Thermal mechanical planarization in integrated circuits

A method for planarization of low dielectric constant ILD layers on a semiconductor wafer comprising:

• providing an oven having a rotatable wafer holder provided therein;
• placing the semiconductor wafer on the wafer holder;
• rotating the wafer holder with the semiconductor wafer thereon;
• spining on the low dielectric constant ILD material on to the semiconductor wafer in the oven;
• soft baking the low dielectric contstant ILD material at a soft bake temperature in the oven;
• holding the low dielectric constant ILD material at a temperature below the hard back temperature in the oven;
• applying mechanical pressure to the ILD layer on the semiconductor wafer using a mechanical device to apply rotating pressure to the ILD layer in the oven;
• applying heat to the ILD layer on the semiconductor wafer through the mechanical device simultaneously with the applying the mechanical pressure in the oven;
• hard baking the low dielectric constant ILD material at a hard bake temperature in the oven;
• cooling the low dielectric constant ILD material in the oven;
• and
• annealing the low dielectric constant ILD material in the oven.

An apparatus for planarization of ILD layers on a semiconductor wafer comprising:

• an oven;
• a wafer holder provided in the oven;
• and
• a mechanical device for simultaneously applying mechanical pressure and heat to the ILD layer on the semiconductor wafer.