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Diamonex^® PHOENIX™ Conditioner Case Study In-situ Tungsten Conditioning on Ebara FREX200

Introduction:
Morgan Advanced Ceramics, Inc. – Diamonex Products division developed a new arc conditioner to be used on the Ebara 200mm systems. This study was done to demonstrate that the new conditioner design would provide stable in-situ tungsten conditioning for at least 15 hours.

Process Conditions:
An Ebara FREX 200 system was set up as follows: platen speed of 100 rpm, top ring speed 55 rpm, sub carrier pressure 225 HPa, back side pressure 225 HPa, and top ring pressure 200 HPa. Cabot W2000 1:1 dilute 4% H2O2 slurry was used with a slurry flow of 150 ml/min. The pad was a Rohm & Haas IC1000 K-groove pad with a Suba IV carrier film. Three Diamonex PHOENIX Arc conditioners were used in-situ with a total down force of 80N. The polish and conditioning time was 60 sec. 

Results:
The results are summarized in the attached figure, in which the diamonds are data points for tungsten removal rate and the triangles are the uniformity. 

Removal Rate & Uniformity. The Phoenix conditioners gave stable tungsten removal rate and uniformity after the initial break-in of 40 wafers. The variation in removal rate was within 200Å of the process mean. 

Defectivity. The defect rate was low and remained the same throughout the 15 hour test. None of the defects examined were related to the conditioner. 

Lifetime. The purpose of this test was not to establish the actual conditioner lifetime, but to demonstrate that the Phoenix Arc conditioner would last at least 15 hours. Competitive conditioners typically have lifetimes less than 15 hours and can only be used ex-situ. However, the Phoenix conditioner is so inert that it can be sued ex-situ or in-situ with no effect on conditioner lifetime.

Conclusion:
The new Diamonex PHOENIX CMP Arc conditioners gave excellent performance in in-situ Tungsten CMP on an Ebara FREX 200 system. The conditioners gave stable tungsten removal rates, uniformity, and low defectivity for the full 15 hour test duration, which is beyond the typical conditioner life for competitive products. The actual conditioner end of life was not determined, but examination of conditioner wear suggests the conditioner life would have performed for an additional 15 hours.