Characterizing and Optimizing Chemical Mechanical Planarization Processes in Semiconductor Manufacturing: A Response Surface Approach

摘要

This article is aimed at how to develop and utilize response surface methods and mathematical programming techniques for improving quality in advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. The run-to-run (R2R) quality control of a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process is a critical step in semiconductor manufacturing. CMP is a technology that uses chemical and mechanical actions to smooth the contours of a wafer. In a CMP process a wafer carrier is designed to hold a wafer which is pressed face-down on a rotating platen binding a polishing pad. A silica-based slurry with abrasive material held in suspension is dripped onto the rotating platen durng the polishing process. The speeds of carrier and platen rotation are varied. Thus the polishing process provides a combination of chemical and mechanical effects. Removing high material on the wafer to obtain global planarization is the process's objective.