Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Kevin D Shipley

Peter A Burke

Christopher H Raeder

Peter J Beckage

A polishing pad having a cross-sectional open area which varies with depth from the pad surface is provided. The cross-sectional open area of the pad may increase and/or decrease moving away from the outer pad surface. In some cases, the cross-sectional open area of the pad varies uniformly with depth over the entire pad. In other cases, certain regions of the pad may define local cross-sectional open areas which vary differently. This can, for example, allow the open area of the pad to vary with pad life and improve or tailor the polishing uniformity of the pad and/or extend the useful life of the pad.

Polishing pad having open area which varies with distance from initial pad surface

A method and apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus preferably includes a brush holder that may include a base and a connection stud extending from the base. The base preferably includes a receiving lip for receiving a brush that is disposed on its lower surface. The brush preferably includes a substantially flexible material and a plurality of protrusions for contacting a semiconductor wafer. A backing plate preferably is attached to one side of the brush for connecting the brush to the brush holder. The backing plate preferably further includes an outer edge capable of forming a snap-fit engagement within the receiving lip of the brush holder to: (a) facilitate periodic replacement of the brush and (b) form a mechanical connection between the brush and brush holder that can withstand the presence of relatively basic or acidic cleaning agents. A rotatable shaft is connected to the connection stud. The rotatable shaft includes a conduit running through the shaft for flowing cleaning fluid through a borehole in the connection stud and brush holder and through an opening in the backing plate and brush so that cleaning fluid may be directly dispensed through the shaft conduit to the wafer. This cleaning fluid disbursement technique improves cleaning and prevents particles from being left behind as the brush is removed from the wafer.

Apparatus and method for cleaning semiconductor wafer

A polishing pad having a wear level indicator and a polishing system employing the same is provided. A polishing pad, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, includes a pad structure and an indicator, disposed in the pad structure, indicating the wear level of the pad structure. The pad structure may, for example, include a top pad and a bottom pad with the indicator being disposed in the top pad. The wear level may, for example, be a critical thickness of the polishing pad which indicates the end of the pad lifetime or which indicates the need to change polishing processing. The use of a wear level indicator allows for efficient and reliable pad wear level indication.

Polishing pad having a wear level indicator and system using the same

A tungsten prepper for seasoning a semiconductor wafer polishing pad to polish tungsten on a semiconductor wafer. The prepper includes a support device having a first surface and a seasoning layer attached to the first surface of the support device. The seasoning layer is made of a seasoning material for seasoning a polishing pad to polish tungsten. In one embodiment, the seasoning layer is flame sprayed on the surface of the support device. In another embodiment, the tungsten is inserted into notches in the surface. The seasoning material includes tungsten, and in some embodiments, an adhesion promoter such as nickel. The prepper can be attached to a conditioning arm of a Chemical Mechanical Polisher. The prepper can be used to season a new polishing pad until the tungsten polishing rate of the pad is above 4000 angstroms per minute. The prepper can also include conditioners to condition a pad while seasoning the pad.

Seasoning of a semiconductor wafer polishing pad to polish tungsten

A method and apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus preferably includes a brush holder that may include a base and a connection stud extending from the base. The base preferably includes a first plurality of openings and a receiving lip for receiving a brush that is disposed on its lower surface. The openings preferably serve to pass a cleaning solution to the brush during cleaning of a semiconductor wafer. The brush preferably includes a substantially flexible material and a plurality of protrusions for contacting a semiconductor wafer. A backing plate preferably is attached to one side of the brush for connecting the brush to the brush holder. The backing plate preferably includes a plurality of openings arranged to match the first plurality of openings on the base of the brush holder. The backing plate preferably further includes an outer edge capable of forming a snap-fit engagement within the receiving lip of the brush holder to: (a) facilitate periodic replacement of the brush and (b) form a mechanical connection between the brush and brush holder that can withstand the presence of relatively basic or acidic cleaning agents.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Kevin D Shipley