Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) method for controlling polishing rate using ionized water, and CMP apparatus

摘要

This invention provides a CMP (Chemical-Mechanical Polishing) method for controlling the polishing rate using ionized water and a CMP apparatus which employs the CMP method. A polishing pad is attached to a polishing disc. A semiconductor wafer is held by a wafer carrier placed above the polishing disc, and is pressed by the wafer carrier against the polishing pad which rotates together with the polishing disc. As a result, the semiconductor wafer is polished. The polishing is performed while a polishing slurry containing polishing particles is supplied to the polishing pad from a polishing slurry tank through a polishing- slurry supply pipe, and ionized water is supplied thereto through an ionized- water supply pipe. In the case of using alkaline ionized water as the ionized water, the polishing rate can be increased in a stable manner by increasing the pH value of alkaline ionized water, and can be reduced in a stable manner by reducing the pH value of alkaline ionized water. On the other hand, in the case of using acidic ionized water as the ionized water, the polishing rate can be increased in a stable manner by reducing the pH value of acidic ionized water, and can be reduced in a stable manner by increasing the pH value of acidic ionized water.