ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a process engineer or process manager with the basic knowledge needed to understand this fast moving technology. Trends in integration of Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP) with post-CMP cleaning tools will be summarized. Today's CMP slurries are increasingly tailored for specific process applications as well as specific polishing tools and other consumables like pads. Given that CMP slurries contain many chemical additives, safety handling and environmental issues become important. The state-of-the-art polishing tools were described in the second section, along with the status of supply of expendable materials under the title, Equipment and Consumables. Aluminum CMP is also in the infancy stage as with copper CMP, and many of the same issues one faces with copper, one will also face with aluminum. The polishing pad is known to be one of the most critical elements in a CMP system, with substantial impact on polishing rate, planarization, uniformity, defectivity, and other process results.
