US 12,485,513 B2
Device for polishing outer periphery of wafer
Kenji Satomura, Nagasaki (JP)
Assigned to SUMCO CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/008,902
Filed by SUMCO CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed May 7, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/017422
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/251032, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-099438 (JP), filed on Jun. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0211449 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B24B 9/06 (2006.01)
CPC B24B 9/065 (2013.01) 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A polishing apparatus for polishing an outer peripheral portion of a wafer, the polishing apparatus comprising:
a disc-shaped stage configured to horizontally hold a disc-shaped wafer;
a rotation driver configured to rotate the stage around a center axis of the stage as a rotation axis;
at least one polishing head having an inner circumferential surface, positioned to face the stage, and the inner circumferential surface being mounted with a first polishing pad and a second polishing pad; and
a polishing-head drive mechanism, including at least sliding members that are vertically and horizontally moveable and a linear motion driver, configured to bring one of the first polishing pad and the second polishing pad into contact with the outer peripheral portion of the wafer and slide the at least one polishing head in a direction angled with respect to the center axis of the stage or a vertical direction orthogonal to a width of the wafer under application of a predetermined polishing pressure to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer,
wherein the second polishing pad is mounted below the first polishing pad in the vertical direction, and the second polishing pad has higher compressibility than the first polishing pad.