Abstract: Provided is a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus, a retaining ring for a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus, and a chemical-mechanical polishing method. A chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes a polishing pad; a polishing head configured to receive a wafer and to hold the wafer against the polishing pad; and a retaining ring configured to engage with the polishing head, wherein the retaining ring is formed with channels configured for flowing a slurry in a flow direction from outside the retaining ring to inside the retaining ring, wherein the channels have a cross-sectional flow area that decreases in the flow direction.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization system includes a chemical mechanical planarization pad that rotates during a chemical mechanical planarization process. A chemical mechanical planarization head places a semiconductor wafer in contact with the chemical mechanical planarization pad during the process. A slurry supply system supplies a slurry onto the pad during the process. A pad conditioner conditions the pad during the process. An impurity removal system removes debris and impurities from the slurry.

Abstract: Provided are a tool and a method for processing a semiconductor wafer. A processing method includes supporting a semiconductor wafer continuously along a periphery of the semiconductor wafer with an electrically grounded conductive member; and spinning the semiconductor wafer, wherein surface charges induced during spinning are dissipated by movement of electrons from the semiconductor wafer to the electrically grounded conductive member at the periphery of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing tool and a methods for polishing a wafer or manufacturing a semiconductor device. A method for polishing a wafer includes contacting a surface of the wafer to a polishing pad at an interface; rotating the wafer and/or the pad; and delivering a series of selected treatment agents to the interface and removing waste from the interface through channels extending through the pad, while controlling a rate of delivering the selected polishing agents and removing the waste streams through the channels formed in the pad to optimize polishing of the wafer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate a CMP tool and methods for planarization a substrate. Particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a substrate transporter for use in a CMP tool. The transporter may be used transport and/or carry substrates among various polishers and cleaners in a CMP tool while preventing the substrates from drying out during transportation. By keeping surfaces of the substrates wet during substrate waiting time or idle time in the CMP tool, embodiments of the present disclosure prevent many types of defects, such as byproducts, agglomerated abrasives, pad debris, slurry residues, from accumulate on the substrate surface during CMP processing, thus improve yields and device performance.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing device is provided according to some embodiments. The chemical mechanical polishing device comprises a polishing pad. The polishing pad includes a plurality of stacks of first pad fractions and a plurality of stacks of second pad fractions. The first pad fractions and the second pad fractions have different hardness. The stacks of first pad fractions and the stacks of the second pad fractions are arranged with a pattern corresponding to a predetermined feature of a structure to be polished by the chemical mechanical polishing device. The predetermined feature may include a surface profile or a material of the structure to be polished.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a CMP tool and methods for planarization a substrate. Particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an in-situ defect data analyzer to identify CMP induced defects during polishing processing and cleaning processing performed in the CMP tool. In some embodiments, the CMP tool includes an AI (artificial intelligence)-assisted defect database. The defect database may be used to identify and classify CMP related defects, such as scratch, fall-on slurry residuals, during polishing or cleaning process. As a result, defect warning cycle time for a CMP process is improved significantly.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system including a capacitive deionization module (CDM) for removing ions from a solution and a method for using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a planarization unit for planarizing a wafer; a cleaning unit for cleaning the wafer; a wafer transportation unit for transporting the wafer between the planarization unit and the cleaning unit; and a capacitive deionization module for removing ions from a solution used in at least one of the planarization unit or the cleaning unit.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system including a capacitive deionization module (CDM) for removing ions from a solution and a method for using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a planarization unit for planarizing a wafer; a cleaning unit for cleaning the wafer; a wafer transportation unit for transporting the wafer between the planarization unit and the cleaning unit; and a capacitive deionization module for removing ions from a solution used in at least one of the planarization unit or the cleaning unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing chemical mechanical polish on a wafer includes a polishing head that includes a retaining ring. The polishing head is configured to hold the wafer in the retaining ring. The retaining ring includes a first ring having a first hardness, and a second ring encircled by the first ring, wherein the second ring has a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate a CMP tool and methods for planarization a substrate. Particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a substrate transporter for use in a CMP tool. The transporter may be used transport and/or carry substrates among various polishers and cleaners in a CMP tool while preventing the substrates from drying out during transportation. By keeping surfaces of the substrates wet during substrate waiting time or idle time in the CMP tool, embodiments of the present disclosure prevent many types of defects, such as byproducts, agglomerated abrasives, pad debris, slurry residues, from accumulate on the substrate surface during CMP processing, thus improve yields and device performance.

Abstract: Polishing pads having varying protrusions and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a polishing pad includes a polishing pad substrate; a first protrusion on the polishing pad substrate, the first protrusion including a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, and a first hardness of the central region being greater than a second hardness of the peripheral region; and a first groove adjacent a first side of the first protrusion.

Abstract: Disclosed are a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, a control method for the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and a chemical mechanical polishing system. In one embodiment, the chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a polishing pad, a sensor, a polishing head and a conditioner. The sensor is configured to obtain surface roughness of the polishing pad. The polishing head is located above the polishing pad and configured to polish a wafer which is push against the polishing pad. The conditioner is located on the polishing pad and configured to recondition the polishing pad, wherein the conditioner is operated according to at least one polishing condition, and the polishing condition is tuned according to the surface roughness of the polishing pad.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing chemical mechanical polish on a wafer includes a polishing head that includes a retaining ring. The polishing head is configured to hold the wafer in the retaining ring. The retaining ring includes a first ring having a first hardness, and a second ring encircled by the first ring, wherein the second ring has a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

Abstract: Some implementations described herein relate to dispensing a slurry onto a polishing pad for a chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) process. These implementations also involve rotating the polishing pad while the slurry is dispensed onto the polishing pad. Rotation of the polishing pad results in a traversal of the slurry radially outward toward a polishing pad outer edge of the polishing pad. The polishing pad includes a plurality of groove segments and a geometric patterns formed by the plurality of the groove segments impede the flow of the slurry to the polishing pad outer edge.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization system includes a chemical mechanical planarization pad that rotates during a chemical mechanical planarization process. A chemical mechanical planarization head places a semiconductor wafer in contact with the chemical mechanical planarization pad during the process. A slurry supply system supplies a slurry onto the pad during the process. A pad conditioner conditions the pad during the process. An impurity removal system removes debris and impurities from the slurry.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing chemical mechanical polish on a wafer includes a polishing head that includes a retaining ring. The polishing head is configured to hold the wafer in the retaining ring. The retaining ring includes a first ring having a first hardness, and a second ring encircled by the first ring, wherein the second ring has a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

Abstract: A method includes measuring a first thickness at a first location of the polishing pad and a second thickness at a second location of the polishing pad; obtaining a first reference thickness at the first location of the polishing pad, wherein the first reference thickness is an average thickness of multiple thicknesses at the first location; obtaining a second reference thickness at the second location of the polishing pad, wherein the second reference thickness is an average thickness of multiple thicknesses at the second location; calculating a first thickness difference; calculating a second thickness difference; modifying a conditioning parameter value at the first location of the polishing pad; and sweeping a conditioner across a surface of the polishing pad; and applying a downforce or a sweeping speed to the conditioner that urges the conditioner against the first location of the polishing pad according to the modified conditioning parameter value.

Abstract: A method is provided and includes: measuring a surface profile of a polishing pad; obtaining a reference profile of the polishing pad; comparing the surface profile of the polishing pad with the reference profile to generate a difference result; determining a conditioning parameter value according to the difference result; and conditioning the polishing pad using the conditioning parameter value.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system including a capacitive deionization module (CDM) for removing ions from a solution and a method for using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a planarization unit for planarizing a wafer; a cleaning unit for cleaning the wafer; a wafer transportation unit for transporting the wafer between the planarization unit and the cleaning unit; and a capacitive deionization module for removing ions from a solution used in at least one of the planarization unit or the cleaning unit.