Optimized and Customized CMP Conditioner Design for Next Generation Oxide/Metal CMP

An investigation of several key conditioner design parameters has been conducted. The purpose was to improve conditioner performance by considering wafer defects, pad life, and conditioner life. For this study, several key conditioner design parameters including diamond size, diamond shape, diamond concentration and distribution, were selected to determine their effect on CMP performance and process stability. Experimental validations were conducted. Conditioner specifications must be matched to each customer's specific CMP environment in order to improve process stability and CMP performance particularly for emerging technology nodes. Several conditioner designs have been developed and are running successfully in the field. Significant planarity improvement for a 300 mm CMP process has been achieved with one new design, and an increase of pad life and wafer polish rate has simultaneously been achieved with an alternative design.