Swingable Polishing Pad for Uniform Substrate Planarization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, the high integration and complexity of devices lead to surface non-planarization issues during photolithography, causing defocus problems, and contamination from particles and impurities affects device characteristics and yield, necessitating efficient polishing and cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
A substrate polishing apparatus with a rotatable and swingable polishing pad, controlled by a unit that adjusts polishing variables based on the pad's horizontal position to ensure uniform polishing and cleaning, integrated into a single wafer processing system for efficient planarization and contamination removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If polishing pressure is increased to improve polishing efficiency, then productivity is improved, but polishing uniformity deteriorates due to excessive pressure in certain regions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the polishing pressure parameter based on the horizontal position of the polishing pad during swinging. The control unit adjusts pressure to be higher in regions requiring more material removal and lower in regions requiring less, maintaining polishing uniformity while achieving high overall polishing efficiency through optimized parameter distribution.
2Manufacturing precision
If the wafer surface is polished multiple times to achieve desired flatness, then surface flatness is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The swingable polishing pad design enables continuous and uniform polishing action across the entire wafer surface in a single processing cycle. By eliminating dead zones and ensuring all regions receive appropriate polishing attention during one continuous operation, the system achieves desired surface flatness in fewer passes, reducing total processing time while maintaining high precision.
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 improves polishing efficiency and uniformity, reduces contamination, and enhances product yield by allowing precise control of polishing amounts and processes within the substrate polishing apparatus, addressing the challenges of surface non-planarization and contamination in semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a CMP apparatus is used to polish the surface of the wafer coated with tungsten or an oxide by using mechanical friction
Implementation Method 2
a CMP apparatus is used to polish the surface of the wafer coated with tungsten or an oxide by using mechanical friction and chemical abrasives
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a substrate polishing apparatus and a method of polishing a substrate using the same. The substrate polishing apparatus includes a substrate supporting member, a polishing unit, and a control unit. The substrate is seated on the rotatable substrate supporting member. The polishing unit includes a rotatable and swingable polishing pad to polish a top surface of the substrate. The control unit controls the substrate supporting member and the polishing unit during a polishing process to adjust a value of a polishing variable adjusting a polishing amount of the substrate according to a horizontal position of the polishing pad with respect to the substrate. Therefore, the substrate polishing apparatus may locally adjust the polishing amount of the substrate to improve polishing uniformity and product yield.