Characterization of New Method for CMP Dresser to Saving Ultrapure Water Consumption

Consumption of ultrapure water (UPW) during semiconductor manufacturing processes is a very important topic. A new water-dispensing arm design uses a small volume of UPW to remove slurry residue and defects inside pad grooves. This innovative water conditioning arm, in contrast to the conventional atomizer and diamond disc, not only reduces UPW consumption by 87% but also reduces scratch defects caused by diamond abrasive particles. The small water volume arm conditioning system injects UPW with diameters at micro levels. Experimental results show that oxide film removal amount under continuous polishing conditions is maintained at 716 A even after 20 runs. The removal amount and profile not only is maintained but improved by over 2% in comparison with the conventional atomizer under no-dressing conditions. Finally, using a water pump to increase the water pressure up to 50 km/cm
²
and treating for 5 s resulted in only 0.5-mm dishing for the IC1010 polish pad.