Vlsi Technology, Inc.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Vsli Technology, Inc.

Charles Franklin Drill

Milind Ganesh Weling

Daniel C Baker

Calvin T Gabriel

Ian Robert Harvey

David E Henderson

Richard D Russ

The present invention comprises a customized polishing pad for use in a wafer polishing machine. The polishing pad of the present invention includes a polishing surface integral with the polishing pad. The polishing surface is adapted to frictionally contact a wafer in the polishing machine, thereby polishing the wafer. The polishing surface of the polishing pad includes at least two areas, where each area is adapted to frictionally contact the wafer and achieve a polishing effect specific for that area. A customized polishing effect is achieved by the polishing pad of the present invention when the wafer is selectively moved frictionally against the at least two areas by the wafer polishing machine.

Customized polishing pad for selective process performance during chemical mechanical polishing

A method of using a gaseous environment providing improved control of CMP process. In one embodiment, the method comprises several steps. One step involves placing a semiconductor wafer onto a polishing pad of a CMP machine. A subsequent step dispenses a slurry onto the polishing pad. Another step provides a blanket of gas that displaces the ambient atmosphere surrounding the semiconductor wafer. In another step, the blanket of gas is maintained around the semiconductor wafer during the CMP operation.

Method and apparatus for a gaseous environment providing improved control of CMP process

A slurry dispensing carrier ring for confining a semiconductor wafer to a polishing pad in a chemical mechanical polishing machine. The slurry dispensing ring has a diameter and a lower surface substantially parallel to the plane defined by the diameter and an inner radius surface substantially orthogonal to the plane defined by the diameter. The inner radius surface is adapted to confine the semiconductor wafer. An outer radius surface is located opposite the inner radius surface. An upper surface is located opposite the lower surface. A slurry dispense hole extends through the carrier ring from the upper surface to the lower surface, wherein the slurry dispense hole is adapted to flow a slurry used for chemical mechanical polishing from the chemical mechanical polishing machine to the lower surface so that the slurry contacts the semiconductor wafer confined within the inner radius surface. This provides for the more efficient utilization of slurry in the CMP process wherein a planar topography is created on the semiconductor wafer. This facilitates the subsequent semiconductor processing steps performed on the semiconductor wafer and minimizes the amount of wasted slurry.

Slurry dispensing carrier ring

A semiconductor wafer polishing method comprises forming at least one alignment mark within an alignment area on a semiconductor wafer, forming a layer to be polished over the wafer, the layer being formed to be generally elevationally higher proximately about and surrounding the alignment area than within the alignment area, and polishing the layer. According to another aspect, a semiconductor wafer includes an alignment marking area formed relative to a surface of the wafer. At least one alignment mark is provided within the alignment area. A structure is formed about the alignment marking area and extends from the wafer surface a greater elevation than any elevation from such surface from which the alignment mark extends. Furthermore, a layer of material to be polished is provided over the structure to cause the material to be polished to be elevationally higher over the structure than over the alignment mark.

Semiconductor wafer, a chemical-mechanical alignment mark, and an apparatus for improving alignment for metal masking in conjunction with oxide and tungsten CMP

A system for dislodging by-product agglomerations from a polishing pad of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine. The present invention is used in conjunction with a CMP machine that polishes semiconductor wafers. Specifically, an embodiment of the dislodging system in accordance with the present invention includes a megasonic nozzle which is adapted to effectively dislodge polishing by-product agglomerations and particles from the grooves and micro-pits of the surface of a polishing pad through the application of an output stream of extremely agitated fluid (e.g., deionized water). One embodiment of the megasonic nozzle in accordance with the present invention includes two piezoelectric transducers which operate at a resonant frequency to produce the extremely agitated stream of fluid. A fluid line is connected to the megasonic nozzle and a fluid source in order to convey fluid to the megasonic nozzle. Within one embodiment of the present invention, a megasonic nozzle is mounted on a conditioner arm of a CMP machine near the end effector. As the polishing pad of the CMP machine rotates, the megasonic nozzle and the end effector translationally move towards and away from the center of the polishing pad such that the output stream of the megasonic nozzle covers nearly the entire surface of the polishing pad.

System for dislodging by-product agglomerations from a polishing pad of a chemical mechanical polishing machine

The present invention is a vacuum removal system for removing polishing by-products from the surface of a polishing pad in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) machine used to polish wafers. The vacuum removal system includes a vacuum removal nozzle which is adapted to dislodge and remove polishing by-product particles from a textured surface of a polishing pad through the application of suction. The vacuum removal nozzle is connected to a mounting attachment. The mounting attachment is mounted on the polishing machine and is adapted to maintain close proximity of the vacuum removal nozzle with the textured surface of the polishing pad. A vacuum line is connected to the vacuum nozzle to convey a vacuum to the vacuum nozzle and to receive the polishing by-product particles from the vacuum nozzle. A vacuum source is connected to the vacuum line to generate the vacuum used by the system.

Method and system for vacuum removal of chemical mechanical polishing by-products

The present invention is a conditioning ring for conditioning a polishing pad in a chemical-mechanical polishing machine. The conditioning ring is comprised of a ring having a diameter and a conditioning surface substantially parallel to a plane defined by the diameter. The conditioning ring has an inner radius surface to the plane defined by the diameter, wherein the inner radius surface is adapted to accept a wafer. The conditioning ring has an outer radius surface opposite the inner radius surface and an upper surface opposite the conditioning surface. The chemical mechanical polishing machine polishes the wafer by moving the polishing pad with respect to the wafer while the wafer is in contact with the polishing pad. The conditioning surface is adapted to frictionally contact the polishing pad. The conditioning surface conditions the polishing pad in response to a down force applied to the conditioning ring and as the chemical-mechanical polishing machine moves the polishing pad in relation to the conditioning surface.

Conditioning ring for use in a chemical mechanical polishing machine

A complementary conditioning system for use in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). The present invention functions with a CMP machine adapted for polishing a semiconductor wafer having tungsten components fabricated thereon. A polishing pad is mounted on the CMP machine. The polishing pad has a polishing surface configured for polishing the semiconductor wafer and its tungsten components. The performance of the polishing surface is characterized by a polishing efficiency. A complementary end-effector is mounted on the CMP machine. The complementary end-effector is adapted to chemically complement the tungsten components on the semiconductor wafer. The complementary end-effector is further adapted to contact the polishing surface and improve the polishing efficiency by chemically enhancing the polishing surface, thereby obtaining a more efficient removal rate for the chemical mechanical polishing.

Complementary material conditioning system for a chemical mechanical

Method and apparatus for improving alignment for metal masking in

A chemical mechanical polishing system for processing semiconductor wafers has a polishing arm and carrier assembly that press the topside surface of a semiconductor wafer against a motor driven, rotating polishing pad. Improved uniformity of material removal, as well as improved stability of material removal rate, is achieved through the use of a controller that applies a variable wafer backside pressure to the wafers being polished. More specifically, a control subsystem maintains a wafer count, corresponding to how many wafers have been polished by the polishing pad. The control subsystem regulates the backside pressure applied to each wafer in accordance with a predetermined function such that the backside pressure increases monotonically as the wafer count increases. In the preferred embodiment, the control system regulates the backside pressure in accordance with a linear function of the form: Backside Pressure=A+(B.times.Wafer Count). Whenever a new polishing pad is mounted, the wafer count value is reset to a predefined minimum wafer count value and the backside pressure for the next wafer to be polished is reset to a preset minimum backside pressure value.

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Boulder Creek, CA, United States of America

Charles Franklin Drill