6 DS SP

Chemical mechanical polishers are wafer surface finishing tools used in semiconductor manufacturing. Chemical mechanical polishing combines abrasive action and chemical action to remove material and reduce topography on a wafer surface. CMP tools are used when a process needs a flatter surface for later patterning, deposition, or integration steps.

CMP tools press a wafer against a moving polishing surface while slurry is supplied to the polish area. CMP process control generally depends on the interaction among pad condition, slurry chemistry, carrier pressure, relative motion, and time. CMP modules commonly include wafer handling, carrier heads, pad conditioning, slurry delivery, and post polish rinse functions.

CMP tools are used after films have been deposited and when excess topography must be reduced before later fabrication steps. CMP commonly sits between deposition and subsequent lithography, etch, or additional film formation steps because planar surfaces improve downstream pattern fidelity and integration. CMP is also commonly followed by cleaning or scrubbing to remove slurry residue and particles.

CMP is used to planarize dielectric, metal, and other deposited layers during device fabrication. CMP is used when a process needs controlled material removal together with improved local and global flatness. CMP can also be applied in compound semiconductor and substrate finishing flows where surface quality affects later process results.