Spray slurry delivery system for polish performance improvement and cost reduction

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for delivering a polishing fluid to a chemical mechanical polishing surface is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a vertical arm having a delivery portion located proximate to a circumference of a polishing surface, a first nozzle disposed on the delivery portion and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a first adjustable droplet size, and at least a second nozzle disposed on the delivery portion and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a second adjustable droplet size. In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a horizontal arm having a delivery portion disposed at least partially over a polishing surface, a first nozzle disposed on the delivery portion and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a first adjustable droplet size across a first region of the polishing surface, and at least a second nozzle disposed horizontally spaced from the first nozzle on the delivery portion, and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a second adjustable droplet size across a second region of the polishing surface.

1 . A system for delivering a polishing fluid to a chemical mechanical polishing surface comprising: 
 a horizontal arm having a delivery portion disposed at least partially over a polishing surface;    a first nozzle disposed on the delivery portion and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a first adjustable droplet size across a first region of the polishing surface; and    at least a second nozzle disposed horizontally spaced from the first nozzle on the delivery portion, and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a second adjustable droplet size across a second region of the polishing surface.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle dispenses polishing fluid with an adjustable first angle between the arm and the first region of the polishing surface and the at least second nozzle dispenses polishing fluid with an adjustable second angle between the arm and the second region of the polishing surface.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second nozzles provide polishing fluid at different flow rates.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second nozzles combined provide a total flow rate of less than about 100 mL/min polishing fluid.  
   
   
       5 . A system for delivering a polishing fluid to a chemical mechanical polishing surface comprising: 
 a vertical arm having a delivery portion located proximate to a circumference of a polishing surface;    a first nozzle disposed on the delivery portion and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a first adjustable droplet size; and    at least a second nozzle disposed on the delivery portion and adapted to dispense the polishing fluid with a second adjustable droplet size.    
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first nozzle provides polishing fluid with an adjustable first angle between the arm and the first region of the polishing surface and the at least second nozzle provides polishing fluid with an adjustable second angle between the arm and the second region of the polishing surface.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second nozzles provide polishing fluid at different flow rates.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second nozzles combined provide a total flow rate of less than about 100 mL/min polishing fluid.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein each nozzle has an independently adjustable polishing fluid flow rate.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first nozzle dispenses polishing fluid across a first region of the polishing surface and the at least second nozzle dispenses the polishing fluid across a second region of the polishing surface.  
   
   
       11 . A system for delivering a polishing fluid to a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus comprising: 
 a delivery arm having a delivery portion;    two or more nozzles disposed on the delivery portion of the delivery arm with each nozzle adapted to disperse the polishing fluid with an adjustable droplet size wherein each nozzle has an aperture that is independently controllable;    a tubing system configured to supply fluid to the two or more nozzles;    a pump system to provide a controlled pressure to the tubing system; and    a control system to independently control each aperture of each nozzle and the pump system.    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the nozzles provide polishing fluid droplet delivery streams having adjustable angles between the arm and a polishing surface.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the two or more nozzles each provide polishing fluid at a different flow rate.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second nozzles combined provide a total flow rate of less than about 100 mL/min polishing fluid.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the polishing fluid flow rates of each nozzle are independently controllable.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the delivery arm is a vertical arm having a delivery portion located proximate to a circumference of a polishing surface.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the delivery arm is a horizontal arm having a delivery portion disposed at least partially over a polishing surface.  
   
   
       18 . A method of supplying a polishing fluid to a chemical mechanical polishing surface comprising: 
 dispensing the polishing fluid onto the polishing material with a controlled droplet size across a first region of the polishing material; and    dispensing the polishing fluid onto the polishing material with a controlled droplet size across a second region of the polishing material,    wherein a first nozzle provides polishing fluid with an adjustable first angle between the arm and the first region of the polishing surface and at least a second nozzle provides polishing fluid with an adjustable second angle between the arm and the second region of the polishing surface.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the individual nozzles provide polishing fluid at different flow rates.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second nozzles combined provide less than about 100 mL/min polishing fluid.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the polishing fluid flow rates are independently controlled.