Novel Slurry Injection System for Improved Slurry Flow and Reduced Defects in CMP

摘要

A novel slurry injection system has been successfully installed on commercial polishers without requiring any polisher modifications. When optimally configured for the consumables used, the injector provides a modest boost in removal rate over the standard applicator at each flow rate. This provides an opportunity to significantly reduce slurry flow rate used in well-established commercial processes without any loss in removal rate. Since the leading edge of the injector squeegees the pad, removing much of the used slurry, water and pad debris from the pad, defect counts are generally similar or lower when SIS is used. Our study underscores the importance of adopting optimal slurry injection methods in order to reduce COO, increase CMP module productivity and reduce the environmental impact associated with slurry usage.