Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has become the preferred planarization method for multilevel interconnect technology due to its ability to achieve a high degree of feature level planarity. However, methods are needed to understand and model both wafer level and die level uniformity in interlevel dielectric (oxide) polishing. This paper examines the variation of die level planarity across the wafer and at different process conditions. Substantial dependency of planarization length, a characteristic length which determines die level planarity, on table speed and down pressure is found, varying from 6.2 to 7.8 mm in the experiments considered here. In addition, a dependence of planarization length on die position within the wafer is found, varying by similar to0.5 mm across the wafer resulting in a difference of similar to 300 Angstrom total indicated range from one die to the next. Some die are impacted even more strongly resulting in much smaller planarization lengths (near 5.0 mm in some cases) due to wafer edge effects. We conclude that accurate modeling and optimization of within-die variation depends on accurate modeling and measurement of not only wafer scale removal rate variation but also wafer scale planarization length variation. (C) 2000 The Electrochemical Society. S0013-4651(00)04-093-3. All rights reserved.

The oxide polishing characteristics of fine-linewidth features typically encountered inrealistic chip layouts have been examined using electrical test structures. Even at these smalldimensions, we find that global pattern density plays a major role in determining the final polishedoxide thickness. In addition, differences in the initial dielectric deposition profile forsmall features produces an apparent pitch effect which must also be taken into account. Basedon experimental results,...

NF2 Gene Transcript Mutations in Spinal Ependymomas Barry Birch, Barry Birch Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Jeffrey Johnson, Jeffrey Johnson Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Andrew Parsa, Andrew Parsa Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Rajiv Desai, Rajiv Desai Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Jung Yoon, Jung Yoon Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Christopher Lycette, Christopher Lycette Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Yu Min Li, Yu Min Li Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Jeffrey Bruce Jeffrey Bruce Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Neurosurgery, Volume 39, Issue 3, September 1996, Page 647, https://doi.org/10.1097/00006123-199609000-00091 Published: 01 September 1996