CMP pad conditioning using the high-pressure micro-jet method

Abstract

In this study, in order to improve and restore the performance of the polishing pads and reduce the cost of chemical mechanical polishing, three types of material polishing pads, namely, polyurethane, damping cloth, and non-woven fabric, were selected for the experiment. Accordingly, each polishing pad was set up with diamond conditioner and high-pressure micro-jet (HPMJ) conditioning control experiments. Subsequently, the fluctuation ranges of the material removal rate on the three polishing pads were 2.73–3.75 μm/h, 1.38–1.99 μm/h, and 2.36–4.32 μm/h, respectively under the HPMJ conditioning method, while the fluctuation ranges of the material removal rate on the three polishing pads were 1.80–4.14 μm/h, 1.02–2.09 μm/h, and 1.78–5.88 μm/h under the diamond conditioning method. Comparing the polishing pad morphologies under SEM, we observed that the surface of the polishing pad after HPMJ conditioning was relatively clean, and the hole structure was not blocked. Contrastingly, there remained numerous abrasive particles on the surface after the conventional diamond conditioning and the hole structure was blocked. Thus, the HPMJ conditioning technology is better than the traditional diamond conditioning technology. Subsequently, the polishing pad after HPMJ conditioning has a longer service life and a more stable material removal rate than that after traditional diamond conditioning.