Chemical mechanical planarization or polishing (CMP) is one of several well-established, but critical processes in semiconductor device production.
Polishing and planarization are related: polishing improves the flatness (planarity), smoothness, and optical properties of a surface. Planarization, however, is a much more critical process. Integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers planarize each surface layer of an in-process wafer to make it level for the next application of microlithography.
CMP is increasingly important to IC manufacturers because as the size of ICs shrink their complexity increases. Advanced ICs now feature sizes less than 0.25 microns.
The growth of the CMP industry, says a new market survey from Business Communications Co. (www.bccresearch.com) is fueling an increase in the number of companies offering CMP equipment and consumable products. The report is based on information collected from nearly all the builders of and suppliers to CMP and post-CMP equipment.
CMP equipment polishes a wafer with a moving pad containing an abrasive chemical slurry. The equipment precisely regulates not only pad position, motion, and pressure, but also the chemical composition and size of particles in the slurry. This equipment also increases the precision of photolithography and reduces defects caused by metal residues.
CMP also is recognized by the market report as a critical technology in the planarization of multilevel metallization systems and in shallow trench isolations (STIs) in semiconductor manufacturing.
"In its current state, CMP demonstrates significant advantages as a result of its high level of process acceptance, particularly in the chemical formulation of polishing solutions and slurries," reported the study's author Thomas Abraham.
According to BCC, the global market for CMP and post-CMP equipment, CMP slurries, and CMP pads, conditioners, and others consumables, totaled about $1.7 billion in 2003. This is expected to approach $3.3 billion by 2008, based on an average annual growth rate of 14.2% through 2008. "The largest share of the market is for CMP and post-CMP equipment, which was $925 million in 2003 and represented 55% of the total CMP market," reports Abraham. CMP slurries have a 24% share, followed by CMP pads with 15% of the market. The growth rates for individual segments are estimated to be 14-15%, except for CMP slurry--estimated to be 12.6%, due to the lowering of the price of nanoparticles during the projected period.
"There are about a dozen global producers in the CMP equipment, slurries, and pads market segments; and half a dozen producers of pad conditioners," reports Abraham. "The report assigns a market leader in the first three--Applied Materials in CMP equipment, Cabot Microelectronics in CMP slurries, and Rodel in CMP pads."
For these market leaders, CMP business is highly profitable. However, the report states that competitors are viewing this as an opportunity to make strides into the markets and take some share of the business from each of the market leaders.
