US2006175294A1PendingUtilityA1

Chemical mechanical polishing method and apparatus

45
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Oct 30, 2003Filed: Jan 9, 2006Published: Aug 10, 2006
Est. expiryOct 30, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Joe G. TranChad KaneshigeBrian K. Kirkpatrick
H10P 95/062B24B 37/26
45
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A method for removing material from the surface of a semiconductor wafer with a chemical mechanical polishing process is described. The method uses a polishing pad on which a line-pattern of grooves is formed. The pattern comprises orderly spaced grooved-area and area without grooves. The method combines information of the surface topography of the wafer, the nature of the material to be removed, and the available groove pattern on the surface of the polishing pad to generate a process recipe in which the resident time of portions of the semiconductor wafer spends at the grooved and un-grooved areas of the polishing pad during the chemical mechanical polishing process is pre-determined.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 13 . (canceled)  
     
     
         14 . A method for removing a predetermined amount of a material from a surface of a semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a semiconductor wafer having a top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, the top surface having a center portion and a edge portion;    b. providing a chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) apparatus including a polishing pad that has a polishing surface and a backing surface, the backing surface attaching to a platen, the polishing surface having a center point, an edge, and a plurality of regions radially distant from the center point and patterned with slurry channels of various densities;    c. providing a CMP recipe for polishing the top surface of the semiconductor wafer on the polishing surface such that the edge portion of the wafer comes in contact with each of the plurality of regions of the polishing surface;    d. commencing the polishing process based on the process recipe;    and    e. terminating the polishing process when the predetermined amount of material is removed from the top surface of the semiconductor wafer.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , in which a region on the polishing surface having a high density of slurry channels situates approximately half-way between the center point and the edge.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , in which a region on the polishing surface having a low density of slurry channels situates adjacent the center point.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the region adjacent the center point has zero density of slurry channels.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , in which a region on the polishing surface having a low density of slurry channels situates adjacent the edge.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , in which the region adjacent the edge point has zero density of slurry channels.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , in which the slurry channels are con-centric rings.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , in which the slurry channels are spiral.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , in which the slurry channels are con-centric rings.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , in which the rings are evenly spaced in each region.

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