This application claims the benefits of the Taiwan Patent Application Serial Number 103105288, filed on Feb. 18, 2014, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner, and more particularly to a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner including a plurality of abrasive particles which are performed surface treatments.
2. Description of Related Art
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a common polishing process in various industries, which can be used to grind the surfaces of various articles, including ceramics, silicon, glass, quartz, or a metal chip. In addition, with the rapid development of integrated circuits, chemical mechanical polishing becomes one of the common techniques for wafer planarization because it can achieve an object of whole planarization.
During the chemical mechanical polishing process of semiconductor, impurities or uneven structure on the surface of a wafer are removed by contacting the wafer (or the other semiconductor elements) with a polishing pad and using a polishing liquid if necessary, through the chemical reaction and mechanical force. When the polishing pad has been used for a certain period of time, the polishing performance and efficiency are reduced because the debris produced in the polishing process may accumulate on the surface of the polishing pad. Therefore, a conditioner can be used to condition the surface of the polishing pad, such that the surface of the polishing pad is re-roughened and maintained at an optimum condition for polishing. In the process for manufacturing a conditioner, it is necessary to dispose an abrasive layer by mixing abrasive particles and a binding layer on the substrate surface, and to fix the abrasive layer to the surface of the substrate by brazing or sintering methods.
In the known technology, such as Taiwan Patent Issue No. 1306048, it discloses that CMP pad dressers with superabrasive particles oriented into an attitude that controls CMP pad performance, and methods associated therewith are disclosed and described. The controlled CMP pad performance may be selected to optimize CMP pad dressing rate and dresser wear. Further, a method for controlling CMP pad dresser performance in a CMP pad dresser as part of the pad dresser fabrication process, the pad dresser employing a plurality of superabrasive particles comprising: orienting the superabrasive particles into an attitude that provides an anticipated performance characteristic; and securing the securing the superabrasive particles to a substrate in said attitude.
Besides, in the other known technology, such as Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006130586, it discloses that among a number of diamond abrasive grains, a group of diamond abrasive grains having a higher percentage content of diamond abrasive grains where the proportion of area occupied by crystal orientation 111 face is larger than that of the other faces is selected, and this group of diamond abrasive grains are dispersed in a plating liquid to be plated on the surface 2 of a base material 1 dipped in a plating solution, whereby among a number of diamond abrasive grains plated on the surface 2 of the base material 1, the proportion of diamond abrasive grains A1, A2, A4 to A6, A8, A9, the crystal orientation 111 faces (a) of which are oriented substantially parallel to the surface 2 of the base material 1 ranges from 65 to 95%, and the X-ray reflection intensity of the crystal orientation 111 face of the diamond abrasive grains is 2500 CPS or more.
However, in the above-mentioned chemical mechanical polishing conditioner, tip orientations, crystalline forms of abrasive particles or the abrasive particles are mainly used to form different angles of inclination, and the tip orientations of the abrasive particles are controlled to promote the polishing performance of the conditioner. But, the abrasive particles of the above-mentioned chemical mechanical polishing conditioner are limited to their crystal forms, such as hexoctahedron, so that cutting edge angles of the abrasive particles cannot avoid the fixing cutting edge angles due to their structures. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, which is used to control profiles of each abrasive particle to achieve an optimum polishing performance.
An object of the present invention is to provide a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, which is used to control profiles of each abrasive particle to achieve an optimum ability of cutting. Besides, the abrasive particles can avoid limitations of their crystal form based on a condition of profiles of each abrasive particle to obtain an optimum cutting edge angle.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, comprising: a substrate; a binding layer disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of abrasive particles fixed directly on the substrate by the binding layer, or each abrasive particle disposed on a metal fixing seat; wherein the substrate have a plurality of blind holes or a plurality of through holes, so that the metal fixing seats are installed into the blind holes or the through holes, and the metal fixing seat are fixed on the substrate by the binding layer; wherein the abrasive particles are treated by a surface processing treatment, so that the abrasive particles have specific cutting edge angles, crystal structures, tip heights, or tip orientations. Further, the cutting edge angles, crystal structures, tip heights, or tip orientations may be randomly varied based on the user's requirements or processing conditions; alternatively, the abrasive particles are not treated by a surface processing treatment, so that the abrasive particles are formed by a specific ration or a specific arrangement to control the surface characteristics of the polishing pad. The present invention is different form a traditional chemical mechanical polishing conditioner of which the polishing performance are limited to their crystal forms, such as hexoctahedron, of the abrasive particles (artificial diamonds or synthetic diamond). The chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention can be designed to the abrasive particles with specific profiles, so that the polishing performance is not limited to their crystal forms, such as hexoctahedron.
In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the present invention is different from the original artificial diamonds which can only have the cutting edge angle of 70 degree or 90 degree. The cutting edge angle of theses abrasive particles may be randomly varied based on the user's requirements or polishing processing conditions; wherein the cutting edge angle of theses abrasive particles may be 30 degree to 150 degree, and in an aspect of the present invention, the cutting edge angle of theses abrasive particles may be 60 degree to 90 degree. Besides, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the crystal structure of these abrasive particles may be randomly varied based on a surface processing treatment and the user's requirements or polishing processing conditions; wherein the crystal structure of these abrasive particles may be a tetrahedron, a hexahedron, an octahedron, or the other shape with specific cutting function, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In an aspect of the present invention, the crystal structure of these abrasive particles may be a hexahedron. Besides, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the substrate has a plurality of blind holes or a plurality of through holes, so that the metal fixing seats are installed into the blind holes or the through holes.
In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the tip heights of these abrasive particles may be randomly varied based on the user's requirements or polishing conditions, so that these abrasive particles may have the same tip heights, or theses abrasive particles may have different tip heights. In an aspect of the present invention, these abrasive particles may have the same tip heights; alternatively, these abrasive particles are controlled by metal fixing seats with different protrusion heights, so that these abrasive particles have the same tip heights. In another aspect of the present invention, the abrasive particles may have different tip heights; wherein the abrasive particles may have different tips through surface treatments; alternatively, the abrasive particles are controlled by metal fixing seats with different protrusion heights, so that these abrasive particles have different tip heights.
In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, each abrasive particle may be fixed on the metal fixing seats by an abrasive binding layer; wherein these abrasive particles may have plane bottoms or non-plane bottoms, and the metal fixing seat may have a plane top or blind holes at the top. In an aspect of the present invention, theses abrasive particles having plane bottoms may be disposed on the fixing seats having plane tops, so that theses abrasive particles having plane bottoms are corresponded with the metal fixing seats having the plane tops. Besides, theses abrasive particles having plane bottoms also may be not disposed directly on the substrate instead of through the metal fixing seats. On the other hand, theses abrasive particles having non-plane bottoms may be corresponded with the metal fixing seats having blind holes at the top, so that theses abrasive particles having non-plane bottoms are corresponded with the metal fixing seats having blind holes at the top.
In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, these abrasive particles may be artificial diamonds, nature diamonds, polycrystalline diamonds or cubic boron nitride. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the abrasive particles may be artificial diamonds. Furthermore, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the abrasive particles may have a particle size of 30 to 2000 μm. In an aspect of the present invention, these abrasive particles disposed on the metal fixing seats may have larger particle sizes such as 800 μm; wherein the metal fixing seats may be designed as metal bars with cylindrical shapes and the external diameters of the metal fixing seats may be 1 mm to 10 mm, the external diameters of the metal fixing seats are preferably 3 mm; therefore, 60 to 70 metal fixing seats may generally be installed into the substrate of the conditioner having external diameters of 4 inch.
In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, these abrasive particles are fixed directly on the substrate by the binding layer; alternatively, each abrasive particle is disposed on the metal fixing seat and the metal fixing seat is fixed on the substrate by the binding layer; wherein the compositions of the binding layer may be varied based on the polishing conditions and requirements, which includes: a ceramic material, a brazing material, an electroplating material, a metallic material, or a polymer material, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Besides, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the polymer material can be epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyacrylic resin, or phenolic resin, and the brazing material can be at least one selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium, manganese, silicon, aluminum, and combinations thereof. In an aspect of the present invention, the compositions of the binding layer are preferably epoxy resin.
In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, each abrasive particle may be fixed on the metal fixing seat by the abrasive binding layer; wherein the compositions of the abrasive binding layer may be varied based on the polishing conditions and requirements, which includes: a ceramic material, a brazing material, an electroplating material, a metallic material, or a polymer material, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Besides, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the polymer material can be epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyacrylic resin, or phenolic resin, and the brazing material can be at least one selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium, manganese, silicon, aluminum, and combinations thereof. In an aspect of the present invention, the compositions of the binding layer are preferably nickel-based metal brazing material.
Besides, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the materials and sizes of the substrate may be varied based on the polishing conditions and requirements; wherein the materials of the substrate can be stainless steel substrate, mold steel substrate, metal alloy substrate, ceramic material substrate or polymer material substrate or combinations thereof, but the present invention is not be limited thereto. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the material of the substrate may be a stainless steel substrate. Further, in the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, the substrate may have a plurality of blind holes, so that the metal fixing seats may be installed into each blind hole.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, the method for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing conditioner may control the figures of each abrasive particle to achieve the optimum ability of cutting. Besides, theses abrasive particles can avoid limitations of theirs crystal forms based on a condition of profiles of a single abrasive particle to obtain an optimum cutting edge angle.
To achieve the above object, the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, comprising: providing a plurality of abrasive particles and a substrate having a binding layer; providing a surface processing treatment to make the abrasive particles have specific cutting edge angles, crystal structures, tip heights, or tip orientations. Further, each abrasive particle may be fixed on the substrate by the binding layer; alternatively, each abrasive particle is disposed on the metal fixing seat and the metal fixing seat is fixed on the substrate by the binding layer.
In the method for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, the surface processing treatment may be a mechanical polishing method, a chemical etching method, or a laser processing method; in an aspect of the present invention, the surface processing treatment may be a mechanical polishing method. Besides, in the method for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, the fixing method of the binding layer may be a ceramic sintering method, a brazing method, an electroplating method, a metal sintering method, or a polymer hardening method, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In an aspect of the present invention, the fixing method of the binding layer is the polymer hardening method.
In the method for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance, each abrasive particle is disposed on the metal fixing seat, and the metal fixing seats are fixed on the substrate by the binding layer; wherein each abrasive particle is fixed on the metal fixing seat by the abrasive binding layer, and the fixing method of the abrasive binding layer may be a ceramic sintering method, a brazing method, an electroplating method, a metal sintering method, or a polymer hardening method. In an aspect of the present invention, the fixing method of the abrasive binding layer is metal brazing method.
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, the actions and the effects of the present invention will be explained in more detail via specific examples of the invention. However, these examples are merely illustrative of the present invention and the scope of the invention should not be construed to be defined thereby.
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In the chemical mechanical polishing conditioner with high performance of the present invention, in an Example, these abrasive particles are disposed on the substrate; and in another Example, these abrasive particles are disposed on the metal fixing seats. The cutting edge angles, crystal structures, tip heights or tip orientations may be randomly varied based on the user's requirements or processing conditions in the two Examples, thereby controlling the figures of each abrasive particle, so that these abrasive particles avoid hexoctahedron to manufacture a predetermined form; therefore, an ideal cutting edge angle is obtained to achieve an optimum polishing performance.
It should be understood that these examples are merely illustrative of the present invention and the scope of the invention should not be construed to be defined thereby, and the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103105288 | Feb 2014 | TW | national |