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New Product: CMP pad from Cabot offers improved pad life and performance repeatability |
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Jan 04, 2007 at 02:49 PM |
 Product Briefing Outline: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation has launched its new CMP polishing pad, the Epic D100, which is the result of extensive research intended to deliver a step change improvement in CMP pad life and pad-to-pad consistency. Customers are successfully qualifying and using the Epic D100 for dielectric, shallow trench isolation, tungsten and copper processes. The new pad is already being used in production and is being evaluated by multiple customers, according to the company.
Problem: The continued increase in the number of CMP steps in IC fabrication with each technology node migration coupled with the need to reduce fabrication costs while maintaining high and repeatable yields is driving development of CMP pads that have extended life-cycles and pad-to-pad consistency.
Solution: The Epic D100 pad is based on proprietary technology and a state-of-the-art manufacturing process designed to improve pad performance and significantly lower cost-of-ownership. The Epic D100 has demonstrated up to a 30% longer pad life than the conventional pad due to its material characteristics, according to the company. The design features a single polymer material and is produced via a continuous single-sheet manufacturing process. This is designed to eliminate batch-to-batch and pad-to-pad inconsistencies found in conventional pads.
Applications: Dielectric, shallow trench isolation, tungsten and copper processes.
Platform: The materials and technology behind the Epic D100 pad are protected by an international portfolio of patents. Cabot Microelectronics Corporation is establishing manufacturing capability for the production of 400,000 intermediate CMP pads annually. The Epic D100 can also be customized to match customer grooving requirements (current capacity of 120,000 pads annually) in facilities located in the United States and Asia. The Epic D100 pad is available for 200mm and 300mm wafer polishing, with or without a window to detect the polishing end point.
Availability: January 2007 onwards.
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Product Briefings 
