Manufacturability of the CMP process

The chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process has come to stay. After oxide polishing the focus is now shifting to metal polishing with polishing of several metals (W, Al, Cu) being investigated. Manufacturability of the process continues to be a major challenge: a process, the equipment, consumables, a wafer-clean package are all non-existent. The opportunity is there, the capability is not. Several equipment vendors (Westech Systems, Strasbaugh Inc., Speedfam Corp., Cyberg Systems) have jumped in with claims of a complete solution. Unless detailed process integration is carried out together with automation, manufacturability of the process will continue to be a major challenge for the industry. Unpolished wafers in and polished clean wafers out, with no operator handling, is possible with the right approach. There should also be consideration for slurry waste disposal and quality control of incoming materials. Better/efficient wafer measurement schemes have also to be incorporated.