Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chi-Hao Huang

Yeh-Chieh Wang

Hong-Hsing Chou

Pinyen Lin

Cheng-Chung Chien

Hsuan-Pang Liu

Yuan-Chun Sie

Chin-Tsung Lin

Hsiao-Yin Hsieh

Jung-Lung Hung

Jaw-Lih Shih

Hong-Shing Chou

Rong-June Hsiao

A polishing pad for a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes a first support layer and a polishing layer. The polishing layer is present on the first support layer. The polishing layer has a top surface that faces away from the first support layer and at least one first cavity that is buried at least beneath the top surface of the polishing layer.

Polishing pad, method for manufacturing polishing pad, and polishing method

An apparatus for extending the useful life of an ion source, comprising an arc chamber containing a plurality of cathodes to be used sequentially and a plurality of repellers to protect cathodes when not in use. The arc chamber includes an arc chamber housing defining a reaction cavity, gas injection openings, a plurality of cathodes, and at least one repeller element. A method for extending the useful life of an ion source includes providing power to a first cathode of an arc chamber in an ion source, operating the first cathode, detecting a failure or degradation in performance of the first cathode, energizing a second cathode, and continuing operation of the arc chamber with the second cathode.

Arc chamber with multiple cathodes for an ion source

Among other things, one or more systems and techniques for increasing temperature for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) are provided. For example, a liquid heater component is configured to supply heated liquid to a polishing pad upon which a semiconductor wafer is to be polished, resulting in a heated polishing pad having a heated polishing pad temperature. The increased temperature of the heated polishing pad increases oxidation of the semiconductor wafer, which improves a CMP removal rate of material from the semiconductor wafer due to a decreased oxidation timespan and a stabilization timespan for reaching a stable CMP removal rate during CMP. In this way, the semiconductor wafer is polished utilizing the heated polishing pad, such as by a tungsten CMP process.

Temperature modification for chemical mechanical polishing

A sapphire pad conditioner includes a sapphire substrate having multiple protrusions on a surface and a holder arranged to hold the sapphire substrate. The sapphire substrate is used for conditioning a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad.

Sapphire pad conditioner

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Zhunan, Taiwan

Chi-Hao Huang