Conventional diamond disc pad conditioning methods employed in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) have presented several problems for integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers. These include diamond wear, which reduces pad life, and diamond fracture, which causes the semiconductor devices to be scratched by loose diamond fragments. In order to attempt to overcome these problems, a high-pressure micro jet (HPMJ) conditioning system, in which pressurized ultra pure water (VPW) ranging from 3-30MPa is sprayed on the pad surface, is proposed and developed. This study first analyzes the extent of the kinetic energy of water droplets ejecting from the HPMJ system and its utility in conditioning the pad surface. Subsequently, CMP is used to polish interlayer dielectric (ILD) films using both conventional diamond discs as well as HPMJ conditioning methods. Results, reported in the form of coefficient of friction (COF), removal rate, pad surface roughness and pad surface quality, highlight both the advantages as well as disadvantages of the HPMJ method compared to conventional conditioning schemes.
