Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Kuo-Cheng Lien

Teng-Chun Tsai

Shen-Nan Lee

Kuo-Yin Lin

Chang-Sheng Lin

Wen-Kuei Liu

Yu-Wei Chou

Yung-Cheng Lu

Chih-Chang Hung

Hsin-Hsien Lu

A slurry solution for a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process includes a wetting agent, a stripper additive that comprises at least one of: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), sulfolane, and dimethylformamide (DMF), and an oxidizer additive comprising at least one of: hydrogen peroxide (HO), ammonium persulfate ((NH)SO), peroxymonosulfuric acid (HSO), ozone (O) in de-ionized water, and sulfuric acid (HSO).

CMP slurry solution for hardened fluid material

A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device is provided. A first feature, which has a first susceptibility to damage by chemical mechanical processing (CMP), is formed at a first height as measured from an upper surface of the substrate. A second feature, which has a second susceptibility to damage by the CMP, is formed at a second height as measured from the upper surface of the substrate and is laterally spaced from the first feature by a recess. The second height is greater than the first height, and the second susceptibility is less than the first susceptibility. A sacrificial coating is formed in the recess over an uppermost surface of the first feature. CMP is performed to remove a first portion of the sacrificial coating and expose an upper surface of the second feature while leaving a second portion of the sacrificial coating in place over the first feature.

CMP-friendly coatings for planar recessing or removing of variable-height layers

Some embodiments are directed to a wafer polishing tool. The wafer polishing tool includes a first polisher, a second polisher downstream of the first polisher, a third polisher downstream of the second polisher, and a fourth polisher downstream of the third polisher. The first polisher receives a wafer having a front side and a back side with integrated circuit component devices disposed on the front side of the wafer, and polishes a center region on the back side of the wafer. The second polisher receives the wafer via transporting equipment and buffs the center region of the back side of the wafer. The third polisher receives the wafer via the transporting equipment and polishes a back side edge region of the wafer. The fourth polisher receives the wafer via the transporting equipment and buffs the back side edge region of the wafer.

Wafer back-side polishing system and method for integrated circuit device manufacturing processes

An IC device manufacturing process effectuates a planar recessing of material that initially varies in height across a substrate. The method includes forming a polymer coating, CMP to form a planar surface, then plasma etching to effectuate a planar recessing of the polymer coating. The material can be recessed together with the polymer coating, or subsequently with the recessed polymer coating providing a mask. Any of the material above a certain height is removed. Structures that are substantially below that certain height can be protected from contamination and left intact. The polymer can be a photoresist. The polymer can be provided with suitable adhesion and uniformity for the CMP process through a two-step baking process and by exhausting the baking chamber from below the substrate.

A method for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process includes applying a CMP slurry solution to a surface of a hardened fluid material on a substrate, the solution comprising an additive to change a bonding structure on the surface of the hardened fluid material. The method further includes polishing the surface of the hardened fluid material with a polishing head.

A wafer polishing process includes polishing a central area on the back side of a wafer, polishing a peripheral area on the back side of the wafer, buffing the central area, and buffing the peripheral area. The process can significantly reduce scratch-related wafer breakage, can correct focus spots on wafers, and can replace cleaning processes that use chemical etchants. Polishing and buffing can include polishing and buffing the bevel region. Further improvements include polishing with abrasive pads having a soft backing, polishing or buffing with pads having relatively soft abrasive particles, polishing or buffing with abrasive pads made from abrasive particles that have been sorted and selected for regularity of shape, irrigating the surface being polished or buffed with an aqueous solution that includes a friction-reducing agent, and buffing with abrasive pads having 20k or finer grit or non-abrasive pads.

The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device in some embodiments. In the method, a semiconductor substrate is processed through a series of operations to form a topographically variable surface over the semiconductor substrate. The topographically variable surface varies in height across the semiconductor substrate. A polymeric bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) is provided over the topographically variable surface. Chemical mechanical polishing is performed to remove a first portion of the BARC, and etching effectuates a top-down recessing of the BARC.

BARC-assisted process for planar recessing or removing of variable-height layers

A retainer ring for chemical-mechanical polishing or other processes includes an outside ring and an inside ring that is attached to the outside ring. The inside ring is softer than the outside ring in hardness.

Retainer ring

A wafer polishing process includes polishing a central area on the back side of a wafer, polishing a peripheral area on the back side of the wafer, buffing the central area, and buffing the peripheral area. The process can significantly reduce scratch-related wafer breakage, can correct focus spots on wafers, and can replace cleaning processes that use chemical etchants. Polishing and buffing can include polishing and buffing the bevel region. Further improvements include polishing with abrasive pads having a soft backing, polishing or buffing with pads having relatively soft abrasive particles, polishing or buffing with abrasive pads made from abrasive particles that have been sorted and selected for regularity of shape, irrigating the surface being polished or buffed with an aqueous solution that includes a friction-reducing agent, and buffing with abrasive pads having 20 k or finer grit or non-abrasive pads.

An IC device manufacturing process effectuates a planar recessing of material that initially varies in height across a substrate. The method includes forming a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC), baking to induce cross-linking in the BARC, CMP to remove a first portion of the BARC and form a planar surface, then plasma etching to effectuate a planar recessing of the BARC. The plasma etching can have a low selectivity between the BARC and the material being recessed, whereby the BARC and the material are recessed simultaneously. Any of the material above a certain height is removed. Structures that are substantially below that certain height can be protected from contamination and left intact. The method can be particularly effective when an abrasive used during CMP forms ester linkages with the BARC.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Kuo-Cheng Lien