Rohm and Haas delivers ultra-low defectivity CMP pad

PHOENIX, ARIZ.& HSINCHU, TAIWAN: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP Technologies, a leader and innovator in chemical mechanical planarization technology for the global semiconductor industry, introduced the EcoVision 4000 ultra-low defectivity performance CMP pad designed specifically for advanced copper barrier processes for 45 nm technology nodes and beyond. The EcoVision 4000 pad is the latest addition to Rohm and Haas' VisionPad product line, which offers highly specialized CMP solutions for advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.

"As customers switch to advanced processes and nodes, we offer products designed for their specific polishing needs," explained Cathie Markham, vice president of technology for Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials, CMP Technologies. "The EcoVision 4000 pad is representative of this shift towards application specific pads. Throughout our entire VisionPad platform, we provide customers with the best and most cost effective solutions for their specific CMP process requirements."

The EcoVision 4000 CMP pad features allows customers to achieve a significant reduction in cost of ownership with highly consistent performance over the product's lifetime. The lifetime of the EcoVision 4000 pad demonstrates a significant improvement over existing soft pads for copper barrier applications and is comparable to hard pads such as the industry-standard IC1000 pad, used for bulk copper removal CMP applications. This allows users to change the pads on all platens at the same time, minimizing the costs associated with downtime and qualification processes.

The pad's manufacturing process produces a surface that results in increased contact area between the pad and the wafer.  This reduces defects and improves die yields by minimizing scratches and chatter marks across the wafer resulting in best–of-class defectivity performance. Unlike soft pads, the EcoVision 4000 pad is conditioned, allowing for pad surface regeneration to achieve optimal polishing results that are consistent throughout the pad's life as well as from pad to pad.