# US 2025/0083282 A1 · Chemical mechanical polishing process using steam for polishing fluid delivery and an apparatus for implementing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0083282 A1 - Document ID: US20250083282A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/462,830 - Filed: 2023-09-07 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-07 - Assignees: Western Digital Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Western Digital Technologies, Inc., - Inventors: Yohei YAMADA; Koji KISHIMOTO; Minoru YAMAGUCHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250083282A1 ## CPC - B24B 57/02: for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents - B24B 37/015: Temperature control - B24B 37/044: {characterised by the composition of the lapping agent} - H10P 52/402: {of semiconductor materials} - H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement} - B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A chemical mechanical polishing method includes providing a liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture to a polishing pad, and polishing a surface of a work piece on the polishing pad using the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method, comprising: providing a liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture to a polishing pad; and polishing a surface of a work piece on the polishing pad using the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The CMP method of claim 1, wherein the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture comprises a gas containing a liquid vapor of a CMP polishing fluid immersed therein. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The CMP method of claim 2, wherein: the gas comprises steam; and the liquid vapor of the CMP polishing fluid comprise droplets of a liquid that has a boiling point or decomposition temperature higher than a boiling point of water, and that acts as an etchant for a material located on the surface the work piece. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The CMP method of claim 3, wherein: the droplets of the liquid comprise tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) droplets; the work piece comprises a wafer; and the material located on the surface of the wafer comprises silicon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The CMP method of claim 4, further comprising: providing an aqueous TMAH solution; at least partially evaporating the water in the aqueous TMAH solution to form a polishing fluid mixture; and mixing the polishing fluid mixture with a heated carrier gas to form the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The CMP method of claim 5, wherein the carrier gas comprises heated air. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The CMP method of claim 5, wherein the at least partially evaporating the water in the aqueous TMAH solution comprises thermally or ultrasonically evaporating the water. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The CMP method of claim 5, wherein at least partially evaporating the water in the aqueous TMAH solution comprises heating the water to a temperature between 100 and 140 degrees Celsius which at least partially evaporates the water without decomposing the TMAH droplets. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The CMP method of claim 5, further comprising: monitoring a temperature of the polishing pad; increasing a temperature of the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture if the monitored temperature of the polishing pad is below a target temperature range; and decreasing a temperature of the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture if the monitored temperature of the polishing pad is above a target temperature range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The CMP method of claim 9, wherein: the increasing the temperature of the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture comprises increasing a temperature of the heated carrier gas or decreasing a volume of the heated carrier gas; and the decreasing the temperature of the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture comprises decreasing a temperature of the heated carrier gas or increasing a volume of the heated carrier gas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The CMP method of claim 1, wherein the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture is free from solid abrasive particles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The CMP method of claim 1, wherein the providing the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture to the polishing pad comprises spraying a jet of the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture from a diverging nozzle onto a surface of the polishing pad. ### Claim 13 A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, comprising: a platen configured to support a polishing pad thereupon; a wafer carrier configured to hold a wafer and to press the wafer against a top surface of the polishing pad; and a polishing fluid dispensation system comprising: a polishing fluid tank configured to store a polishing fluid containing at least one liquid phase material; a vaporizer configured to convert the polishing fluid into polishing fluid mixture of a gas and a liquid; a carrier gas supply system configured to provide a heated carrier gas; a mixer configured to mix the polishing fluid mixture and the carrier gas to form a liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture; and a polishing fluid conduit configured to provide the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture over the polishing pad. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The CMP apparatus of claim 13, wherein the a polishing fluid conduit terminates in a fan-out nozzle that is configured to spray the liquid-gas polishing fluid mixture over a distribution area having a lateral extent that is at least one half of a radius of the polishing pad. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The CMP apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vaporizer comprises a heater. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The CMP apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vaporizer comprises an ultrasonic wave generator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The CMP apparatus of claim 13, wherein the carrier gas supply system comprises: a gas mass flow controller that is fluidly connected to a carrier gas source; and a carrier gas heater that is fluidly connected to an output of the gas mass flow controller and configured heat a carrier gas to form the heated carrier gas. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The CMP apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a temperature monitor configured to monitor a temperature of a monitored area of the polishing pad. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The CMP apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a process controller configured to receive data representing the temperature of the monitored area of the polishing pad and to control a temperature of heated carrier gas. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The CMP apparatus of claim 19, wherein the process controller is configured to control the temperature of heated carrier gas by controlling the power provided to the carrier gas heater or by controlling the mass flow controller to control a flow rate of the carrier gas.