CMP Polishing Pad Heat Dissipation Patterns for Uniform Wafer Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pads exhibit unstable material removal rates and poor within-wafer and within-zone uniformity due to temperature-sensitive materials, leading to defects and non-uniformity in semiconductor wafers, particularly as technology nodes shrink to five nanometers and beyond.
Innovation Solution
A CMP polishing pad with a heat dissipation pattern formed by three-dimensional printing, utilizing materials with varying thermal conductivities to achieve uniform temperature distribution and improved heat transfer, incorporating pixel-level designs and nanostructures for enhanced uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional CMP pads with uniform material composition are used, then the polishing process is simple to implement, but the material removal rate becomes unstable and within-wafer uniformity deteriorates due to temperature sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The polishing pad is divided into multiple regions with different material compositions and thermal conductivities. High thermal conductivity regions are positioned in areas requiring heat dissipation, while low thermal conductivity regions are placed where heat insulation is needed. This local differentiation of material properties enables precise temperature control across different zones of the wafer surface, directly improving within-wafer uniformity without requiring complex external temperature control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The polishing pad utilizes composite materials with varying thermal conductivities integrated into a single pad structure. These composite materials allow the pad to simultaneously perform polishing, heat dissipation in certain zones, and heat insulation in others. The composite structure resolves the contradiction by enabling sophisticated thermal management functionality while maintaining a relatively simple monolithic pad form factor.
2Temperature
If polishing pads with higher thermal conductivity are used, then heat dissipation improves, but the polishing pad material selection and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The polishing pad is segmented into multiple discrete regions, each with optimized material properties for its specific function. This segmentation allows independent selection and optimization of materials for thermal management without requiring a complete redesign of the entire pad. The segmented approach simplifies manufacturing by allowing modular material integration and enables precise temperature control through localized material properties.
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
The solution enhances within-wafer and within-zone uniformity, reducing defects and improving chip yield and electrical performance by stabilizing removal rates and maintaining consistent planarity across the wafer surface.
Implementation Method 1
first grains formed from a first material with a first thermal conductivity and second grains formed from a second material with a second thermal conductivity less than the first thermal conductivity. The first grains and second grains are arranged, such as fused together in an arrangement, to form a polishing surface of the polishing pad to provide the polishing surface with a desired heat dissipation pattern.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a polishing pad, a method for manufacturing a polishing pad, and a method for polishing. A polishing pad includes first grains formed from a first material with a first thermal conductivity; and second grains formed from a second material with a second thermal conductivity less than the first thermal conductivity. The first grains and second grains are arranged to form a polishing surface of the polishing pad to provide the polishing surface with a desired heat dissipation pattern.