CMP Slurry Enhancement via UV Radical Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The oxidizability of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry degrades over time due to reactions with the atmosphere and other chemicals, leading to reduced yield and reliability in the CMP process.
Innovation Solution
A CMP apparatus with a slurry enhancement module that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to generate radicals in the slurry, enhancing its oxidizability and maintaining consistent performance throughout the CMP process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If slurry is used in CMP process, then polishing capability is provided, but oxidizability degrades over time due to reactions with atmosphere and chemicals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the slurry by adding percarbonate and borate compounds. These additives modify the slurry's oxidizability parameters to resist degradation from atmospheric reactions and chemical interactions, thereby maintaining consistent polishing performance throughout the slurry's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous oxidizability by incorporating replenishment mechanisms where percarbonate and borate compounds continuously regenerate active oxygen species in the slurry. This continuous chemical action compensates for oxidizability loss over time, maintaining reliable polishing capability throughout the slurry's usage period.
2Productivity
If slurry oxidizability degrades, then polishing rate and surface quality become inconsistent, but maintaining high oxidizability requires additional chemical additives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the slurry's chemical composition parameters by introducing specific concentrations of percarbonate (0.1-10 wt%) and borate (0.01-1 wt%) compounds. These parameter changes enhance oxidizability stability without requiring complex system modifications, thereby maintaining consistent polishing rate and surface quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite slurry system combining traditional CMP ingredients with percarbonate and borate compounds. This composite formulation integrates multiple functional components that work synergistically to maintain oxidizability and polishing performance, accepting increased compositional complexity as a trade-off for productivity consistency.
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 enhanced slurry maintains high oxidizability, improving the CMP process's yield and reliability by maintaining a consistent polishing rate and surface quality.
Implementation Method 1
The slurry enhancement module can include an ultraviolet (UV) light source configured to provide an irradiation to generate radicals in the slurry
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a method and an apparatus that can enhance the slurry oxidizability for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The method can include securing a substrate onto a carrier of a polishing system. The method can further include dispensing, via a feeder of the polishing system, a first slurry towards a polishing pad of the polishing system. The method can further include forming a second slurry by enhancing an oxidizability of the first slurry, and performing a polishing process, with the second slurry, on the substrate.