A polishing material for chemical mechanical polishing has a mesh of fibers and a binder material holding the fibers in the mesh. The binder material coalesced among the fibers to leave pores in the interstices between the fibers of the mesh. The fibers and binder material provide the polishing material with a brittle texture. The fibers can be cellulose, and the binder material can be a phenolic resin.
A novel retaining ring having a wear pad of such construction, design and material such that it provides improved resistance to wear and/or degradation as compared to currently available products for use in the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of semiconductor wafers and similar materials. The retaining ring with wear pad of the invention is able to withstand increased operating temperatures and pressures at the polishing surface of the wafer with less wear than would normally be encountered with currently used materials and designs. The ability to operate at increased temperature and pressure can accelerate the rate of removal of material from a semiconductor wafer in some processes. The flexibility of a manufacturer to use an expanded range of temperature and pressure in CMP processes, combined with a significant reduction in the cost of consumables, provides a significant advantage in the final cost of ownership in the production of multilayer, integrated circuit devices and other products where CMP is utilized in manufacture. Moreover, the retaining with wear pad of the present invention may also retrofitted to previously used and worn retaining rings of the prior-art design, thus salvaging the major structural component of the CMP processing apparatus, thereby reducing costs. It is also an integral part of this invention to make the consumable component of the new design replaceable, so as to make replacement of this part less costly when such replacement finally does become necessary.
In CMP technology for planarizing an interlayer insulation film, a BPSG film, an insulation film for shallow trench isolation, or the like, in the production process of a semiconductor element, irregularities of a matter being polished, e.g. a silicon oxide film, are planarized efficiently at a high speed while suppressing the occurrence of polishing flaws on the substrate by employing a polishing pad having organic fibers exposed on the surface thereof abutting against the matter being polished.
Chemical mechanical polishing pads are provided, wherein the chemical mechanical polishing pads have a polishing layer comprising a polishing texture that exhibits a dimensionless roughness, R, is between 0.01 and 0.75. Also provided are methods of making the chemical mechanical polishing pads and for using them to polish substrates.
A polishing pad having a body comprising fibers embedded in a matrix polymer formed by a reaction of polymer precursors. The loose fibers define and the precursors were mixed first with curatives, then mold into a pad form. The pad may include a thin layer of free fibers at its polishing surface. A segment of at least a portion of the free fibers are embedded in the adjacent body of the polymer and fibers.
A polishing pad having a body comprising fibers embedded in a matrix polymer formed by a reaction of polymer precursors. The loose fibers define and the precursors were mixed first with curatives, then mold into a pad form. The pad may include a thin layer of free fibers at its polishing surface. A segment of at least a portion of the free fibers are embedded in the adjacent body of the polymer and fibers.
