of pressure zones of the polishing head based on the measured result of the film thickness monitor at the time of polishing the polished film;   a memory device storing therein a database in which a plurality of polishing conditions on the polishing platen are related with a film thickness profile group obtained by the conditions; and   a polishing condition determining mechanism storing a first film thickness profile after the second polishing step for a first substrate, and selecting a specific film thickness profile having a size relation in a film thickness opposite to the first film thickness profile from the film thickness profile group in the first polishing step for a second substrate.