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US 11,685,013 B2Granted
Polishing pad for chemical mechanical planarization
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChih Hung Chen, Kei-Wei Chen, Ying-Lang Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polishing pad includes a pad layer and one or more polishing structures over an upper surface of the pad layer, where each of the one or more polishing structures has a pre-determined shape and is formed at a pre-determined location of the pad layer, where the one or more polishing structures comprise at least one continuous line shaped segment extending along the upper surface of the pad layer, where each of the one or more polishing structures is a homogeneous material.
Claims23
A polishing pad comprising:
- a pad layer;
- and
- one or more polishing structures over an upper surface of the pad layer, wherein each of the one or more polishing structures has a pre-determined shape and is formed at a pre-determined location of the pad layer, wherein the one or more polishing structures comprise a first polygon shaped structure, a second polygon shaped structure, a third polygon shaped structure, a fourth polygon shaped structure, and a fifth polygon shaped structure in a plan view, wherein the first polygon shaped structure, the second polygon shaped structure, the third polygon shaped structure, the fourth polygon shaped structure, and the fifth polygon shaped structure protrude from and extend along the upper surface of the pad layer, wherein a first side of the first polygon shaped structure, a first side of the second polygon shaped structure, and a first side of the third polygon shaped structure are aligned along a first direction, wherein a second side of the first polygon shaped structure, a first side of the fourth polygon shaped structure, and a first side of the fifth polygon shaped structure are aligned along a second direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, wherein each of the one or more polishing structures is a homogeneous material, wherein a third side of the first polygon shaped structure is a straight strip in the plan view, wherein the third side of the first polygon shaped structure is a second side of the second polygon shaped structure, wherein a third side of the second polygon shaped structure is a straight strip in the plan view, wherein the third side of the second polygon shaped structure is a second side of the third polygon shaped structure, wherein a fourth side of the first polygon shaped structure is a straight strip in the plan view, wherein the fourth side of the first polygon shaped structure is a second side of the fourth polygon shaped structure, wherein a third side of the fourth polygon shaped structure is a straight strip in the plan view, wherein the third side of the fourth polygon shaped structure is a second side of the fifth polygon shaped structure, wherein each of the one or more polishing structures has a rectangular cross-section with vertical sidewalls, wherein a width of the rectangular cross-section is between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, wherein a total area of top surfaces of the one or more polishing structures in a plan view is a first area, wherein a total area of the upper surface of the pad layer in the plan view is a second area, and wherein the first area is about 1% to about 10% of the second area.
A method for wafer planarization, the method comprising:
- holding a wafer in a retaining ring;
- rotating a polishing pad, the polishing pad comprising one or more polishing structures on a first side of the polishing pad, wherein the first side of the polishing pad faces the wafer, wherein the one or more polishing structures comprise a first polygon shaped structure, a second polygon shaped structure, a third polygon shaped structure, and a fourth polygon shaped structure in a plan view and protruding from the first side of the polishing pad, wherein a first side of the first polygon shaped structure is a first straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the first side of the first polygon shaped structure is a first side of the second polygon shaped structure, wherein a second side of the first polygon shaped structure is a second straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the second side of the first polygon shaped structure is a first side of the third polygon shaped structure, wherein a second side of the third polygon shaped structure is a third straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the second side of the third polygon shaped structure is a first side of the fourth polygon shaped structure, wherein a second side of the fourth polygon shaped structure is a fourth straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the second side of the fourth polygon shaped structure is a second side of the second polygon shaped structure, wherein a third side of the second polygon shaped structure is a fifth straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the third side of the second polygon shaped structure is a third side of the third polygon shaped structure, wherein the first straight linear strip intersects the second straight linear strip, wherein the first straight linear strip has a first longitudinal axis and the second straight linear strip has a second longitudinal axis different than the first longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first straight linear strip, the second straight linear strip, and the fifth straight linear strip comprises two parallel sidewalls in the plan view, wherein a first sidewall of the first straight linear strip is in physical contact with a first sidewall of the second straight linear strip, wherein a material of the first straight linear strip extends continuously without an interface from the first sidewall to a second sidewall of the first straight linear strip, wherein the first sidewall of the first straight linear strip is a first sidewall of the first polygon shaped structure, wherein the second sidewall of the first straight linear strip is a first sidewall of the second polygon shaped structure, wherein a material of the second straight linear strip extends continuously without an interface from the first sidewall to a second sidewall of the second straight linear strip, wherein the first sidewall of the second straight linear strip is a second sidewall of the first polygon shaped structure, and wherein the second sidewall of the second straight linear strip is a first sidewall of the third polygon shaped structure, wherein a material of the fifth straight linear strip extends continuously without an interface from a first sidewall to a second sidewall of the fifth straight linear strip, wherein the first sidewall of the fifth straight linear strip is a second sidewall of the second polygon shaped structure, and wherein the second sidewall of the fifth straight linear strip is a second sidewall of the third polygon shaped structure;
- and
- polishing the wafer by pressing the wafer against the one or more polishing structures.
1 more element
A method for wafer planarization using a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) tool, the method comprising:
- rotating a polishing pad of the CMP tool, wherein the polishing pad comprises a pad layer and one or more polishing structures over an upper surface of the pad layer, wherein each of the one or more polishing structures has a pre-determined shape and is formed at a pre-determined location of the pad layer, wherein the one or more polishing structures comprise a first polygon shaped structure, a second polygon shaped structure, and a third polygon shaped structure protruding from and extending along the upper surface of the pad layer in a plan view, wherein a first side of the first polygon shaped structure is a first straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the first side of the first polygon shaped structure is a first side of the second polygon shaped structure, wherein a second side of the second polygon shaped structure is a second straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the second side of the second polygon shaped structure is a first side of the third polygon shaped structure, wherein a second side of the third polygon shaped structure is a third straight linear strip in the plan view, wherein the second side of the third polygon shaped structure is a second side of the first polygon shaped structure, wherein the first straight linear strip, the second straight linear strip, and the third straight linear strip have a same thickness in the plan view, wherein a first sidewall of the first straight linear strip is in physical contact with a first sidewall of the second straight linear strip, wherein a second sidewall of the first straight linear strip is in physical contact with a first sidewall of the third straight linear strip, and wherein a second sidewall of the second straight linear strip is in physical contact with a second sidewall of the third straight linear strip, wherein a total area of top surfaces of the one or more polishing structures in a plan view is a first area, wherein a total area of the upper surface of the pad layer in the plan view is a second area, and wherein the first area is about 1% to about 10% of the second area;
- and
- polishing a wafer by pressing the wafer against the one or more polishing structures of the polishing pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.