IP Library Granted Patent US 8,380,339
Granted Patent B2
US 8,380,339 · App. 12/767,712 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Customized polish pads for chemical mechanical planarization

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,380,339
App. No.
12/767,712
Granted
Feb 19, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A polishing pad for chemical mechanical planarization of a film on a substrate is customized by obtaining one or more characteristics of a structure on a substrate. For example, when the structure is a chip formed on a semiconductor wafer, the one or more characteristics of the structure can include chip size, pattern density, chip architecture, film material, film topography, and the like. Based on the one or more characteristics of the structure, a value for the one or more chemical or physical properties of the pad is selected. For example, the one or more chemical or physical properties of the pad can include pad material hardness, thickness, surface grooving, pore size, porosity, Youngs modulus, compressibility, asperity, and the like.

Claims (32)

1. A method of chemical mechanical planarization of a substrate, the method comprising:

obtaining a characteristic of a structure on a substrate, wherein the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises a pattern density and a deposition bias;

selecting a value for a chemical or physical property of a polishing pad to be used in chemical mechanical planarization of the substrate based on the obtained characteristic of the structure on the substrate, wherein the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad is selected from the group consisting of hardness, porosity, Young's modulus, and compressibility of the polishing pad; and

polishing the substrate with the polishing pad having the chemical or physical property with the value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises:

obtaining a planarization length of a CMP process; and

performing a sensitivity analysis to determine a correlation between planarization length and the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the value for the chemical or physical property is selected based on the determined correlation between planarization length and the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad to optimize planarization length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises:

identifying dishing and/or erosion of a CMP process; and

performing a sensitivity analysis to determine a correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and dishing and/or erosion.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the value for the chemical or physical property is selected based on the determined correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and dishing and/or erosion to reduce dishing and/or erosion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises:

identifying over-polishing and/or under-polishing of a CMP process; and

performing a sensitivity analysis to determine a correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and over-polishing and/or under-polishing.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the value for the chemical or physical property is selected based on the determined correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and over-polishing and/or under-polishing to reduce over-polishing and/or under-polishing.

8. A method of chemical mechanical planarization of a substrate, the method comprising:

obtaining a characteristic of a structure on a substrate, wherein the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises a pattern density and a deposition bias;

selecting a value for a chemical or physical property of a polishing pad to be used in chemical mechanical planarization of the substrate based on the obtained characteristic of the structure on the substrate, wherein the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad is selected from the group consisting of hardness, porosity, Young's modulus, and compressibility of the polishing pad; and

polishing a second substrate with the polishing pad having the chemical or physical property with the value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises obtaining a planarization length of a CMP process; and

performing a sensitivity analysis to determine a correlation between planarization length and the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the value for the chemical or physical property is selected based on the determined correlation between planarization length and the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad to optimize planarization length.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises:

identifying dishing and/or erosion of a CMP process; and

performing a sensitivity analysis to determine a correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and dishing and/or erosion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the value for the chemical or physical property is selected based on the determined correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and dishing and/or erosion to reduce dishing and/or erosion.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the characteristic of the structure on the substrate comprises:

identifying over-polishing and/or under-polishing of a CMP process; and

performing a sensitivity analysis to determine a correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and over-polishing and/or under-polishing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the value for the chemical or physical property is selected based on the determined correlation between the chemical or physical property of the polishing pad and over-polishing and/or under-polishing to reduce over-polishing and/or under-polishing.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the substrate is a test substrate and the second substrate is a product substrate.

Assignments (10)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 22, 2023
From: CMC MATERIALS, INC.
To: CMC MATERIALS LLC
Reel/Frame 065663/0466 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 8, 2023
From: CMC MATERIALS, INC.
To: CMC MATERIALS LLC
Reel/Frame 065517/0783 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2022
From: ENTEGRIS, INC.; ENTEGRIS GP, INC.; POCO GRAPHITE, INC.; CMC MATERIALS, INC.; INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, LLC; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: TRUIST BANK, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060613/0072 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2022
From: CMC MATERIALS, INC.; INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, LLC; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060615/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; FLOWCHEM LLC; KMG ELECTRONIC CHEMICALS, INC.; KMG-BERNUTH, INC.; MPOWER SPECIALTY CHEMICALS LLC; SEALWELD (USA), INC.; INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, LLC; CMC MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060592/0260 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 13, 2021
From: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: CMC MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054980/0681 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 16, 2018
From: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; FLOWCHEM LLC; KMG ELECTRONIC CHEMICALS, INC.; MPOWER SPECIALTY CHEMICALS LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 047588/0263 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2018
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION; NEXPLANAR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047586/0400 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2017
From: NEXPLANAR CORPORATION
To: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043046/0377 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY JOINDER AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 31, 2015
From: NEXPLANAR CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 037407/0071 →