Abstract: To provide improved planarization, techniques in accordance with this disclosure include a CMP station that utilizes localized planarization on a wafer. This localized planarization, which is often carried out in a localized planarization station downstream of a CMP station, applies localized planarization to less than the entire face of the wafer to correct localized non-planar features. Other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus is provided that includes a conditioning disc for conditioning a polishing pad of the CMP apparatus. The conditioning disc includes a plurality of portions of subsystem discs. The portions may be regions of the disc that are concentric. Each portion of the disc is operable to rotate at a different angular velocity. In some embodiments, a different applied loading is provided to each of the portions of the disc in addition to or in lieu of the different angular velocities.

Abstract: A system includes a chuck with a retaining ring on a first surface thereof. The first surface and the retaining ring are both circular, the retaining ring having a first inner circumference. The system also includes a platen with a second surface, and the second surface faces the first surface and is operable to move with the first surface. The system further includes an air zone circumscribed by the first inner circumference that provides an effective inner circumference different from the first inner circumference.

Abstract: At the conclusion of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) there is found to be a topography difference at the periphery of the wafer. For example, for a 200 mm wafer, the oxide surface in a peripheral region up to 20 mm wide, may end up about 1,000 Å above or below the central portion of the surface. This problem has been overcome by varying the type of polishing pad and retainer ring from one CMP operation to the next. Thus, if the equipment that is used to effect a given CMP step results in a post CMP surface in which the periphery of the wafer is higher than the center, CMP equipment for the next layer is selected that, operating alone, would result in a surface in which the periphery of the wafer is lower than the center. The two CMP operations thus cancel each other and a uniformly flat final surface results. The conditions required to produce either surface topography are described and discussed.