CMP System Additive Decay Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The decay of additives in chemical mechanical polish (CMP) slurry, such as hydrogen peroxide, during transmission and storage leads to non-uniform product quality and reduced polishing efficiency, as the concentration of additives like H2O2 decreases over time, affecting the CMP operation's reliability and accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A CMP operation system equipped with sensors to monitor additive concentration along the conduit and a controller that adjusts process parameters, including rotational speed, head pressure, and slurry temperature, to maintain optimal slurry composition, using an auxiliary compensation apparatus to replenish additives and ensure consistent performance across wafers, batches, and lots.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If slurry is transmitted and stored for extended periods, then the CMP operation can be maintained continuously, but the additive concentration decays leading to non-uniform product quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslurry storage durationVSAvoidproduct quality uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs sensors to continuously monitor additive concentration in the slurry and feeds this information back to a controller. The controller adjusts process parameters or triggers additive replenishment when concentration falls outside predetermined ranges, ensuring consistent product quality over extended operation periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically monitors and replenishes additive concentrations without manual intervention. The auxiliary compensation apparatus detects when additive levels are insufficient and automatically replenishes them, allowing the slurry to maintain optimal performance throughout its storage and usage duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If additive concentration is maintained at optimal levels, then polishing efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to monitoring and compensation mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepolishing efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A sensor continuously monitors additive concentration and provides feedback to a controller. When the concentration falls outside a predetermined range, the controller automatically adjusts process parameters or triggers replenishment, maintaining optimal polishing efficiency without requiring complex manual intervention systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual monitoring and adjustment mechanisms with automated sensor-based detection and controller-driven replenishment. This substitution of mechanical/manual operations with automated electronic control simplifies the overall system while maintaining precise additive concentration management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Stability of the object's composition

If process parameters are adjusted in real-time, then slurry composition stability is improved, but measurement and control difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslurry composition stabilityVSAvoidparameter measurement difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses sensors to detect additive concentration and provides real-time feedback to a controller. The controller automatically adjusts process parameters or triggers additive replenishment when concentration deviates from the predetermined range, maintaining slurry composition stability without requiring complex manual measurement and adjustment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution effectively compensates for additive decay, enhancing the stability and uniformity of CMP operations by adjusting process parameters in real-time and maintaining optimal slurry composition, thereby improving the polishing rate and consistency of semiconductor manufacturing results.

Implementation Method 1

chemical mechanical polish (CMP) has been widely used for thinning or polishing a processed surface of the semiconductor device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

The polishing is performed with the help of slurry to facilitate the polishing efficiency and performance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS20230256561A1Method of chemical mechanical polish operation and chemical mechanical polishing system

Publication Date: 2023.08.17 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a method of chemical mechanical polish operation and a chemical mechanical polish operation system. The method includes obtaining a first input parameter and a second input parameter, wherein the first input parameter is associated with an additive of a slurry, and the second input parameter is associated with a characteristic of a process apparatus, determining an output parameter associated with the process apparatus based on the first input parameter and the second input parameter, securing a workpiece by a head over a platen in the process apparatus, supplying the slurry with the additive over the platen with the additive configured with the first parameter, and polishing a surface of the workpiece by operating the process apparatus configured with the output parameter.