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Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is widely used to planarize semiconductor wafers and smooth the wafer surface. In CMP, a diamond disc conditioner is used to condition (or dress) a polishing pad to restore the pad performance. In this paper, a surface element method is proposed to develop a mathematic model to predict the pad surface shape resulted from diamond disc conditioning. The developed model is then validated by published experimental data. Results show that the model is effective to simulate the diamond disc conditioning process and predict the pad surface shape.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Diamond disc conditioning is traditionally employed to restore pad planarity and surface roughness in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In this paper, a mathematic model is developed by using a surface element method to simulate and predict the pad surface shape resulted from diamond disc conditioning. The developed model is then validated by published experimental data. Three metrics (total thickness variation (TTV), bow and non-uniformity (NU)) are defined and utilized to evaluate the pad surface shape. Based upon the validated model, effects of conditioning parameters (including sweeping profile, pad rotating speed, conditioner rotating speed, and conditioner diameter) on the pad surface shape are further investigated and discussed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is used to remove irregularities on the silicon wafer surface. The importance of CMP is the achievement of both local and global planarity of wafer surface. This paper presents an economic study on CMP of silicon wafers. A cost model is developed to predict the total cost for CMP of silicon wafers. An input-output model is developed to analyze parameters relevant to the fixed cost and variable cost. The labor cost is investigated through a flow chart of the labor operation. Based on the cost model, a hypothetical case study is conducted to show the model’s capability of performing sensitivity analysis and identifying critical factors for the total cost for strategic management purposes.Copyright © 2009 by ASME

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is a major manufacturing step extensively used to planarize semiconductor wafers. In CMP, the polishing pad surface is glazed by residues. A diamond disc conditioner is used to dress the pad to regenerate new pad profile and asperity in order to maintain favorable process conditions. This paper presents a review on process modeling of diamond disc pad conditioning in CMP. Following the introduction, the paper briefly introduces a technical background of the conditioning process and process control. It then summarizes research work on the various analytical process models proposed and ends with conclusions and topics for future research.

Silicon wafers are the fundamental building blocks for most integrated circuits. Chemical mechanical polishing is used to manufacture silicon wafers as the final material removal process to meet the ever-increasing demand for flatter wafers and lower prices. The polishing pad is one of the critical factors in planarizing wafer surfaces and its properties play critical roles in polishing. However, pad properties change during the process. This paper reviews the measurement methods for thickness, hardness, and Young’s modulus of polishing pads.Copyright © 2007 by ASME

Silicon is the primary semiconductor material used to fabricate integrated circuits. The quality of microchips depends directly on the quality of silicon wafers. A series of processes are required to manufacture the high-quality silicon wafers. Chemical mechanical polishing is a necessary step to achieve the required wafer flatness. In this paper, a finite element analysis has been conducted to study the effects of influencing factors (including Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the polishing pad, thickness of the pad, and polishing pressure) on the wafer flatness.Copyright © 2005 by ASME