ELECTRIC PLANARIZING METHOD AND MECHANISM THEREFOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric planarizing method and a mechanism therefor whereby a material can be uniformly removed from a wafer. SOLUTION: The electric planarizing method attains a superior surface flatness of a wafer 14. A chuck 24 holds the wafer 14 with its surface down. An electric planarizer 36 comprises a horizontally extending thin and long cup 46 and a horizontally extending thin and long nozzle 48 therein. An electrolyte flows from the upper face of the nozzle 48 without causing turbulence, thereby growing a meniscus of the electrolyte contacted to the wafer 14. A rinsing unit 38 of a similar structure forms a meniscus of a rinse liq. sweeping across the wafer. The nozzle 48 has a row of opening along its top face or can form at least a part of a porous material. The wafer 14 is electrically composed with a cathode. A lateral relative motion is caused between a tray and the chuck to sweep the groove of the electrolyte over the entire surface of a substrate.