EMERGING DEVELOPMENTS IN CMP FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PLANARIZATION

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) for planarization has become one of the most rapidly growing segments of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment and materials market. CMP is unique in its ability to provide global planarization of both insulator and conductor layers in multi-level metallization interconnect structures. It has also been successfully used to planarize both deep and shallow trench isolation materials. This article discusses a number of issues in the context of the evolution of CMP for planarization: the CMP marketplace; optimization of slurries and pads; the relationship between CMP process conditions and post-CMP cleaning; and defects associated with the planarization process.