| Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangementUSPTO Application #: 20060128290Title: Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement Abstract: A polishing pad (104, 300) having an annular polishing track (152, 320) and a plurality of groups (160, 308) of grooves (112, 304) repeated circumferentially about the rotational center (128) of the pad. The plurality of grooves in each group are arranged along a trajectory (164, 312) in an offset and overlapping manner so as to provide a plurality of overlapping steps (172, 316) within the annular polishing track. The groups may be arranged in spaced-apart or nested relation with one another. (end of abstract) Agent: Rohm And Haas Electronic Materials Cmp Holdings, Inc. - Wilmington, DE, US Inventors: Carolina L. Elmufdi, Gregory P. Muldowney USPTO Applicaton #: 20060128290 - Class: 451527000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Abrading, Flexible-member Tool, Per Se, Interrupted Or Composite Work Face (e.g., Cracked, Nonplanar, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060128290. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In particular, the present invention is directed to a CMP pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement. [0002] In the fabrication of integrated circuits and other electronic devices, multiple layers of conducting, semiconducting and dielectric materials are deposited onto and removed from a surface of a semiconductor wafer. Thin layers of conducting, semiconducting and dielectric materials may be deposited using a number of deposition techniques. Common deposition techniques in modern wafer processing include physical vapor deposition (PVD), also known as sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and electrochemical plating, among others. Common removal techniques include wet and dry isotropic and anisotropic etching, among others. [0003] As layers of materials are sequentially deposited and removed, the uppermost surface of the wafer becomes non-planar. Because subsequent semiconductor processing (e.g., metallization) requires the wafer to have a flat surface, the wafer needs to be planarized. Planarization is useful for removing undesired surface topography and surface defects, such as rough surfaces, agglomerated materials, crystal lattice damage, scratches and contaminated layers or materials. [0004] Chemical mechanical planarization, or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), is a common technique used to planarize workpieces such as semiconductor wafers. In conventional CMP, a wafer carrier, or polishing head, is mounted on a carrier assembly. The polishing head holds the wafer and positions the wafer in contact with a polishing layer of a polishing pad within a CMP apparatus. The carrier assembly provides a controllable pressure between the wafer and polishing pad. Simultaneously therewith, a slurry, or other polishing medium, is flowed onto the polishing pad and into the gap between the wafer and polishing layer. To effect polishing, the polishing pad and wafer are moved, typically rotated, relative to one another. The wafer surface is polished and made planar by chemical and mechanical action of the polishing layer and polishing medium on the surface. As the polishing pad rotates beneath the wafer, the wafer sweeps out a typically annular polishing track, or polishing region, wherein the wafer surface directly confronts the polishing layer. [0005] Important considerations in designing a polishing layer include the distribution of polishing medium across the face of the polishing layer, the flow of fresh polishing medium into the polishing track, the flow of used polishing medium from the polishing track and the amount of polishing medium that flows through the polishing zone essentially unutilized, among others. One way to address these considerations is to provide the polishing layer with grooves. Over the years, quite a few different groove patterns and configurations have been implemented. Conventional groove patterns include radial, concentric-circular, Cartesian-grid and spiral, among others. Conventional groove configurations include configurations wherein the depth of all the grooves are uniform among all grooves and configurations wherein the depth of the grooves varies from one groove to another. [0006] It is generally acknowledged among CMP practitioners that certain groove patterns result in higher slurry consumption than others to achieve comparable material removal rates. Circular grooves, which do not connect to the peripheral edge of the polishing layer, tend to consume less slurry than radial grooves, which provide the shortest possible path for slurry to reach the pad perimeter under the forces resulting from the rotation of the pad. Cartesian grids of grooves, which provide paths of various lengths to the peripheral edge of the polishing layer, hold an intermediate position. [0007] Various groove patterns have been disclosed in the prior art that attempt to reduce slurry consumption and maximize slurry retention time on the polishing layer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,596 to Osterheld et al. discloses a rotational-type polishing pad having grooves defining zigzag channels that generally radiate outward from the center of the pad. In one embodiment, the Osterheld et al. pad includes a rectangular "x-y" grid of grooves. The zigzag channels are defined by blocking selected ones of the intersections between the x- and y-direction grooves, while leaving other intersections unblocked. In another embodiment, the Osterheld et al. pad includes a plurality of discrete, generally radial zigzag grooves. Generally, the zigzag channels defined within the x-y grid of grooves or by the discrete zigzag grooves inhibit the flow of slurry through the corresponding grooves, at least relative to an unobstructed rectangular x-y grid of grooves and straight radial grooves. Another prior art groove pattern that has been described as providing increased slurry retention time is a spiral groove pattern that is assumed to push slurry toward the center of the polishing layer under the force of pad rotation. [0008] Research and modeling of CMP to date, including state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics simulations, have revealed that in networks of grooves having fixed or gradually changing depth, a significant amount of polishing slurry may not contact the wafer because the slurry in the deepest portion of each groove flows under the wafer without contact. While grooves must be provided with a minimum depth to reliably convey slurry as the surface of the polishing layer wears down, any excess depth will result in some of the slurry provided to polishing layer not being utilized, since in conventional polishing layers an unbroken flow path exists beneath the workpiece wherein the slurry flows without participating in polishing. Accordingly, there is a need for a polishing layer having grooves arranged in a manner that reduces the amount of underutilization of slurry provided to the polishing layer and, consequently, reduces the waste of slurry. STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION [0009] In one aspect of the invention, a polishing pad, comprising: a) a polishing layer configured to polish a surface of at least one of a magnetic, optical or semiconductor substrate in the presence of a polishing medium, the polishing layer including a rotational axis and an annular polishing track concentric with the rotational axis; and b) a plurality of grooves formed in the polishing layer and arranged into a plurality of groups each along a trajectory that extends through the annular polishing track, wherein ones of the plurality of grooves within each group form an overlapping stepped pattern within the annular polishing track. [0010] In another aspect of the invention, polishing pad, comprising: a) a polishing layer configured to polish a surface of at least one of a magnetic, optical or semiconductor substrate in the presence of a polishing medium, the polishing layer including a rotational axis and an annular polishing track concentric with the rotational axis; and b) a plurality of grooves formed in the polishing layer and arranged into a plurality of groups each along a trajectory that extends through the annular polishing track, wherein ones of the plurality of grooves within each group form at least one overlapping step within the annular polishing track. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system of the present invention; [0012] FIG. 2A is a plan view of the polishing pad of FIG. 1 having a plurality of overlapping stepped grooves arranged in groups that are spaced from one another in a circumferential direction relative to the pad; FIG. 2B is a plan view of the polishing pad of FIG. 2A illustrating one of the spaced apart groups of grooves; [0013] FIG. 3A is a plan view of an alternative polishing pad of the present invention having a plurality of overlapping stepped grooves arranged in groups that are nested with one another in a circumferential direction relative to the pad; and FIG. 3B is a plan view of the polishing pad of FIG. 3A illustrating one of the nested groups of grooves and the nesting of the groups. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0014] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows in accordance with the present invention a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, which is generally denoted by the numeral 100. CMP system 100 includes a polishing pad 104 having a polishing layer 108 that includes a plurality of grooves 112 arranged and configured for improving the utilization of a polishing medium 116 applied to the polishing pad during polishing of a semiconductor wafer 120 or other workpiece, such as glass, silicon wafers and magnetic information storage disks, among others. For convenience, the term "wafer" is used in the description below. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that workpieces other than wafers are within the scope of the present invention. Polishing pad 104 and its unique features are described in detail below. [0015] CMP system 100 may include a polishing platen 124 rotatable about an axis 128 by a platen driver (not shown). Platen 124 may have an upper surface on which polishing pad 104 is mounted. A wafer carrier 132 rotatable about an axis 136 may be supported above polishing layer 108. Wafer carrier 132 may have a lower surface that engages wafer 120. Wafer 120 has a surface 140 that confronts polishing layer 108 and is planarized during polishing. Wafer carrier 132 may be supported by a carrier support assembly (not shown) adapted to rotate wafer 120 and provide a downward force F to press wafer surface 140 against polishing layer 108 so that a desired pressure exists between the wafer surface and the polishing layer during polishing. [0016] CMP system 100 may also include a supply system 144 for supplying polishing medium 116 to polishing layer 108. Supply system 144 may include a reservoir (not shown), e.g., a temperature controlled reservoir, that holds polishing medium 116. A conduit 148 may carry polishing medium 116 from the reservoir to a location adjacent polishing pad 104 where the polishing medium is dispensed onto polishing layer 108. A flow control valve (not shown) may be used to control the dispensing of polishing medium 116 onto pad 104. During the polishing operation, the platen driver rotates platen 124 and polishing pad 104 and the supply system 144 is activated to dispense polishing medium 116 onto the rotating polishing pad. Polishing medium 116 spreads out over polishing layer 108 due to the rotation of polishing pad 104, including the gap between wafer 120 and polishing pad 104. The wafer carrier 132 may be rotated at a selected speed, e.g., 0 rpm to 150 rpm, so that wafer surface 140 moves relative to the polishing layer 108. The wafer carrier 132 may also be controlled to provide a downward force F so as to induce a desired pressure, e.g., 0 psi to 15 psi (0 kPa to 103 kPa), between wafer 120 and polishing pad 104. Polishing platen 124 is typically rotated at a speed of 0 to 150 rpm. As polishing pad 104 is rotated beneath wafer 120, surface 140 of the wafer sweeps out a typically annular wafer track, or polishing track 152 on polishing layer 108. [0017] It is noted that under certain circumstances polishing track 152 may not be strictly annular. For example, if surface 140 of wafer 120 is longer in one dimension than another and the wafer and polishing pad 104 are rotated at particular speeds such that these dimensions are always oriented the same way at the same locations on polishing layer 108, polishing track 152 would be generally annular, but have a width that varies from the longer dimension to the shorter dimension. A similar effect would occur at certain rotational speeds if surface 140 of wafer 120 were bi-axially symmetric, as with a circular or square shape, but the wafer is mounted off-center relative to the rotational center of that surface. Yet another example of when polishing track 152 would not be entirely annular is when wafer 120 is oscillated in a plane parallel to polishing layer 108 and polishing pad 104 is rotated at a speed such that the location of the wafer due to the oscillation relative to the polishing layer is the same on each revolution of the pad. In all of these cases, which are typically exceptional, polishing track 152 is still annular in nature, such that they are considered to fall within the coverage of the term "annular" as this term is used in the appended claims. [0018] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate polishing pad 104 of FIG. 1 in more detail than FIG. 1. Referring to both FIGS. 2A and 2B, grooves 112 are generally arranged into a plurality of groups 160 that are distributed in a generally radial manner around rotational axis 128 of polishing pad 104 and are preferably, but not necessarily, identical to one another. Each group 160 may contain a number N of grooves 112, wherein N.gtoreq.2. In the present example, each group 160 contains four grooves 112, i.e., N=4. Grooves 112 within each group 160 are arranged and configured so as to define what may be described as an "overlapping stepped arrangement" that generally lies along a trajectory 164. Each groove 112 within a group 160 may be considered to have a radially inward end 166 and a radially outward end 168. Consequently, the "overlapping" portion of the foregoing description refers to the radially inward and radially outward ends 166, 168 of immediately adjacent grooves 112 being spaced from one another in a circumferential direction 170 relative to polishing pad 104 along a nonzero overlap length L. The "stepped" portion of the foregoing description refers to adjacent ones of overlapping grooves 112 in each group 160 being spaced, or offset, from one another by a distance D so as to generally form a discontinuous polishing medium flow path along trajectory 164. When traversing each trajectory 164 from one of its ends to the other, each offset encountered generally has the appearance of a stair step. Therefore, each of these offsets may be considered to define a step and, more particularly, an overlapping step 172 having overlap length L. [0019] As mentioned above, grooves 112 in each group 160 may be provided in any number N.gtoreq.2. Consequently, each group 160 will have N-1 overlapping steps 172. For the reasons discussed immediately below, all overlapping steps 172 should be located within polishing track 152. Generally, a primary concept underlying groups 160 is to provide a segmented pathway for a polishing medium to flow within polishing track 152. When a polishing medium is present within one of grooves 112, it typically flows within that groove under the influence of centrifugal force as polishing pad 104 is rotated during polishing. However, the polishing medium tends to not flow from one groove 112 to an adjacent groove across the land region 174 therebetween under the influence of this centrifugal force. Rather, the polishing medium is generally moved from one groove 112 to a next adjacent groove across land region 174 primarily by the interaction of wafer 120 with the polishing medium on polishing layer 108 as the wafer is rotated, or rotated and oscillated, in confrontation with polishing pad 104. [0020] By providing groups 160 of discontinuous grooves 112, the polishing medium can be utilized more efficiently than in conventional polishing pads (not shown) having continuous grooves extending through their polishing tracks. Generally, this is so, because the polishing medium advances toward the peripheral edge 176 of polishing pad 104 from one groove 112 to another groove 112 substantially only when wafer 120 is present to move the polishing medium across the land regions 174. This is in contrast to the typical situation with continuous grooves (not shown) in which the polishing medium advances toward the peripheral edge of the polishing pad even when the wafer is not present simply due to the rotation of the polishing pad. Continue reading... Full patent description for Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Protective cover for a hand-held cut-off machine Next Patent Application: Cmp polishing pad having grooves arranged to improve polishing medium utilization Industry Class: Abrading ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Cmp pad having an overlapping stepped groove arrangement patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 3.39219 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error |
||
