SBIR Phase I: Acoustic Slurry Monitor

该SBIR一期项目旨在开发一种声学CMP(化学机械抛光)浆料监测器--一种完全在线、实时、使用点的仪器，可检测和分散IC制造中使用的纳米细粉浆料中的任何和所有大型团聚物。如果不加以控制，这些错误的浆料颗粒/凝聚体会在半导体晶片经历化学机械平整或抛光过程中“杀死”(深度划伤)半导体晶片。化学机械抛光已成为集成电路制造各个阶段恢复晶片表面真实度的首选方法。这种声学泥浆监测仪使用了一种新技术--声学诱导微空化(ACIM)，这是一种建设性地控制声学微空化的手段。这是通过促进在致密的纳米细小浆料中的大颗粒上优先控制的气泡成核来实现的。因此，本研究旨在探索一种新的气泡成核原理。在操作中，浆料监测器将在浆料被送到抛光垫之前的最后分配点检查100毫升的浆料用量。它将在一分钟内完成对全密度化学机械抛光液中大颗粒的检测。该泥浆监测仪可以安装在现有的化学机械抛光工具上。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过使化学机械抛光工艺无划痕来提高半导体制造的成品率。目前还没有一种方法可以在使用时实现化学机械抛光安全的浆料。一个先进的设备晶圆在制造的最后阶段被刮伤，直接损失25万美元或更多。使用声学浆料监测器保护晶圆，节省的第一个晶圆就能收回10万美元的投资。浆料监测器是一种成品率保护工具，可可靠地提高化学机械抛光性能。归根结底，构造性控制微空化的原理，ACIM颗粒检测，依赖于控制最基本的相变过程，控制成核--在固相附近将液体转化为气体的能力。这种声学成核控制的研究可以形成一个活跃的研究和教育领域。ACIM将广泛应用于各种液体化学处理中，如控制化学反应和核反应堆的沸腾过程、声化学合成和生物技术。这家小公司是一家少数族裔和女性所有的公司，依靠种族、性别和年龄的多样性来获得强劲的业绩，致力于培训年轻的研究人员。

This SBIR Phase-I project is to develop an acoustic CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) slurry monitor?a fully in-line, real-time, point of use instrument that will detect and disperse any and all large agglomerates in the nanofine slurries used in IC manufacture. Left unchecked, these errant slurry particles/ agglomerates can "kill" (deeply scratch) a semiconductor wafer as it undergoes chemical mechanical planarizing or polishing. CMP has become the method of choice for restoring the surface trueness of wafers at all stages of IC manufacture. This acoustic slurry monitor makes use of a novel technology?Acoustic Coaxing Induced Microcavitation (ACIM), a means of constructively controlling acoustic microcavitation. It does so by facilitating controlled bubble nucleation preferentially on the large particle, in the midst of dense nano-fine slurry. This research is thus aimed at investigating a new principle of bubble nucleation. In operation the slurry monitor will inspect a 100ml of the slurry charge at final dispense point just before the slurry is fed to the polishing pad. It will complete the detection for large particles in fully dense CMP slurry in one minute. This slurry monitor can be mounted on the existing CMP tools. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project are to enable improved yields in semiconductor manufacturing by making CMP processing scratch free. No method currently exists that can implement a CMP-safe slurry at the point of use. An advanced device wafer scratched at the final stages of manufacture is a direct loss of $250k or more. Use of the Acoustic Slurry Monitor protects wafers and more than returns the $100k investment with the very first wafer it saves. The Slurry Monitor is a yield protecting tool reliably improving CMP performance. Ultimately, the principle of constructively controlled microcavitation, ACIM particle detection, relies on controlling the very fundamental process of phase change, the control of nucleation?the ability to convert a liquid into a gas in the vicinity of a solid phase. The study of this acoustically mediated nucleation control could form an active field/area of research and education. ACIM will be widely applicable in a variety of liquid-chemical processing, e.g. control of boiling processes in chemical and nuclear reactors, sonochemical synthesis, and bio-technology. This small business is a minority and woman-owned company that relies on diversity?ethnic, gender and age?for robust performance that is dedicated to training young researchers.