Irrigation systems for removing polishing byproduct

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure include apparatus which includes a polishing pad and a pad conditioning arm. The polishing pad is disposed on a platen. The pad conditioning arm is disposed above a top portion of a platen shield and has a first end and a second end. A pad conditioning disk is coupled to the first end. The pad conditioning disk has a disk surface configured to interface with a surface of the polishing pad. The disk surface is configured to actuate between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of a substrate carrier. An irrigation fluid delivery system is configured to flow a pressurized irrigation fluid from a fluid source disposed below the platen through at least one nozzle of the pad conditioning arm. The at least one nozzle is configured to direct the pressurized irrigation fluid towards the surface of the polishing pad.

Description

IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FOR REMOVING POLISHING BYPRODUCTBACKGROUNDField

[0001] Embodiments described herein generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems and methods used in semiconductor device manufacturing. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to irrigation systems and methods for removing polishing byproduct from polishing pads.Description of the Related Art

[0002] Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is used for planarization in semiconductor manufacturing and other manufacturing processes. Planarization is the removal of material from a surface of a substrate / wafer to uniformly flatten the surface. Typically, the substrate / wafer is retained in a substrate carrier which urges the surface of the substrate / wafer towards a rotating polishing pad in the presence of slurry and polishing fluid. In general, the slurry includes abrasive particles and one or more chemicals and the polishing fluid is a carrier medium for delivering the slurry to the surface of the substrate / wafer. The material is removed from the surface of the substrate / wafer through a combination of chemical and mechanical polishing via the slurry and the relative motion of the substrate / wafer and the polishing pad.

[0003] The polishing pad often includes grooves in its surface which are designed for distributing / retaining the slurry and also for capturing the material removed from the surface of the substrate / wafer. However, the slurry and the removed material can also form a polishing byproduct composite material which has a high affinity to the surface of the polishing pad and is not removable using conventional byproduct removal processes. The byproduct composite material causes imperfections, scratches, and non-uniformities in the surface of the substrate / wafer (e.g., grind marks) which adversely affect polishing functionality of the polishing pad. The adversely affected polishing functionality significantly reduces consumable lifetime and substrate / wafer yield.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a desirable byproduct removal technique that solves the problems described above.SUMMARY

[0005] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the appended drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects may be employed.

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus that includes a polishing pad and a pad conditioning arm. The polishing pad is disposed over a platen that is circumscribed by a platen shield. The pad conditioning arm is disposed above a top portion of the platen shield and has a first end and a second end. A pad conditioning disk is coupled to the first end of the pad conditioning arm and disposed below the top portion of the platen shield. The pad conditioning disk has a disk surface configured to interface with a surface of the polishing pad and actuate between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of a substrate carrier. An irrigation fluid delivery system is configured to flow a pressurized irrigation fluid from a fluid source disposed below the platen through at least one nozzle of the pad conditioning arm. The at least one nozzle is disposed adjacent to the first end of the pad conditioning arm and configured to direct the pressurized irrigation fluid towards the surface of the polishing pad between the outer diameter of the platen and the lateral portion of the substrate carrier.

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that includes rotating a polishing pad relative to a substrate carrier by a platen circumscribed by a platen shield. At least one nozzle of a pad conditioning arm is actuated between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of the substrate carrier. The pad conditioning arm is disposed above a top portion of the platen shield. An outlet of the at least on nozzle is directed towards the polishing pad. A pressurized irrigation fluid is flowed from a fluid source disposed below the platen through the outlet of the at least one nozzle to a surface of the polishing pad. The irrigation fluid removes polishing byproduct from a groove formed in the surface of the polishing pad.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] So that the manner in which the above recited features of embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0009] Figure 1A is a schematic side view of an example polishing system, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 B illustrates a schematic plan view of an example polishing system, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2E illustrate examples of irrigation fluid delivery systems, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 illustrates representations of removing polishing byproduct from a groove in a polishing pad, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method for removing polishing byproduct from a groove in a polishing pad, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). More specifically, embodiments described herein provide irrigation systems for removing polishing byproduct frompolishing pads. In some embodiments, a polishing pad is disposed on a platen that is circumscribed by a platen shield. In one or more embodiments, the platen rotates the polishing pad relative to a substrate carrier for a planarization process that removes material from a surface of a substrate disposed in the substrate carrier.

[0016] In order to remove the material, a slurry arm delivers slurry and irrigation fluid to the polishing pad. The slurry includes abrasive particles and one or more chemicals and the polishing fluid is a carrier medium for delivering the slurry to the surface of the substrate via the rotation of the polishing pad. In some embodiments, the relative motion of the polishing pad and the surface of the substrate in the presence of slurry and polishing fluid removes material from the substrate. In various embodiments, the polishing pad includes grooves configured to retain the slurry. In certain embodiments, the material removed from the substrate aggregates with the slurry in the grooves. The aggregated slurry and removed material can form a sticky polishing byproduct composite material with a strong affinity to the polishing pad which is not removable using conventional byproduct removal techniques and can cause damage to the surface of the substrate (e.g., cause grind marks and non-uniform ities in the surface) during a polishing process.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, a pad conditioning arm includes a pad conditioning disk that is configured to actuate over a surface of the polishing pad between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of the substrate carrier. In order to remove the polishing byproduct from the polishing pad (e.g., from the grooves), the pad conditioning arm includes an irrigation fluid delivery system configured to flow a pressurized irrigation fluid from a fluid source disposed below the platen through a nozzle of the pad conditioning arm to the surface of the polishing pad. In some embodiments, the nozzle directs the pressurized irrigation fluid towards the surface of the polishing pad between the outer diameter of the platen and the lateral portion of the substrate carrier which removes the polishing byproduct from the polishing pad. Removing the polishing byproduct from the polishing pad prevents the byproduct from damaging the surface of the substrate and increases substrate yield.Polishing System Examples

[0018] Figure 1A is a schematic side view of an example polishing system 100. The polishing system 100 includes a frame (not shown) and a plurality of panels 102 that define a substrate processing environment 104 for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). As shown, the polishing system 100 includes a platen 106 that is circumscribed by a platen shield 108. The platen shield 108 includes a top portion 108A, and an outer diameter 106A of the platen 106 is disposed within the platen shield 108 below the top portion 108A in some embodiments.

[0019] A polishing pad 110 is disposed over the platen 106 and the polishing pad 110 is secured to the platen 106. The platen 106 rotates the polishing pad 110 relative to a substrate carrier assembly 112. In one or more embodiments, the substrate carrier assembly 112 includes a substrate carrier 114, a substrate 116 disposed within the substrate carrier 114, and a flexible membrane 118 disposed within a lateral portion 114A of the substrate carrier 114 such that the substrate 116 is disposed between the flexible membrane 118 and the polishing pad 110. In certain embodiments, the flexible membrane 118 urges the substrate 116 against the polishing pad 110 during processing. In some embodiments, the substrate carrier 114 may rotate the substrate 116 relative to the polishing pad 110 which is rotated relative to the substrate 116 independently by the platen 106. In general, the platen 106 rotates the polishing pad 110 relative to the substrate 116 at a greater rotational speed than the substrate carrier 114 rotates the substrate 116 relative to the polishing pad 110; however, in some embodiments, the substrate carrier 114 may rotate the substrate 116 relative to the polishing pad 110 at a greater rotational speed than the platen 106 rotates the polishing pad 110 relative to the substrate 116.

[0020] The polishing system 100 includes a slurry arm 120 which is coupled to a slurry dispense system (not shown) that is configured to deliver a slurry (e.g., a silica- based slurry, an alumina-based slurry, a diamond-based slurry, a mixed abrasive slurry, etc.) and / or polishing fluid to the polishing pad 110 through one or more slurry dispense nozzles 120A. In various embodiments, the slurry includes abrasive particles (e.g., nanoparticles) and one or more chemicals. The polishing fluid is a carrier medium for delivering the slurry to a surface of the substrate 116 for planarization of the surface. In certain embodiments, the slurry arm 120 delivers the slurry and / or the polishing fluid to the polishing pad 110 continuously, intermittently, inpulses, via integrated dispensing, etc. In some embodiments, the polishing pad 110 includes grooves (not shown) configured to distribute and / or retain the slurry.

[0021] The planarization of the surface of the substrate 116 involves chemical and / or mechanical removal of material from the surface to uniformly flatten the surface of the substrate 116. As the platen 106 rotates the polishing pad 110, polishing byproduct (e.g., excess slurry and / or polishing fluid along with the material removed from the surface of the substrate 116) diffuses radially outward into a drainage basin 122 to be collected and removed by a drain 122A. However, some of the excess slurry and the material removed from the surface of the substrate 116 can aggregate within grooves (not shown) of the polishing pad 110 and form a polishing byproduct composite material with a strong affinity for and / or bond to the polishing pad 110. In embodiments in which the slurry arm 120 includes a rinse nozzle, the slurry arm 120 may be capable of removing some of the polishing byproduct composite material via rinsing using the rinse nozzle but only from a localized region of the polishing pad 110 because a range of motion of the slurry arm 120 is limited to the localized region by the platen shield 108. In one example, the polishing byproducts include a mixture of slurry (e.g., silica) and silicon oxide, which are formed during a metal or oxide polishing process. In another example, the polishing byproducts include a mixture of slurry (e.g., silica) and silicon, which are formed during a process that polishes a silicon substrate using a silica-based slurry. In some examples, the polishing byproducts include the mixture of silica and silicon in a ratio in a range of about 5:1 to 100:1 by weight.

[0022] Regardless of whether some of the polishing byproduct composite material is removed locally by the slurry arm 120, any remaining polishing byproduct composite material on the polishing pad 110 mechanically causes imperfections / non-uniformities (e.g., grind marks, scratches, etc.) in the surface of the substrate 116 due to the abrasive particles in the slurry. The imperfections / non-uniformities in the surface of the substrate 116 adversely affect the polishing pad’s 110 polishing functionality. The reduced functionality of the polishing pad 110 prevents planarization of the surface of the substrate 116 and reduces substrate yield.

[0023] In order to remove the polishing byproduct composite material from the polishing pad 110 and prevent formation of the imperfections / non-uniformities in the surface of the substrate 116, the polishing system 100 includes a pad conditionerassembly 124. In some embodiments, the pad conditioner assembly 124 includes a pad conditioning arm 126 having a first end 126A and a second end 126B. In one or more embodiments, a pad conditioning disk 128 is coupled to the first end 126A of the pad conditioning arm 126 by a mounting plate 130. The pad conditioning disk 128 has a surface configured to interface with the polishing pad 110, and the pad conditioning disk 128 conditions the polishing pad 110 by sweeping the surface over the polishing pad 110 as the polishing pad 110 is rotated by the platen 106. In various embodiments, an actuator 132 of the pad conditioner assembly 124 actuates the pad conditioning arm 126 relative to the polishing pad 110 which also actuates the surface of the conditioning disk 128 in order to sweep / condition the polishing pad 110.

[0024] In some embodiments, a fluid source 134 is disposed below the platen 106, and the fluid source 134 includes a pressurized irrigation fluid such as deionized water. In one or more embodiments, the irrigation fluid source 134 is coupled to an irrigation fluid delivery system 136 of the pad conditioning arm 126. In various embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 is configured to flow the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 through a nozzle 138 of the pad conditioning arm 126. In some embodiments, the nozzle 138 is disposed adjacent to the first end 126A of the pad conditioning arm 126. In certain embodiments, the pressurized irrigation fluid flows through the nozzle 138 at an adjustable flow rate in a range of 0.5 liters per minute to 7.0 liters per minute, such as at a rate greater than 2.0 liters per minute, greater than 3.0 liters per minute, greater than 4.0 liters per minute, greater than 5.0 liters per minute, greater than 6.0 liters per minute, etc. In some embodiments, the pressurized irrigation fluid flows through the nozzle 138 at a flow rate of less than 0.5 liters per minute or greater than 7.0 liters per minute. In one or more embodiments, the pressurized irrigation fluid flowing through the nozzle 138 is capable of removing the polishing byproduct composite material from the polishing pad 110 to prevent formation of the imperfections / non-uniformities in the surface of the substrate 116.

[0025] The polishing system 100 is illustrated to include a controller 140 which includes a computing device having one or more processors, memory, and storage. The one or more processors can include central processing units, graphics processing units, accelerators, etc. The memory includes main memory for storing instructions for the one or more processors to execute or data for the one or more processors tooperate on. For example, the memory includes random access memory (RAM). The storage includes mass storage for data or instructions. As an example and not by way of limitation, the storage may include a removable disk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus drive or two or more of these. The storage may include removable or fixed media and may be internal or external to the computing device. The storage may include any suitable form of non-volatile, solid-state memory, or read-only memory. The controller 140 includes a non-transitory computer readable medium or media. The non-transitory computer readable medium or media may include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (such, as for example, field-programmable gate arrays or application-specific ICs), hard disk drives, hybrid hard drives, optical discs, optical disc drives, magneto-optical discs, magneto-optical drives, solid-state drives, RAM drives, any other suitable non-transitory computer readable storage medium / media, or any suitable combination. The non-transitory computer readable medium or media may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0026] The controller 140 illustrated to be communicatively / electrically coupled to the platen 106, the slurry arm 120, the actuator 132, and the fluid source 134. In various embodiments, the one or more processors of the controller 140 execute instructions which cause the one or more processors to increase / decrease a rotational speed of the platen 106. In some embodiments, the instructions executed by the one or more processors of the controller 140 cause the one or more processors to increase / decrease rate of delivery of the slurry and / or the polishing fluid by the slurry arm 120. In certain embodiments, the one or more processors of the controller 140 execute instructions which cause the one or more processors to actuate the pad conditioning arm 126 by controlling the actuator 132. In one or more embodiments, the instructions executed by the one or more processors of the controller 140 cause the one or more processors to increase / decrease the flow rate of the pressurized irrigation fluid through the nozzle 138.

[0027] Figure 1 B illustrates a schematic plan view 101 of the polishing system 100. As shown, the platen 106 rotates the polishing pad 110 in a rotational direction 142 which is illustrated to be counter-clockwise. The substrate carrier 114 rotates in a rotational direction 144 which is also illustrated to be counter-clockwise. In someembodiments, the one or more processors of the controller 140 execute instructions which cause the one or more processors to actuate the pad conditioning arm 126 by controlling the actuator 132. In various embodiments, actuating the pad conditioning arm 126 is configured to actuate the mounting plate 130 such that the surface of the pad conditioning disk 128 actuates over the polishing pad 110 as the polishing pad 110 is rotated by the platen 106. During a polishing process sequence performed on a substrate an in-situ and / or ex-situ pad conditioning process is typically performed. During an in-situ or ex-situ pad conditioning process an abrasive containing portion of the pad conditioning disk 128 is urged against a portion of the polishing pad while the pad conditioning disk 128 is rotated about a central axis of the pad conditioning disk 128 by a pad conditioning disk actuator (not shown) and translated across the polishing pad 110 by the actuator 132 to abrade the surface of the polishing pad.

[0028] Unlike the slurry arm 120 which has a limited range of motion, the surface of the pad conditioning disk 128 has a range of motion 146 that extends between a portion of the polishing pad 110 that the lateral portion 114A of the substrate carrier 114 is positioned over and the outer diameter 106A of the platen 106. In some embodiments, by actuating the surface of the pad conditioning disk 128 between the lateral portion 114A and the outer diameter 106A, the nozzle 138 is capable of directing a high velocity and flow rate of the pressurized irrigation fluid at any particular portion of the polishing pad 110 as the particular portion rotates through the range of motion 146. In one or more embodiments, by directing the high velocity and flow rate of the irrigation fluid at the grooves (not shown) of the polishing pad 110, the polishing byproduct composite materials are removed from the grooves and formation of the imperfections / non-uniformities in the surface of the substrate 116 are prevented.Polishing Byproduct Removal Examples

[0029] Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2E illustrate examples of irrigation fluid delivery systems. Figure 2A illustrates a representation 200 of the pad conditioning arm 126 disposed over a portion of the polishing pad 110 within the range of motion 146 that extends between the lateral portion 114A of the substrate carrier 114 and the outer diameter 106A of the platen 106. As shown, polishing byproduct 206 is disposed on the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, the polishing byproduct 206 is the polishing byproduct composite material that includes the slurry, abraded pad material,and the material removed from the surface of the substrate 116 which aggregates in the grooves (not shown) of the polishing pad 110. In various embodiments, in order to remove the polishing byproduct 206 from the polishing pad 110, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 includes a nozzle 208.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 is configured to flow the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 through the nozzle 208. As shown in Figure 2A, a jet 210 of the pressurized irrigation fluid is delivered from an outlet 212 of the nozzle 208. In some embodiments, the nozzle 208 includes a solid stream nozzle, which can include a solid cylindrical stream, a fan shaped stream, a cone shaped stream, or other desirable shaped fluid stream. In certain embodiments, the nozzle 208 includes a rotating nozzle stream with an internal spinning mechanism (e.g., a helically shaped portion) that causes the jet 210 to rotate in order to facilitate removal of the polishing byproduct 206 from the polishing pad 110.

[0031] The nozzle 208 is illustrated to be oriented normal to the pad conditioning arm 126, and the jet 210 collides with the polishing pad 110 and the polishing byproduct 206 at a 90 degree angle relative to the polishing pad 110. However, in some embodiments, the jet 210 collides with the polishing pad 110 and the polishing byproduct 206 at an angle greater than or less than 90 degrees relative to the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, the pad conditioning arm 126 includes a nozzle actuator 214 configured to adjust the orientation of the nozzle 208 (e.g., the orientation of the outlet 212) relative to the polishing pad 110 in the X, Y, and / or Z directions shown. In various embodiments, the nozzle actuator 214 can actuate the nozzle 208 according to one or more predefined actuation patterns such as circular patterns, figure eight patterns, back and forth in the Z and X directions, etc. In one or more embodiments, the nozzle actuator 208 may actuate the nozzle 208 based on material properties of the slurry, the substrate 116, and / or the polishing byproduct 206.

[0032] Figure 2B illustrates a representation 201 of a nozzle 216 having multiple jets included in the irrigation fluid delivery system 136. As shown, the pad conditioning arm 126 is disposed over the polishing pad 110 and the polishing byproduct 206 is disposed on the polishing pad 110. In one or more embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 is configured to flow the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 through the nozzle 216. In the illustrated example, a first jet 218A of thepressurized irrigation fluid is delivered from a first outlet 220A of the nozzle 216, and a second jet 218B of the pressurized irrigation fluid is delivered from a second outlet 220B of the nozzle 216. In some embodiments, the nozzle 216 may remove the polishing byproduct 206 from the polishing pad 110 more effectively or at a faster rate than the nozzle 208.

[0033] Figure 2C illustrates a representation 202 of a nozzle 222 having multiple jets with different angular orientations included in the irrigation fluid delivery system 136. In the representation 202, the pad conditioning arm 126 is disposed over the polishing pad 110 and the polishing byproduct 206 is disposed on the polishing pad 110. In various embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 is configured to flow the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 through the nozzle 216. In some examples, a first jet 224 of the pressurized irrigation fluid having a first orientation is delivered from a first outlet 226 of the nozzle 222 towards the polishing pad 110 in a first direction defined by an angle 228. In the illustrated example, the angle 228 is an acute angle relative to a direction of a vector that is normal to the polishing pad 110. In one or more embodiments, a second jet 230 of the pressurized irrigation fluid having a second orientation is delivered from a second outlet 232 of the nozzle 222 towards the polishing pad 110 in a second direction. In various embodiments, the second direction is normal to the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, the nozzle 222 may remove the polishing byproduct 206 from the polishing pad 110 more effectively than the nozzle 216.

[0034] Figure 2D illustrates a representation 203 of multiple nozzles included in the irrigation fluid delivery system 136. As shown, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 includes a first nozzle 234A and a second nozzle 234B. In the representation 203, the pad conditioning arm 126 is disposed over the polishing pad 110 and the polishing byproduct 206 is disposed on the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 is configured to flow the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 through the first nozzle 234A and through the second nozzle 234B. In one or more embodiments, a first jet 236A of the pressurized irrigation fluid is delivered from a first outlet 238A of the first nozzle 234A. In some examples, a second jet 236B is delivered from a second outlet 238B of the second nozzle 234B. In the illustrated example, the first nozzle 234A and the second nozzle 234B areoriented normal to the polishing pad 110. In various embodiments, the first and second nozzles 234A, 234B may remove the polishing byproduct 206 from the polishing pad 110 more effectively or at a faster rate than the nozzle 208.

[0035] Figure 2E illustrates a representation 204 of multiple nozzles included in the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 having different orientations relative to the polishing pad 110. As shown, the pad conditioning arm 126 is disposed over the polishing pad 110 and the polishing byproduct 206 is disposed on the polishing pad 110. The representation 204 includes a first nozzle 240 having a first orientation relative to the polishing pad 110 and a second nozzle 242 having a second orientation relative to the polishing pad 110. In various embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 is configured to flow the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 through the first nozzle 240 and through the second nozzle 242. In some embodiments, a first jet 244 of the pressurized irrigation fluid is delivered from a first outlet 246 of the first nozzle 240 in a first direction relative to the polishing pad 110 based on the first orientation. In certain embodiments, the first direction is defined by an angle 248 which is acute relative to a direction of a vector that is normal to the polishing pad 110. In one or more embodiments, a second jet 250 of the pressurized irrigation fluid is delivered from a second outlet 252 of the second nozzle 242 in a second direction relative to the polishing pad 110 based on the second orientation. In some examples, the second direction is normal to the polishing pad 110. In various embodiments, the first and second nozzles 240, 242 may remove the polishing byproduct 206 from the polishing pad 110 more effectively than the first and second nozzles 234A, 234B.

[0036] Figure 3 illustrates representations 300, 301 of removing polishing byproduct from a groove in a polishing pad. In the representation 300, the polishing byproduct 206 is disposed in a groove 302 in a surface of the polishing pad 110. A top portion of the polishing byproduct 206 extends out from the groove 302 and above the surface of the polishing pad 110 which causes imperfections / non-uniformities (e.g., grind marks, scratches, etc.) in the surface of the substrate 116 due to the abrasive particles in the slurry included in the polishing byproduct 206. In some embodiments, a jet 304 of the pressurized irrigation fluid includes a distal end 306 which is capable of penetrating the groove 302 to deliver a fluid between a bottom portion of the polishing byproduct 206 and a bottom of the groove 302. As shown in therepresentation 301 , the delivery of the fluid between the bottom portion of the polishing byproduct 206 and the bottom of the groove 302 removes the polishing byproduct 206 from the groove 302 and the polishing pad 110.

[0037] Figure 4 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method 400 for removing polishing byproduct from a groove in a polishing pad. At operation 402, a polishing pad is rotated relative to a substrate carrier by a platen circumscribed by a platen shield. In some embodiments, the polishing pad 110 is rotated relative to the substrate carrier 114 by the platen 106 that is circumscribed by the platen shield 108. During at least a portion of operation 402 a polishing process is performed on a surface of a substrate disposed within the substrate carrier 114 and urged against a surface of the polishing pad 110 by the flexible membrane 118 of the substrate carrier 114. In one example, the polishing process performed on the substrate is configured to remove silicon or layers of other materials by use of a first type of slurry that is provided to the surface of the polishing pad through a slurry dispense nozzle 120A that is coupled to a slurry dispense system (not shown). The polishing process can include, for example, the delivery of a silica-based slurry to the polishing pad 110 to remove a silicon or other material layer from a surface of the substrate. It has been found that a silica- based slurry that includes about 1 to 50 percent by weight of silica slurry particles and about 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of an acid (e.g., phosphoric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, etc.) will form polishing byproducts that are particularly hard to remove by conventional pad rinsing techniques. In some examples, a ratio of silica slurry particles to acid in the silica-based slurry is in a range of about 10:1 to 100:1 by weight.

[0038] At operation 404, at least one nozzle of a pad conditioning arm is actuated between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of the substrate carrier, the pad conditioning arm disposed above a top portion of the platen shield. In various embodiments, at least one of the nozzles 138, 208, 216, 222; the first nozzles 234A, 240; or the second nozzles 234B, 242 is actuated between the outer diameter 106A of the platen 106 and the lateral portion 114A of the substrate carrier 114 while the pad conditioning arm 126 is disposed above the top portion 108A of the carrier shield 108.

[0039] At operation 406, an outlet of the at least one nozzle is directed towards the polishing pad. In one or more embodiments, at least one of the outlet 212; the first outlets 220A, 226, 238A, 246; or the second outlets 220B, 232, 238B, 252 is directed towards the polishing pad 110.

[0040] At operation 408, a pressurized irrigation fluid is flowed from a fluid source disposed below the platen through the outlet of the at least one nozzle to a surface of the polishing pad. In various embodiments, the irrigation fluid delivery system 136 flows the pressurized irrigation fluid from the fluid source 134 disposed below the platen 106 through at least one of the outlet 212; the first outlets 220A, 226, 238A, 246; or the second outlets 220B, 232, 238B, 252.

[0041] In some embodiments, during operation 408, and also subsequent operation 410, a flow of the pressurized irrigation fluid (e.g., DI water) is delivered from at least one of the nozzles at a flow rate of between 0.1 and 10 liters per minute (l / min) such as 7 l / min to the surface of the polishing pad. In some embodiments, the outlet of the at least one nozzle is configured cause the flow of the pressurized irrigation fluid to achieve a fluid stream that has a velocity of between about 1 and 5 meters per second (m / s).

[0042] At operation 410, the polishing byproducts are removed by the pressurized irrigation fluid from a groove formed in the surface of the polishing pad. In some embodiments, at least one of the jets 210, 304; the first jets 218A, 224, 236A, 244; or the second jets 218B, 230, 236B, 250 removes the polishing byproduct 206 from the groove 302 in the polishing pad 110. In some embodiments, operations 408-410 are performed for between 10 second (s) and 5 minutes (min) to remove the polishing byproducts. In some embodiments, operations 408-410 are performed during at least one sweep of the pad conditioning arm from the lateral portion 114A of the substrate carrier 114 to the outer diameter 106A or vice versa to remove the polishing byproducts. In other embodiments, operations 408-410 are performed during a plurality of sweep cycles of the pad conditioning arm that extend between the lateral portion 114A of the substrate carrier 114 and the outer diameter 106A.

[0043] Operations 404-410 are typically performed during and / or after a polishing process is performed on the surface of the substrate during operation 402. In oneembodiment, operations 404-410 are performed after a polishing process (operation 402) has been performed on a first substrate and prior to a polishing process being performed on a second substrate. In some embodiments, operations 404-410 are performed after a polishing process has been performed on a first substrate and during a pad conditioning process that is performed prior to a polishing process being performed on a second substrate.Additional Considerations

[0044] In the above description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate an understanding of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed implementations are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible implementations. Thus, it should be understood that reference to the described examples is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Any alterations and further modifications to the described devices, instruments, methods, and any further application of the principles of the present disclosure are fully contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates. In particular, it is fully contemplated that the features, components, and / or processes described with respect to one implementation may be combined with the features, components, and / or processes described with respect to other implementations of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “about” may refer to a + / -10% variation from the nominal value. It is to be understood that such a variation can be included in any value provided herein.

[0045] As used herein, “a processor,” “at least one processor” or “one or more processors” generally refers to a single processor configured to perform one or multiple operations or multiple processors configured to collectively perform one or more operations. In the case of multiple processors, performance of the one or more operations could be divided amongst different processors, though one processor may perform multiple operations, and multiple processors could collectively perform a single operation. Similarly, “a memory,” “at least one memory” or “one or more memories” generally refers to a single memory configured to store data and / or instructions, multiple memories configured to collectively store data and / or instructions.

[0046] As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same element (e.g., a-a, a-a-a, a-a-b, a-a-c, a-b-b, a-c-c, b-b, b-b-b, b-b-c, c-c, and c-c-c or any other ordering of a, b, and c).

[0047] The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more operations or actions for achieving the described method. The method operations and / or actions may be interchanged with one another without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of operations or actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific operations and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0048] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

We claim:

1. An apparatus, comprising: a polishing pad disposed over a platen, the platen circumscribed by a platen shield; a pad conditioning arm having a first end and a second end, the pad conditioning arm disposed above a top portion of the platen shield; a pad conditioning disk coupled to the first end of the pad conditioning arm, the pad conditioning disk disposed below the top portion of the platen shield and having a disk surface configured to interface with a surface of the polishing pad, the disk surface configured to actuate between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of a substrate carrier; and an irrigation fluid delivery system configured to flow a pressurized irrigation fluid from a fluid source disposed below the platen through at least one nozzle of the of the pad conditioning arm, the at least one nozzle disposed adjacent to the first end of the pad conditioning arm and configured to direct the pressurized irrigation fluid towards the surface of the polishing pad between the outer diameter of the platen and the lateral portion of the substrate carrier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized irrigation fluid includes deionized water.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle is oriented normal to the pad conditioning arm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an orientation of the at least one nozzle relative to the surface of the polishing pad is adjustable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle includes multiple jets.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least two jets of the multiple jets have different orientations configured to direct the pressurized irrigation fluid towards the surface of the polishing pad in different directions.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle includes at least two nozzles having different orientations relative to the surface of the polishing pad.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized irrigation fluid is configured to remove polishing byproduct from the polishing pad.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the polishing byproduct includes at least one of a slurry or a material removed from a substrate disposed in the substrate carrier.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the polishing byproduct includes a composite of a slurry and a material removed from a substrate disposed in the substrate carrier.11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a slurry arm having a first range of motion relative to the polishing pad that is less than a second range of motion relative to the polishing pad of the pad conditioning arm based on the platen shield.

12. A method, comprising: rotating a polishing pad relative to a substrate carrier by a platen circumscribed by a platen shield; actuating at least one nozzle of a pad conditioning arm between an outer diameter of the platen and a lateral portion of the substrate carrier, the pad conditioning arm disposed above a top portion of the platen shield; directing an outlet of the at least one nozzle towards the polishing pad; flowing a pressurized irrigation fluid from a fluid source disposed below the platen through the outlet of the at least one nozzle to a surface of the polishing pad; and removing, by the pressurized irrigation fluid, polishing byproduct from a groove formed in the surface of the polishing pad.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the polishing byproduct includes at least one of a slurry or a material removed from a substrate disposed in the substrate carrier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the polishing byproduct includes a composite of a slurry and a material removed from a substrate disposed in the substrate carrier.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the pressurized irrigation fluid includes deionized water.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one nozzle is oriented normal to the pad conditioning arm.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting an orientation of the at least one nozzle relative to the polishing pad.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one nozzle includes multiple jets.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least two jets of the multiple jets have different orientations configured to direct the pressurized irrigation fluid towards the polishing pad in different directions.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein polishing byproduct includes a mixture of silica particles and silicon film.

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