SBIR Phase I: Single Step Chemical Mechanical Planarization of Copper/Ultra Low k Interconnects

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）研究项目旨在开发一种单步化学机械抛光（CMP）工艺，用于制造下一代铜基互连，将数百万个晶体管连接在芯片上。目前的铜CMP工艺复杂，需要多个步骤才能满足缺陷质量和平面性要求。此外，现有的工艺在抛光过程中产生高应力，这可能与半导体工业现在引入的脆弱的低介电常数材料不兼容。为了应对这些挑战，该公司提出开发“软抛光层”概念，以温和去除铜，而不会损坏脆弱的介电层。在浆液中使用兼容的化学物质和纳米颗粒，可以成功地开发出灵活、无缺陷的单步工艺来制造铜基互连，这将为半导体芯片制造商节省大量成本。随着即将推出的新型易碎超低钾材料，CMP工艺预计将变得更加复杂和昂贵，以达到必要的性能水平。如果成功实施单步CMP工艺，预计将达到或超过45纳米制造节点的技术性能水平，同时将CMP制造成本降低高达80%，这可能转化为半导体行业节省数十亿美元。成本的降低主要是由于制造过程的简化、吞吐量的提高、产量的增加、资本设备和人力的使用的减少以及消耗品成本的降低。该项目的成功完成将有助于保持和发展国家在纳米技术领域的领导地位，纳米技术是国家未来健康和活力的关键领域。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) research project aims to develop a single step chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process for fabrication of next generation of copper based interconnects that join millions of transistors on a chip. The current state of the art copper CMP process is complicated requiring multiple steps to meet the defect quality and planarity requirements. Furthermore, existing processes create high stresses during polishing, which may not be compatible with the fragile low dielectric constant materials now being introduced by the semiconductor industry. To address these challenges the company proposes to develop the "soft polishing layer" concept for gentle removal of copper that does not damage the fragile dielectric layer. The use compatible chemistries and nanoparticles in the slurry allows successful development of a flexible, defect-free, single step process to fabricate copper based interconnects that will result in substantial cost savings to the semiconductor chip manufacturers.With the impending introduction of new fragile ultra low k materials, CMP processes are expected to become more complicated and expensive, to achieve the necessary levels of performance. If successful the implementation of the single step CMP process is expected to meet or exceed the technical performance levels of the 45 nm manufacturing node while decreasing the CMP manufacturing costs by up to 80% which could translates in billions of dollars saved in the semiconductor industry. The reduction in costs is largely due to the simplification of the manufacturing process, higher throughput, increased yield, less use of capital equipment and manpower, and reduction in consumable costs. The successful completion of this project will help maintain and grow the country's leadership in nanotechnology, a key area for future health and vitality of the nation.