Entegris offers new post-CMP cleaning solutions for advanced semiconductor manufacturing
Cleaning products are optimised for copper and tungsten processes at 10nm and below
Entegris, a specialist in yield-enhancing materials and solutions for highly advanced manufacturing environments, is marketing new post-chemical mechanical planarisation (post-CMP) cleaning solutions for semiconductor manufacturing. The new PlanarClean AG family of products was designed for use in 10nm processes and below, and add to the Billerica, MA-based company's portfolio of post-CMP cleaning solutions.'To address greater complexity of wafer production at the leading-edge nodes due to the addition of many new materials, such as cobalt and tungsten, we carefully re-formulated our PlanarClean solution to provide superior cleaning without damaging advanced films or new materials,' says Cuong Tran, Director of post-CMP cleans for Entegris.
'PlanarClean AG meets the needs for advanced processes, while also conforming to new safety guidelines outlined by customers.'
The CMP process in silicon wafer production consists of a mechanical polishing step which uses a chemical slurry formulation to remove unwanted conductive or dielectric materials from the surface of the integrated device, achieving a flat and smooth surface upon which additional layers of integrated circuitry are built.
PlanarClean AG meets the needs for advanced processes, while also conforming to new safety guidelines outlined by customers
The post-CMP cleaning step removes nanoparticles to minimise potential wafer defects while maintaining the integrity of the layers of materials already in place.
Changes to the number and types of films and materials exposed during cleaning in advanced processes have highlighted a need for specifically formulated cleans. In addition, changes to the particles used in slurries have rendered many of the traditional post-CMP cleaners ineffective and inefficient for leading-edge technologies, specifically in Front-End-of-Line (FEOL) processes. These challenges are now pushing semiconductor manufacturers to consider formulated cleans over commodity cleans.
PlanarClean AG formulated solutions are said to meet these needs by providing one-step, superior cleaning in advanced processes that include copper, cobalt and tungsten, while protecting the underlying thin films and materials.
In addition, the solutions reduce the amount of chemistry required in the cleaning step, and meet the latest EHS safety requirements for fab chemistries.