F*REX 300

Product Description

Based on nearly 100 years of experience with rotary equipment EBARA has perfected the planarization process with its latest CMP product generation the F*REX 300 family for 300mm wafers. As expected from EBARA systems the family members are designed to exceed today’s requirements on latest CMP processes for the most advanced application starting from standard STI, oxide, W and Cu up to latest high-k materials and aluminum layers.

All tools of the F*REX 300 family feature EBARA’s patented Dry-In/Dry-Out wafer handling technology. The cleaning modules are integrated within the CMP tool thus delivering dry wafers to subsequent processes.

The tools consist of the three generations F*REX 300, F*REX 300S and F*REX 300SII. F*REX 300 is the proven F*REX 200 tool adapted to the larger wafer sizes being manufactured in nowadays state-of-the-art fabs. To enhance mainly the Cost-of-ownership F*REX 300S has two more platens, a layout which enables a variety of different parallel and serial polishing modes targeting Cu and other advanced applications. The layout enables a much larger TPT especially for 2 step processes than the proven FREX 300 platform. An even further enhancement of Cost-of-ownership together with a higher level of customization of the cleaning units is offered by the latest member of the F*REX 300 family, the F*REX 300SII. As an additional improvement with respect to the ease-of-use the GUI of F*REX 300SII has been adapted to the windows style mouse operation.

Features and Options

Beside the Dry-In/Dry-Out capability the following features and options are integrated or can be added to the systems:

Modular layout:

The complete modular design of the F*REX 300 family offers a wide variety of possible process setups and enables fastest throughput as the wafer trace through the specific modules can be customized from process to process.

Polishing heads:

All family members can be equipped with all of EBARA’s different polishing heads. The head configurations start with a standard version with retainer ring followed by a floating head with one zone membrane ranging over 2nd generation multizone head to a latest 3rd generation floating head with multiple membrane areas. This variety of polishing heads enables the customization of the polishing tool towards all stat of the art CMP application and beyond.

Slurry injection:

The slurry is being delivered to the rotary tables by a slurry injection system which enables a constant slurry flow minimizing cost-of-ownership without compromises in process performance. Three slurry lines per table offer a wide range of possible process on one single tool.

Up to three stages cleaning module:

The cleaning module consists of a sequence of brush and pencil cleaning and rinse stations enabling a minimum defectivity after CMP.

End-Point systems:

Application specific end point detection and monitoring systems ranging from turn table motor current over optical and eddy current measurement probes up to thin-film metrology with closed-loop-control are available and make the tools customizable to the maximum extend.

State-of-the-art communication protocols:

All tools of the F*REX 300 support state-of-the-art SECS/GEM and HSMS communication protocols as well as EBARA specific communication protocols for tool health monitoring.