SAM modification of CMP conditioner for the prevention of particle adhesion

Abstract

Pad conditioning is a necessary step during CMP (Chemical Mechanical Planarization) process to maintain the performance such as uniform material removal rate and its uniformity. The Ni electroplated diamond conditioner has been used and its surface could be easily contaminated by slurry particles and by-products during conditioning. We have proposed the hydrophobic SAM (self assembled monolayer) modification to CMP conditioner to reduce residue contamination. After CMP conditioning process, the contamination was reduced highly on the surface of the conditioner when it was coated with hydrophobic film.