• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.11b
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• pp.185-188
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• 2001

Chemical mechanical polishing(CMP) process is widely used for global planarization of inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer and inter-layer dielectric (ILD) for deep sub-micron technology. However, as the IMD and ILD layer gets thinner, defects such as micro-scratch lead to severe circuit failure, which affect yield. In this paper, for the improvement of CMP process, deionized water (DIW) pressure, purified $N_2 \; (PN_2)$ gas, slurry filter and high spray bar were installed. Our experimental results show that DIW pressure and $PN_2$ gas factors were not related with removal rate, but edge hot-spot of patterned wafer had a serious relation. Also, the filter installation in CMP polisher could reduce defects after CMP process, it is shown that slurry filter plays an important role in determining consumable pad lifetime. The filter lifetime is dominated by the defects. However, the slurry filter is impossible to prevent defect-causing particles perfectly. Thus, we suggest that it is necessary to install the high spray bar of de-ionized water (DIW) with high pressure, to overcome the weak-point of slurry filter. Finally, we could expect the improvements of throughput, yield and stability in the ULSI fabrication process.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.191-195
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• 2002

Chemical mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is widely used for the global planarization of inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer and inter-layer dielectric (ILD) for deep sub-micron technology. However, as the IMD and ILD layer gets thinner, defects such as micro-scratch lead to severe circuit failure, which affect yield. In this paper, for the improvement of CMP process, deionized water (DIW) pressure, purified $N_2$ ($PN_2$) gas, point of use (POU) slurry filler and high spray bar (HSB) were installed. Our experimental results show that DW pressure and P$N_2$ gas factors were not related with removal rate, but edge hot-spot of patterned wafer had a serious relation. Also, the filter installation in CMP polisher could reduce defects after CMP process, it is shown that slurry filter plays an important role in determining consumable pad lifetime. The filter lifetime is dominated by the defects. However, the slurry filter is impossible to prevent defect-causing particles perfectly. Thus, we suggest that it is necessary to install the high spray bar of de-ionized water (DIW) with high pressure, to overcome the weak-point of slurry filter Finally, we could expect the improvements of throughput, yield and stability in the ULSI fabrication process.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2007

Copper has been used as an interconnect material in the fabrication of semiconductor devices, because of its higher electrical conductivity and superior electro-migration resistance. Chemical mechanical polishing(CMP) technique is required to planarize the overburden Cu film in an interconnect process. Various problems such as dishing, erosion, and delamination are caused by the high pressure and chemical effects in the Cu CMP process. But these problems have to be solved for the fabrication of the next generation semiconductor devices. Therefore, new process which is electro-chemical mechanical polishing(ECMP) or electro-chemical mechanical planarization was introduced to solve the technical difficulties and problems in CMP process. In the ECMP process, Cu ions are dissolved electrochemically by the applying an anodic potential energy on the Cu surface in an electrolyte. And then, Cu complex layer are mechanically removed by the mechanical effects between pad and abrasive. This paper focuses on the manufacturing of ECMP system and its process. ECMP equipment which has better performance and stability was manufactured for the planarization process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.546-546
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• 2008

Copper (Cu) Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has been an essential process for Cu wifing of DRAM and NAND flash memory beyond 45nm. Copper has been employed as ideal material for interconnect and metal line due to the low resistivity and high resistant to electro-migration. Damascene process is currently used in conjunction with CMP in the fabrication of multi-level copper interconnects for advanced logic and memory devices. Cu CMP involves removal of material by the combination of chemical and mechanical action. Chemicals in slurry aid in material removal by modifying the surface film while abrasion between the particles, pad, and the modified film facilitates mechanical removal. In our research, we emphasized on the role of chemical effect of slurry on Cu CMP, especially on the effect of amine functional group on removal rate selectivity between Cu and Tantalum-nitride (TaN) film. We investigated the two different kinds of complexing agent both with amine functional group. On the one hand, Polyacrylamide as a polymer affected the stability of abrasive, viscosity of slurry and the corrosion current of copper film especially at high concentration. At higher concentration, the aggregation of abrasive particles was suppressed by the steric effect of PAM, thus showed higher fraction of small particle distribution. It also showed a fluctuation behavior of the viscosity of slurry at high shear rate due to transformation of polymer chain. Also, because of forming thick passivation layer on the surface of Cu film, the diffusion of oxidant to the Cu surface was inhibited; therefore, the corrosion current with 0.7wt% PAM was smaller than that without PAM. the polishing rate of Cu film slightly increased up to 0.3wt%, then decreased with increasing of PAM concentration. On the contrary, the polishing rate of TaN film was strongly suppressed and saturated with increasing of PAM concentration at 0.3wt%. We also studied the electrostatic interaction between abrasive particle and Cu/TaN film with different PAM concentration. On the other hand, amino-methyl-propanol (AMP) as a single molecule does not affect the stability, rheological and corrosion behavior of the slurry as the polymer PAM. The polishing behavior of TaN film and selectivity with AMP appeared the similar trend to the slurry with PAM. The polishing behavior of Cu film with AMP, however, was quite different with that of PAM. We assume this difference was originated from different compactness of surface passivation layer on the Cu film under the same concentration due to the different molecular weight of PAM and AMP.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.171-175
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• 2001

Chemical mechanical polishing(CMP) process has been widely used to planarize dielectrics and metal, which can apply to employed in integrated circuits for sub-micron technology. Despite the increased use of CMP process, it is difficult to accomplish the global planarization of free-defects in inter level dielectrics and metal. Especially, defects like (micro-scratch) lead to severe circuit failure, and affects yield. Current conditioning method - bladder type, orbital pad motion - usually provides unsuitable pad profile during ex-situ conditioning near the end of pad life. Since much of the pad wear occurs by the mechanism of bladder tripe conditioning and its orbital motion without rotation, we need to implement new ex-situ conditioner which can prevent abnormal regional force on pad caused by bladder-type and also need to rotate the pad during conditioning. Another important study of ADPC is related to the orbital scratch of which source is assumed as diamond grit dropped from the strip during ex-situ conditioning. Scratch from diamond grit damaged wafer severely so usual1y scraped. Figure 1 shows the typical shape of scratch damaged from diamond. We suspected that intensive forces to the edge area of bladder type stripper accelerated the drop of Diamond grit during conditioning, so new designed Flat stripper was introduced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10b
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• pp.435-437
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• 2002

Polishing of copper, a process called copper chemical mechanical polishing, is a critical, intermediate step in the planarization of silicon wafers. During polishing, the electrodeposited copper films are removed by slurries: and the differential polishing rates between copper and the surrounding silicon dioxide leads to a greater removal of the copper. The differential polishing develops dimples and furrows; and the process is called dishing and erosion. In this work, we present the results of experiments on dishing and erosion of copper-CMP, using patterned silicon wafers. Results are analyzed for the pattern factors and properties of the copper layers. Three types of pads - plain, perforated, and grooved - were used for polishing. The effect of slurry chemistries and pad soaking is also reported.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.482-483
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• 2009

In chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process, the uniformity of stress acting on wafer surface is a key factor for uniform material removal of thin film especially in the oxide CMP. In this paper, we analyze the stress on the contact region between wafer and pad with finite-element analysis (FEA). The setting pressure acting on wafer back side was $500g/cm^2$ and the retainer pressure was changed from 300 to $700g/cm^2$. The polishing test is also done with the same conditions. The material removal rate profiles well-matched with stress distribution.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.85-90
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• 2003

Removal rate and Within Wafer Non-Uniformity (WIWNU), the most critical issues in Chemical Mechanical Polish (CMP) process, are related to the pressure distribution, wafer shape, slurry flow, mechanical property of pad and etc. Among them, wafer warp generated by other various manufacturing process of wafer may induce the deviation of pressure distribution on the backside of wafer. In the convex shaped wafer the pressure onto the backside of wafer is higher than that of perfectly flat shaped wafer. Besides, such an added pressure is in proportion to the curvature of wafer. That is, the bigger the curvature of wafer becomes the higher the removal rate goes. And the WIWNU is known to be directly related to the pressure distribution on the wafer as well. In other words, the deviation of pressure distribution is in proportion to the WIWNU. In this paper, it is found that the wafer shape may be modified through heating the backside of it and thus properly changed pressure onto the backside of it may improve the WIWNU.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2007

Conditioner wear, copper polish rates, pad temperature and coefficient of friction (COF) are measured for two novel Mitsubishi Materials Corporation designs during an extended wear and polishing test. Both designs are coated with a $Teflon^{TM}$ film to reduce substrate wear and chemical attack. Using optical interferometry, changes in the coating that result in gradual changes in diamond exposure are measured. Theories of the COF, conditioning, and polishing are applied to explain the observed performance differences between the designs.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1999.07d
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• pp.1891-1894
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• 1999

We can classify the scratches after CMP process into micro-scratch and macro-scratches according to the scratch size, scratch intensity and defect map, etc. The micro-scratches on wafer after CMP process are discussed in this paper. From many causes, major factor that influences the formation of micro-scratch is known as particle size distribution of slurry.(1) It is indefinite what size or type of particle can cause micro-scratch on wafer surface, but there is possibility caused by large particle over 1um. The best way for controlling these large particle to inflow is to use the slurry filter on POU(Point of user). But the slurry filter(especially, depth-type filter) has sometimes the problem which makes more sever micro-scratches on wafer surface after CMP. We studied that depth-type slurry filter has what kind of week-points and the number of scratch could be reduced by lowering slurry flow rate and by using high spray bar which sprays DIW on polishing pad with high pressure.