GOALI: Investigating Metrology Issues in Chemical Mechanical Planarization Process for Microelectronics Manufacturing

根据与Agere Systems Inc.的学术界与工业界联络赠款机会（GOALI），拟议活动的目标是：是发展一个强大的，良好的综合研究和教育计划，重点是对半导体制造应用的化学机械平面化（CMP）工艺的机械和摩擦学性能的理解。在金属化结构中集成低k材料在工艺集成期间产生严重的问题。在掺入低k材料之后的工艺集成中的主要挑战之一是由于降低的模量和内聚强度而对这些膜进行CMP。由于CMP作为介电和金属膜的全局平坦化的选择方法的出现，在CMP工艺期间产生的摩擦力已经具有显著的重要性。了解复杂的堆栈，涉及低k抛光的机械和摩擦学性能是至关重要的成功评估和实施这些材料和拟议的研究的主要目标是获得表面平坦化的性质的基本理解，并确定控制CMP过程的机制。 作为GOALI提案的一部分，Agere Systems Inc.将支持实物服务，如：a）提供CMP消耗品（晶片、浆料和抛光垫）来进行CMP实验，B）提供来自工业的工程师/科学家作为论文/学位论文顾问，B）为研究生提供常驻工作空间以及材料和用品的所有现场成本以支持研究，c）指派一名工程师/科学家（约10%的时间用于工作和监测研究进展），e）强调技术转让和在制造业中实施研究成果。该GOALI提案旨在通过为教师，博士后研究员和学生提供在工业环境中进行研究和获得生产过程经验的机会，来协同发挥Eure-USF的伙伴关系。大学与工业界的合作将为学生提供与工业科学家合作的额外机会，并使用他们额外的最先进的设备设施。除了提供实践经验，拟议的研究将提供一个独特的机会，让学生参与跨学科的研究-必须为未来的成功。该项目的成果将通过在区域和国家会议上提交论文的方式传播，并在适当的科学期刊上发表。

The objective of the proposed activities under the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) with Agere Systems Inc. is to develop a strong well-integrated research and education program focused on the understanding of the mechanical and tribological properties of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processes for semiconductor manufacturing applications. Integration of low-k materials in the metallization structures creates severe problems during process integration. One of the major challenges in the process integration after the incorporation of low-k materials is CMP of these films due to the reduced modulus and cohesive strength. Due to the emergence of CMP as the method of choice for global planarization of dielectric and metal films, the frictional forces generated during the CMP process have assumed significant importance. Understanding the mechanical and tribological properties of complex stacks involving low-k dielectrics is critical for successful evaluation and implementation of these materials and the main goals of the proposed research are to obtain the fundamental understanding of the nature of surface planarization and identify the mechanism to control the CMP process. As part of this GOALI proposal, Agere Systems Inc. will support as in-kind services like: a) provide CMP consumables (wafer, slurry, and pad) to perform the CMP experiments, b) provide engineer/scientist from the industry to serve as a thesis/dissertation advisor, b) provide resident workspace for a graduate student together with all on-site cost of materials and supplies to support the research, c) assign one engineer/scientist (approximately 10 % of their time to work and monitor the progress of the research), e) to emphasize technology transfer and implementation of research findings in manufacturing. This GOALI proposal aims to synergize the Agere-USF partnership by providing opportunities for faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students to conduct research and gain experience with production processes in an industrial setting. The university-industry collaboration will provide additional opportunity for students to work with industrial scientists and use of their additional state-of-the-art equipment facilities. Apart from providing hands-on experience, the proposed research will provide a unique opportunity for the students to be involved in interdisciplinary research- a must for future success. Results of the project will be disseminated by paper presentation in regional and national conferences, and published in appropriate scientific journals