3M expands US development lab for semiconductor CMP products

SEMICON West 2011, SAN FRANCISCO, USA: 3M, the world’s leading supplier of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) Pad Conditioners and Fixed Abrasives for semiconductors, announces the completion of a major expansion of 3M’s development laboratory and cleanroom located at its headquarters in Saint Paul, Minn.

The expansion includes a 300mm CMP tool and defect metrology for product and application development. This makes 3M the only pad conditioner supplier to have in-house capabilities for 300mm wafer testing and wafer defect inspection.

An Applied Materials 300mm Reflexion CMP tool enables 3M to simulate customers’ 300mm process conditions for developing and testing new CMP pad conditioners and fixed abrasive products. In addition, a KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP2 Wafer Inspection Tool gives 3M in-house capabilities to develop new CMP consumables that have ultra-low defect performance for the most advanced semiconductor processes.

“The addition of the 300mm CMP tool and the Surfscan SP2 wafer inspection tools demonstrate 3M’s continued commitment to providing the semiconductor industry with new and innovative materials,” said Dr. Philip Clark, laboratory manager for 3M. “With these new capabilities we are able to help customers implement process enabling pad conditioner solutions faster for even the most advanced process nodes.”

Semiconductor finishing solutions and technologies, from 3M, provide production-proven ways to help meet today’s most demanding semiconductor CMP requirements. With pad conditioners for conventional CMP slurry processes and unique fixed abrasives, 3M products deliver superior planarization, a more stable process and low defect rates.