Abstract: A method of fabricating highly reliable tungsten interconnects takes into consideration the effects of charging that can occur within a CMP apparatus due to unrestricted DI water flow, limited only by house supply. Such effects are addressed with the use of a variable pressure input constant flow output in-line controller to the DI water line coupled to the head cleaning loading and unloading module of the CMP apparatus.

Abstract: A method of fabricating highly reliable tungsten interconnects takes into consideration the effects of charging that can occur within a CMP apparatus due to unrestricted DI water flow, limited only by house supply. Such effects are addressed with the use of a variable pressure input constant flow output in-line controller to the DI water line coupled to the head cleaning loading and unloading module of the CMP apparatus.

Abstract: The invention includes a polishing station and a buffing station for chemically mechanically polishing a wafer. The buffing station preferably includes a pair of rotating opposing buffing pads that receive a portion of the wafer. In the buffing station, a measurement instrument may be positioned adjacent an exposed portion of the wafer for detecting an endpoint of the buffing process. A first slurry may be used in the polishing station and a second slurry may be used in the buffing station. For planarizing a wafer with a metal layer over a barrier layer, the metal layer may be removed at the polishing station while the barrier layer is removed at the buffing station. For planarizing a dielectric layer, the top portion of the dielectric layer may be removed at the polishing station with an additional amount removed at the buffing station thereby leaving a dielectric layer with a desired thickness.

Abstract: An improvement to chemical-mechanical polishing. The improvement includes using a buffing pad having a geometrically optimized shape along with optimizing the buff head diameter, offset O and overlay L. In one embodiment, the buffing pad is smaller than the buff head and is mounted eccentrically. In another embodiment, the buffing pad has a generally square outer shape. In another embodiment, the buff pad is circular and is the same size as the circular buff head. In another embodiment, the buffing pad has at least three radially extending arms. The optimal configuration is determined iteratively for a selected process by changing the buffing pad shape, buff head diameter, the offset and the overlay. For example, increasing the offset generally tends to increase the removal rate toward the edge of the wafer. Increasing the overlap generally tends to increase the removal rate toward the center of the wafer.

Abstract: An improvement to chemical-mechanical polishing. The improvement includes using a buffing pad having a geometrically optimized shape along with optimizing the buff head diameter, offset O and overlay L. In one embodiment, the buffing pad is smaller than the buff head and is mounted eccentrically. In another embodiment, the buffing pad has a generally square outer shape. In another embodiment, the buff pad is circular and is the same size as the circular buff head. In another embodiment, the buffing pad has at least three radially extending arms. The optimal configuration is determined iteratively for a selected process by changing the buffing pad shape, buff head diameter, the offset and the overlay. For example, increasing the offset generally tends to increase the removal rate toward the edge of the wafer. Increasing the overlap generally tends to increase the removal rate toward the center of the wafer.