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Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP)
Major fabs understand the need for complete solutions that improve yield in all aspects of the CMP process. Shrinking feature size, along with the need for tighter defectivity and particle control in the CMP slurry is driving innovative changes in filtration and monitoring systems. As more layers of each chip require CMP to achieve planarity, the process challenges are increasing dramatically.
We are in the position to offer single source solutions and eliminate introducing unnecessary contamination risk from incompatible chemicals or consumables. As today’s leading-edge chip designs become tomorrow’s mainstream products, single sourcing offers tremendous benefit to all fabs.
Featured White Paper
Particles, Processes, and Planning: Synergies to Improve CMP Yield
This paper explores the entire CMP process, including post-CMP cleaning, to identify potential sources of contamination and discusses the importance of the entire system working in sync to achieve minimal contamination and maximum yield.
Product Solutions
The slurry is the most important part of the CMP process. It serves a simple purpose — removing a thin layer of metal or oxide using a combination of abrasive particles and chemical additives. We are a market leader in the design and production of CMP slurries and our broad slurry portfolio is optimized for batch and single wafer CMP systems and provides high uniformity and easy scalability to multiple wafers for high-volume manufacturing.
- High-performance Nanodiamond slurries are for scalable polishing of hard materials (single and polycrystalline surfaces).
- High-performance Silicon Carbide (SiC) slurries are for scalable manufacturing of atomically smooth and defect-free SiC wafers.
- High-performance Nitride slurries are for scalable manufacturing of atomically smooth and defect-free nitride surfaces. They polish all surface types (lapped or mechanically) into epi-ready condition.
- High-performance Sapphire slurries are for scalable manufacturing of sapphire wafers.
Contamination must be minimized throughout slurry blending, storage, transport, and handling. As the slurry passes through tubing, valves, and other components of the fluid handling system, it can pick up contaminants. Components made from inert, corrosion-resistant fluoropolymer materials are ideal because they will not shed particles that degrade the slurry.
We have a proven understanding of fluoropolymer processing and offer the industry’s broadest range of carefully developed and fully characterized fluid handling products that are compatible with one another and can more easily optimize the overall design.
- We offer FluoroLine® ultrapure PFA tubing for use in high purity, corrosive CMP environments and where low surface friction is desired.
- Extremely robust, clean, PrimeLock® tube fittings perform effectively in the most demanding chemical applications and are the most reliable connection technology on the market.
- Designed for use with corrosive chemicals, Integra® Plus WS valves excel in ultrapure bulk chemical and CMP slurry applications.
Regardless of the materials in the system, filtration is critical. Filters should be installed at multiple locations so that they can capture contaminants and agglomerated slurry abrasives before they reach the wafer.
- Planarcap® NMB point-of-dispense slurry filters have ultra-high particle loading capacity in sub-45 nm technology nodes.
- Solaris® APR filters and Solaris II manifolds are designed for optimum gel removal and media-specific particle and agglomerate retention in the most demanding CMP slurry applications.
- Planargard® APR CMP slurry filters to address both large and fine particles reduction in slurries for advanced node processes.
- Our Chemlock® filter housing system locks the cartridge into the bowl, allowing the bowl and cartridge to be removed as a single unit in bulk or CDS (chemical/slurry delivery systems).
Pad conditioning is a necessary step in the CMP process, allowing the pad surface to maintain the desired roughness so that the removal rate is stable and predictable. An optimally designed conditioner can also extend pad life by increasing the metal removal rate while keeping the pad cut rate relatively low.
- Planargem® XT CMP pad conditioners with micro-machined silicon carbide (SiC) substrate, offer leading-edge, customertailored performance across all aspects of the CMP process.
The clean chemistry must be designed to efficiently remove the abrasive slurry particles and organic residue from the wafer. The key to a successful clean is to precisely formulate the clean to the slurry chemistry, considering all the slurry’s chemical components, possible chemical reactions, and other contamination sources.
- Our PlanarClean® cleaning solution is a post-CMP copper cleaning product designed for use following the barrier CMP step.
- Our PlanarClean AG formulated solutions are designed for advanced post-CMP processes. The proprietary formulations offer increased performance through enhanced reliability and yield.
- The Astera™ filter platform is designed for dilute aqueous acids and bases and recommended for post-CMP cleans.
- Our Chemlock® filter housing system locks the cartridge into the bowl, allowing the bowl and cartridge to be removed as a single unit in bulk or CDS (chemical/slurry delivery systems).
The brushes used in post-CMP cleaning should be designed to achieve uniform fluid distribution on the brush surface. Brush materials with a high zeta potential allow the brush surface to repel slurry particles that might otherwise adhere to the brush surface and scratch the wafer.
- Planarcore® PVA brushes deliver superior performance and wafer-to-wafer uniformity in post-CMP wafer cleaning applications.
While choices of materials, chemicals, and components can improve CMP outcomes, it is also necessary to measure process parameters including particle size, flow rate, and chemical concentrations. Measurements in the lab inform design, while online monitoring at the fab provides real-time feedback that makes it easier to maintain process stability and keep yield high.
Particle Characterization
In advanced node CMP applications, automating the monitoring process can help prevent costly yield excursions. Advanced particle count and size analyzers provide high resolution and accuracy in CMP slurries and other suspensions.
- Installed downstream from filters, our AccuSizer® SPOS system provides data to inform real-time decisions that will optimize the CMP delivery process.
- The Nicomp® N3000 DLS online system can be integrated into many nanoparticle processes, providing real-time particle size distributions.
Process Control
To achieve high product yield, process control is needed to help ensure proper slurry blending ratios and to check whether the fluid handling system is allowing sufficient flow.
- Our InVue® integrated flow controller, model NT6520 combines differential pressure flow measurement technology and advanced closed-loop process control to enable precise point-of-use slurry flow control.
- Our NT™ proportional control valve, model 6300 provides reliable, linear proportional control in ultra high-purity and CMP slurry applications.
Process Measurement
Our portfolio of process measurement solutions is specifically designed for use in high-purity, harsh chemical environments. Our electronic flowmeters allow users to obtain greater control of process variables and leading-edge pressure transducers measure line pressure accurately and reliably.
- Our InVue electronic flowmeter, model NT4400 simultaneously measure flow rate and outlet pressure throughout the system, allowing for greater control of process variables.
- Our flow-through NT pressure transducer, model 4210 combines the latest electronic sensing technology with high-purity materials to provide accurate and reliable line pressure measurement that allows for greater control of CMP process variables.
Chemical Concentration Monitors
- SemiChem Advanced Process Monitor (APM) is a wet chemical monitoring system that automatically samples, analyzes, and reports quantitative chemical concentration of critical processes, helping to increase product yields.
In-Line Process Monitoring
- The InVue GV148 concentration monitor serves as a pre-check or early warning system to verify whether the slurry still meets specifications and unwanted variability has not been introduced throughout its use.
Featured Brochure
BrochureComprehensive listing of our holistic CMP process solutions that reduce contamination and deliver the best on-wafer performance, decrease cost of ownership, and ensure high yield.