CONDITIONER DEVICE FOR CONDITIONING POLISHING PAD AND CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to a conditioner device for polishing pad and a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus having the same. The conditioner device of the present invention comprises a rotable support plate including a support plate surface comprising a center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate, a mid area surrounding the center area, and a peripheral area surrounding the mid area, a plurality of conditioning zones located within a portion of the mid area of the support plate surface. A plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support plate surface. A plurality of passages defined by the conditioning zones within which a slurry flows, the passages occupying a portion of the mid area which is not occupied by the conditioning zones, the center area and the peripheral area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a conditioner device for the polishing pad of a conventional CMP apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the conditioning efficiency of the polishing pad of a conventional CMP apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a conditioner device for the polishing pad of a conventional CMP apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a CMP apparatus including the conditioner device for the polishing pad according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a CMP apparatus including the conditioner device for the polishing pad according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a detailed plan view illustrating the arrangement of diamond particles on the conditioner device for the polishing pad of the a CMP apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a conditioner device for the polishing pad of a CMP apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the changes in the conditioning efficiency of the conditioner device for the polishing pad of a CMP apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the polishing time vs. the lifetime of the polishing pad of a conventional CMP apparatus;

FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating the polishing time vs. the lifetime of the polishing pad of a CMP apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view illustrating a conditioner device for the polishing pad of a CMP apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a graph illustrating the changes in the conditioning efficiency based on the differences of the extrusion heights of the diamond particles on the conditioner device for the polishing pad of the CMP apparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 are plan views illustrating respectively conditioner devices for the polishing pad of a CMP apparatus according to the different exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable support plate including a support plate surface comprising a center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate, a mid area surrounding the center area, and a peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of conditioning zones located within a portion of the mid area of the support plate surface, the plurality of conditioning zones occupying from about 60% to 70% of the total area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support plate surface; anda plurality of passages defined by said conditioning zones within which a slurry flows, the passages occupying a portion of the mid area which is not occupied by the conditioning zones, the center area and the peripheral area.

2. (canceled)

3. The conditioner device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of passages occupy about 30% to 40% of the total area of the support plate surface, and partitions the plurality of conditioning zones.

4. The conditioner device of claim 1, wherein an average distance between the plurality of the hard particles is about 5 to 7 times the average size of the hard particles.

5. The conditioner device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of hard particles are arranged such that each hard particle is located at each corner of a square grid.

6. The conditioner device of claim 4, wherein a plurality of hard particles have extruding heights which are different from each other, the extruding heights being measured from the support plate surface.

7. The conditioner device of claim 6, wherein the difference of extruding heights of the plurality of hard particles is in from about 10% to 20% of the average size of the plurality of the hard particles.

8. The conditioner device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the hard particles comprise diamond particles.

9. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable circular support plate including a support plate surface comprising a circular-shaped center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate surface, a ring-shaped mid area surrounding the center area, and a ring-shaped peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of radially-extending conditioning zones located within the mid area of the support plate surface, the pluraltiy of the conditioning zones occupying about 60% to 70% of the total area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support place surface; anda plurality of slurry passages comprising a first slurry passage that is circular and is defined by the center area, a second slurry passage that is a ring shape and is defined by the peripheral area, and a third slurry passage that is defined by the regions between the plurality of the conditioning zones and connects the respective first slurry passage and the second slurry passage.

10. (canceled)

11. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped as follows: the conditioning zone of which boundaries extend along straight lines from the rotation axis of the support plate to the peripheral edge of the support plate, with the azimuthal dimension of the conditioning zone gradually increasing with the radial distances from the rotation axis of the support plate.

12. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped as follows: the conditioning zone of which boundaries extend along curved lines from the rotation axis of the support plate to the peripheral edge of the support plate, with the azimuthal dimension of the conditioning zone gradually increasing with the radial distances from the rotation axis of the support plate.

13. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped as follows: the conditioning zone of which boundaries extend along curved lines from the rotation axis of the support plate to the peripheral edge of the support plate, with the azimuthal dimension of the conditioning zone being substantially constant at any radial distance from the rotation axis of the support plate.

14. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped as follows: the conditioning zone which extends in the azimuthal direction of the support plate, with the radial dimension of the conditioning zone being substantially constant at any azimuthal location.

15. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein the slurry passages occupy about 30% to 40% of the total area of the support plate surface.

16. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein an average distance between the plurality of the hard particles is about 5 to 7 times of the average size of the hard particles.

17. The conditioner device of claim 9, wherein a plurality of the hard particles have extruding height which are different from another, each of the extruding heights being measured from the support plate, the difference of the extruding heights being in the range of about 10% to 20% of the average size of the plurality of the hard particles.

18. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus comprising: a rotatable platen;a polishing pad positioned on the platen;a rotatable wafer carrier for mounting and polishing a wafer, the wafer carrier facing the polishing pad;a slurry supply nozzle for supplying a slurry to the polishing pad;a rotatable conditioner device comprising a support plate surface, the support plate surface comprising a plurality of conditioning zones having a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and attached to the support plate surface, the hard particles for maintaining the surface roughness of the polishing pad, and slurry passages for providing spaces for slurry flows between the plurality of the conditioning zones, the plurality of the conditioning zones occupy about 60% to 70% of the total area of the support plate, and the slurry passages occupy about 30% to 40% of the total of the support plate; anda rotation axis comprising an arm to which the conditioner device is installed.

19. (canceled)

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of conditioning zones are arranged in a radial direction and occupy portion of a mid area of the support plate, the mid area being located between a center area and a peripheral area of the support plate.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the slurry passage comprises: a first slurry passage that is a circular shape and is located in the center area;a second slurry passage that is a ring shape and is located in the peripheral area; anda third slurry passage that is located in the regions between the plurality of the conditioning zones and connects the first slurry passage and the second slurry passage.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of hard particles are densely arranged on the support plate surface such that the average distance between the hard particles is about 5 to 7 times of the average size of the hard particles.

23. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable support plate including a support plate surface comprising a center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate, a mid area surrounding the center area, and a peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of conditioning zones located within a portion of the mid area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditoning zones and are attached to the support plate surface; anda plurality of passage defined by said conditioning zones within which a slurry flows, the passages occupying a portion of the mid area which is not occupied by the conditioning zones, the center area and the peripheral area, the pluraltiy of passages occupying about 30% to 40% of the total area of the support plate surface and partitioning the plurality of conditioning zones.

24. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable circular support plate including a support plate surface comprising a circular-shaped center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate surface, a ring-shaped mid area surrounding the center area, and a ring-shaped peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of radically-extending conditioning zones located within the mid area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support place surface; anda plurality of slurry passages comprising a first slurry passage that is circular and is defined by the center area, a second slurry passage that is a ring shape and is defined by the peripheral area, and a third slurry passage that is defined by the regions between the plurality of the conditioning zones and connects the respective first slurry passage and the second slurry passage.wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped such that the conditioning zone of which boundaries extend along straight lines from the rotation axis of the support plate to the peripheral edge of the support plate, the azimuthal dimension of the conditioning zone gradually increasing with the radical distances from the rotation axis of the support plate.

25. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable circular support plate including a support plate surface comprising a circular-shaped center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate surface, ring-shaped mid area surrounding the center area, and a ring-shaped peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of radically-extending conditioning zones located within the mid area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support place surface; anda plurality of sluury passages comprising a first slurry passage that is circular and is defined by the center area, a second slurry passage that is a ring shape and is defined by the peripheral area, and a third slurry passage that is defined by the regions between the plurality of the conditioning zones and connects the respective first slurry passage and the second slurry passage,wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped such that the conditioning zone of which boundaries extend along curved lines from the rotation axis of the support plate to the peripheral edge of the support plate, the azimuthal dimension of the conditioning zone gradually increasing with the radical distances from the rotation axis of the support plate.

26. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable circular support plate including a support plate surface comprising a circular-shaped center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate surface, a ring-shaped mid area surrounding the center area, and a ring-shaped peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of radically-extending conditioning zones located within the mid area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support place surface; anda plurality of slurry passage comprising a first slurry passage that is circular and is defined by the center area, a second slurry passage that is a ring shape and is defined by the peripheral area, and a third slurry passage that is defined by the regions between the plurality of the conditioning zones and connects the respective first slurry passage and the second slurry passage,wherein the plurality of the conditioning zones are shaped such that the conditioning zone which extends in the azimuthal direction of the support plate, the radial dimension of the conditioning zone being substantially constant at any azimuthal location.

27. A conditioner device comprising: a rotatable circular support plate including a support plate surface comprising a circular-shaped center area located about the rotational axis of the support plate surface, a ring-shaped mid area surrounding the center area, and a ring-shaped peripheral area surrounding the mid area;a plurality of radically-extending conditioning zones located within the mid area of the support plate surface;a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and are attached to the support place surface; anda plurality of slurry passages comprising a first slurry passage that is circular and is defined by the center area, a second slurry passage that is a ring shape and is defined by the peripheral area, and a third slurry passage that is defined by the regions between the plurality of the conditioning zones and connects the respective first slurry passage and the second slurry passage, the slurry passages occupying about 30% to 40% of the total area of the support plate surface.

28. A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus comprising: a rotatable platen;a ploishing pad positioned on the platen;a rotatable wafer carrier for mounting and polishing a wafer, the wafer carrier facing the polishing pad;a slurry supply nozzle for supplying a slurry to the polishing pad;a rotatable conditioner device comprising a support plate surface, the support plate surface comprising a plurality of conditioning zones having a plurality of hard particles which are densely arranged within the conditioning zones and attached to the support plate surface, the hard particles for maintaining the surface roughness of the polishing pad, and slurry passages for providing spaces for slurry flows between the plurality of the conditioning zones, the plurality of conditioning zones being arranged in a radical direction and occupying a portion of a mid area of the support plate, the mid area being located between a center area and a peripheral area of the support plate; anda rotation axis comprising an arm to which the conditioner device is installed.