| Abstrakt: |
An ever-expanding list of advanced semiconductor devices depend on the ability to generate extremely flat and smooth surfaces at critical points in their manufacturing process flow. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has proven to be the preferred method for achieving these surfaces. It was initially developed for planarizing oxide interlevel dielectric layers in CMOS devices. Since then CMP has been developed for several other materials, including tungsten, copper, and polysilicon. However, the number of new applications and new materials being proposed for planarization by CMP is accelerating. While each specific material or integration scheme may require a unique CMP solution, the techniques and methods used to arrive at that solution have some general commonalities. This paper describes a sequence of proven steps for developing CMP processes for new materials or new applications. |
