PUBLISHER: Information Network | PRODUCT CODE: 1266869
PUBLISHER: Information Network | PRODUCT CODE: 1266869
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is a critical production step during microcircuit manufacturing. The smaller the electronic components the more sophisticated the CMP process. The customer goal is to have flat, smooth, polished wafers.
CMP is an essential technology used for local and global planarization of dielectric interlayers, polishing copper damascene architectures, tungsten vias, low-k dielectric films, and shallow trench isolation. The ever-increasing list of semiconductor devices and scaling demands necessitates a wide range of materials to be polished concurrently or sequentially, which increases the complexity of CMP and presents a continual need to optimize process design and control.
CMP pads and slurry are used in the process of chemically and mechanically planing wafer surfaces, with semiconductor wafers typically having multiple layers deposited one atop another. When layers are put down, they must be polished flat before adding the next layer of circuit elements (since more information can be packed onto a flat chip). This is enabled by the CMP process that utilizes a CMP pad and slurry-pads are made of resin and placed on a rotating platen. CMP slurry refers to a chemical dispensed between pad and wafer in this process.
This report examines and projects the technologies involved in the chemical mechanical planarization of semiconductor layers. This report discusses the technology trends, products, applications, and suppliers of materials and equipment. A market forecast for CMP equipment and materials is presented.