Semiconductor Dummy Gate Polishing Slurry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing semiconductor manufacturing processes face challenges in non-selectively polishing silicon nitride and silicon oxide films, leading to increased complexity and costs due to selective polishing requirements and potential defects from uneven surface processing.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing chemical mechanical polishing with slurry composites of varying abrasive to additive ratios (1:2 and 1:3) for initial and secondary polishing steps to uniformly expose dummy gate surfaces, allowing for consistent flattening and reducing defects by adjusting the polishing selection ratios for silicon nitride, silicon oxide, and polysilicon films.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If selective polishing processes are used for silicon nitride and silicon oxide films, then polishing precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polishing slurry by adjusting the ratio of silicon nitride particles to organic additives. By optimizing this parameter ratio, the slurry achieves non-selective polishing capability that works uniformly on both silicon nitride and silicon oxide films, eliminating the need for separate selective polishing processes while maintaining acceptable surface precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a universal polishing slurry formulation that can polish multiple different materials (silicon nitride and silicon oxide) with comparable effectiveness. This multi-functional slurry replaces the need for material-specific slurries, simplifying the manufacturing process by enabling a single polishing step to handle diverse film types without requiring process switching or specialized equipment.
2Manufacturing precision
If selective polishing processes are used for different films, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the polishing slurry by adjusting the concentration ratio of abrasive particles to organic additives. This parameter optimization enables the slurry to achieve uniform polishing performance across different film materials, reducing the need for multiple specialized slurries and associated inventory, equipment, and process control costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple material-specific polishing slurries into a single universal slurry formulation. By combining silicon nitride abrasive particles with specific organic additives in optimized proportions, the slurry integrates the polishing capabilities for both silicon nitride and silicon oxide films, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost through process consolidation.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional polishing is used on silicon nitride and silicon oxide films, then manufacturing process is simple, but surface uniformity and defect control worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite polishing slurry formulation consisting of silicon nitride abrasive particles combined with specific organic additives. This composite material structure allows the slurry to simultaneously provide mechanical abrasion and chemical interaction with both silicon nitride and silicon oxide films, achieving uniform surface finishing and defect control while maintaining process simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the chemical composition parameters of the polishing slurry, specifically the ratio and types of organic additives relative to abrasive particles. This parameter adjustment enables the slurry to interact effectively with different film materials, ensuring consistent surface uniformity and reduced defects across silicon nitride and silicon oxide films without complicating the polishing process.
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 approach simplifies the semiconductor manufacturing process, reduces costs, and minimizes defects by achieving non-selective polishing of silicon nitride and silicon oxide films while ensuring consistent surface levels, thereby enhancing the reliability of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
A first polishing including chemical mechanical polishing is performed on portions of the gate mask and the insulating interlayer by using a slurry composite having a first mixing ratio. A second polishing including chemical mechanical polishing is performed on remaining portions of the gate mask and the insulating interlayer
Implementation Method 2
The slurry composite includes an abrasive and an additive
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present inventive concept includes forming a plurality of dummy gates on a substrate. Each of the dummy gates includes a gate mask disposed on an upper surface of each of the dummy gates. A spacer is disposed on at least two sides of the dummy gates. An insulating interlayer is formed on the gate mask and the spacer. A first polishing including chemical mechanical polishing is performed on portions of the gate mask and the insulating interlayer by using a slurry composite having a first mixing ratio. A second polishing including chemical mechanical polishing is formed on remaining portions of the gate mask and the insulating interlayer to expose upper surfaces of the plurality of dummy gates, by using a slurry composite having a second mixing ratio.