Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate support portion comprising a platen and a transparent polishing pad on the platen, the platen comprising a light generator configured to generate light that passes through the transparent polishing pad and proceeds towards a semiconductor substrate on the substrate support portion, and the transparent polishing pad comprising a transparent surface that is configured to contact and polish the semiconductor substrate;

a substrate holder configured to fix the semiconductor substrate such that the semiconductor substrate is in contact with the substrate support portion, and the substrate holder is further configured to contact the transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad and a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and polish the surface of the semiconductor substrate via the transparent polishing pad; and

a slurry supplier comprising a slurry and configured to supply the slurry between the semiconductor substrate and the transparent polishing pad,

wherein the slurry comprises:

a light blocking material that is configured to block the light; and

abrasive particles that are configured to be activated by accepting electrons generated, based on the light, by a photocatalyst within the slurry, and

wherein the light generator is configured to uniformly radiate the light towards the semiconductor substrate, across the surface of the semiconductor substrate, such that the light passes through the transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad, causes the photocatalyst to generate the electrons, and is blocked by the light blocking material,

wherein the semiconductor substrate has an uneven structure comprising a bottom surface and protrusions protruding from the bottom surface,

wherein the slurry supplier is configured to supply the slurry such that the light blocking material is between the protrusions, the light blocking material configured to block the light from being irradiated to the photocatalyst, which is between the protrusions, thereby preventing the photocatalyst between the protrusions from generating electrons and preventing the abrasive particles, which are between the protrusions, from being activated by accepting electrons, and

wherein the abrasive particles between the protrusions and the transparent polishing pad are configured to be activated such that the abrasive particles polish the protrusions.

2 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive particles further comprise cerium oxide (CeO 2 ).

3 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the abrasive particles are configured to be activated by accepting the electrons generated by the photocatalyst such that tetravalent cerium ions (Ce 4+ ) on a surface of the cerium oxide are reduced to trivalent cerium ions (Ce 3+ ).

4 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a pad conditioner configured to dispense the slurry on the substrate support portion and roughen the transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad to maintain the transparent polishing pad with a constant surface roughness capable of polishing the semiconductor substrate.

5 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate holder is configured to rotate the semiconductor substrate clockwise or counterclockwise on the substrate support portion.

6 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the platen is configured to rotate the transparent polishing pad clockwise or counterclockwise.

7 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light blocking material comprises at least one from among melanin, chlorophyll, hemoglobin, beta-carotene, and carbon black.

8 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light comprises visible light, and

the photocatalyst comprises at least one from among a gold/titanium dioxide (Au/TiO 2 ) compound, a titanium dioxide/selenium dioxide (TiO 2 /SeO 2 ) compound, and a titanium dioxide/silicon dioxide (TiO 2 /SiO 2 ) compound.

9 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light comprises ultraviolet light, and

the photocatalyst comprises at least one from among titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), cadmium selenide (CdSe), tungsten trioxide/titanium dioxide (WO 3 /TiO 2 ), and aluminum oxide/zirconium oxide (Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 ).

10 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light generator comprises a lamp.

11 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a platen comprising a light generator configured to generate light, and an optical window configured to allow the light to pass therethrough;

a transparent polishing pad on the platen, the transparent polishing pad comprising an upper transparent surface configured to contact and polish a semiconductor substrate, wherein the light generator is configured to generate the light such that the light passes through the transparent polishing pad and proceeds towards the semiconductor substrate;

a substrate holder configured to fix the semiconductor substrate on the transparent polishing pad and press a surface of the semiconductor substrate onto the upper transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad;

a slurry supplier comprising a slurry and configured to supply the slurry between the semiconductor substrate and the transparent polishing pad, the slurry comprising a light blocking material that is configured to block the light, and the slurry further comprising abrasive particles that are configured to be activated by accepting electrons generated, based on the light, by a photocatalyst within the slurry; and

a pad conditioner configured to distribute the slurry in a horizontal direction on the transparent polishing pad,

wherein the light generator is configured to uniformly radiate the light towards the semiconductor substrate, across the surface of the semiconductor substrate, such that the light passes through the upper transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad, causes the photocatalyst to generate the electrons, and is blocked by the light blocking material,

wherein the semiconductor substrate has an uneven structure comprising a bottom surface and protrusions protruding from the bottom surface,

wherein the slurry supplier is configured to supply the slurry such that the light blocking material is between the protrusions, the light blocking material configured to block the light from being irradiated to the photocatalyst, which is between the protrusions, thereby preventing the photocatalyst between the protrusions from generating electrons and preventing the abrasive particles, which are between the protrusions, from being activated by accepting electrons, and

wherein the abrasive particles between the protrusions and the transparent polishing pad are configured to be activated such that the abrasive particles polish the protrusions.

12 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the abrasive particles further comprise cerium oxide (CeO 2 ).

13 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the abrasive particles are configured to be activated by accepting the electrons generated by the photocatalyst such that tetravalent cerium ions (Ce 4+ ) on a surface of the cerium oxide are reduced to trivalent cerium ions (Ce 3+ ).

14 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the substrate holder is configured to rotate the semiconductor substrate clockwise or counterclockwise on the transparent polishing pad.

15 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the platen is configured to rotate the transparent polishing pad clockwise or counterclockwise.

16 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the light blocking material comprises at least one from among melanin, chlorophyll, hemoglobin, beta-carotene, and carbon black.

17 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the light comprises visible light, and

the photocatalyst comprises at least one from among a gold/titanium dioxide (Au/TiO 2 ) compound, a titanium dioxide/selenium dioxide (TiO 2 /SeO 2 ) compound, and a titanium dioxide/silicon dioxide (TiO 2 /SiO 2 ) compound.

18 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the light comprises ultraviolet light, and

the photocatalyst comprises at least one from among titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), cadmium selenide (CdSe), tungsten trioxide/titanium dioxide (WO 3 /TiO 2 ), and aluminum oxide/zirconium oxide (Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 ).

19 . The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the substrate holder is configured to contact the upper transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad and the surface of the semiconductor substrate such that an entire width, in the horizontal direction, of the surface of the semiconductor substrate overlaps with the optical window in a vertical direction.

20 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a substrate support portion that comprises a platen and a transparent polishing pad on the platen, the platen comprising a light generator configured to generate light that passes through the transparent polishing pad and proceeds towards a semiconductor substrate on the substrate support portion, and the transparent polishing pad comprising a transparent surface that is configured to contact and polish the semiconductor substrate;

a substrate holder configured to fix the semiconductor substrate such that the semiconductor substrate is in contact with the substrate support portion, and the substrate holder is further configured to contact the transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad and a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and polish the surface of the semiconductor substrate via the transparent polishing pad;

a slurry supplier comprising a slurry and configured to supply the slurry between the semiconductor substrate and the transparent polishing pad, the slurry comprising a light blocking material that is configured to block the light, and the slurry further comprising abrasive particles that are configured to be activated by electrons generated, based on the light, by a photocatalyst within the slurry; and

a pad conditioner configured to dispense the slurry on the substrate support portion and roughen the transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad to maintain the transparent polishing pad with a constant surface roughness capable of polishing the semiconductor substrate,

wherein the abrasive particles further comprise cerium oxide (CeO 2 ), and the abrasive particles are configured to be activated by the electrons generated by the photocatalyst such that tetravalent cerium ions (Ce 4+ ) on a surface of the cerium oxide are reduced to trivalent cerium ions (Ce 3+ ), and

wherein the light generator is configured to uniformly radiate the light towards the semiconductor substrate, across the surface of the semiconductor substrate, such that the light passes through the transparent surface of the transparent polishing pad, causes the photocatalyst to generate the electrons, and is blocked by the light blocking material,

wherein the semiconductor substrate has an uneven structure comprising a bottom surface and protrusions protruding from the bottom surface,

wherein the slurry supplier is configured to supply the slurry such that the light blocking material is between the protrusions, the light blocking material configured to block the light from being irradiated to the photocatalyst, which is between the protrusions, thereby preventing the photocatalyst between the protrusions from generating electrons and preventing the abrasive particles, which are between the protrusions, from being activated by accepting electrons, and

wherein the abrasive particles between the protrusions and the transparent polishing pad are configured to be activated such that the abrasive particles polish the protrusions.