Two component chemical mechanical polishing
Systems and methods for polishing semiconductor workpieces are provided. In one example, the polishing system includes a platen operable to rotate about an axis. The polishing system further includes a polishing pad on the platen. The polishing system further includes a workpiece carrier operable to bring a semiconductor workpiece into contact with the polishing pad. The polishing pad includes a first zone and a second zone.
1 . A polishing system for a semiconductor workpiece, comprising:
a platen operable to rotate about an axis;
a polishing pad on the platen;
a workpiece carrier operable to bring a semiconductor workpiece into contact with the polishing pad;
a separator fixed to the polishing pad, wherein the separator is operable to separate the polishing pad into a first zone and a second zone; and
a delivery system operable to deliver an oxidizing material to the first zone and an oxide removal material to the second zone such that an oxidation process may be implemented on the workpiece in a spatially separated manner relative to an oxide removal process.
2 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a fluid blade operable to inject a separator fluid to separate the first zone from the second zone.
3 . The polishing system of claim 2 , wherein the separator fluid comprises air, water, liquid, or a gas.
4 . The polishing system of claim 2 , wherein the separator passes through a center of the polishing pad.
5 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a lip that protrudes from the polishing pad.
6 . The polishing system of claim 5 , wherein the lip comprises a polymer.
7 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the first zone is a different size relative to the second zone.
8 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing material comprises hydrogen peroxide, urea peroxide, potassium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, ammonium persulfate, potassium peroxymonosulfate, sodium permanganate, potassium permanganate, potassium periodate, and/or potassium persulfate.
9 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the oxide removal material comprises one or more of abrasive elements provided as part of a slurry.
10 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the first zone comprises an oxidizing material on the polishing pad in the first zone.
11 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the second zone comprises one or more abrasive elements, wherein the one or more abrasive elements comprise one or more of: (i) diamond; (ii) ceramic; (iii) metal nitride; (iv) metal oxide, (v) metal carbide; (vi) metalloid nitride; (vii) metalloid oxide; (viii) metalloid carbide; (ix) carbon group nitride; (x) carbon group oxide; or (xi) carbon group carbide.
12 . The polishing system of claim 1 , wherein the polishing system comprises a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system.
13 . A method of polishing a workpiece, the method comprising:
providing a surface of a workpiece on a polishing pad;
imparting relative motion between the polishing pad and the workpiece;
providing an actuatable material to the polishing pad;
activating the actuatable material in a pulsed manner to provide a time separation between a first process comprising oxide removal on the workpiece and a second process without oxide removal on the workpiece by pulsing an actuator to selectively activate the actuatable material while imparting relative motion between the polishing pad and the workpiece; and
wherein the actuator is one or more of an electrostatic actuator, electrochemical actuator, acoustic actuator, ultrasonic actuator, optical actuator, thermal actuator, or plasma-based actuator.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein activating the actuatable material in a pulsed manner comprises pulsing the actuator to selectively activate the actuatable material to provide an oxidation process on the workpiece.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein activating the actuatable material in a pulsed manner comprises pulsing the actuator to selectively activate the actuatable material to provide an oxide removal process on the workpiece.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein providing the actuatable material comprises providing a fluid through one or more apertures through the polishing pad.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein providing the actuatable material comprises providing a fluid through a fluid delivery outlet.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein imparting relative motion comprises rotating the polishing pad about a first axis or rotating the workpiece about a second axis.