TECATRON CMP natural
PPS modified for semiconductor industry
TECATRON CMP natural is an unfilled PPS plastic (polyphenylene sulfide) optimised specifically for CMP retaining ring applications and is thus part of Ensinger's portfolio for the semiconductor industry. TECATRON CMP natural is characterised by a unique property profile that enables reduced micro scratches and wafer level defects than standard PPS polymer, when used as CMP retaining rings. The former name of TECATRON CMP natural has been TECATRON SE natural.
A key challenge in material selection is that minor differences in the material properties of the CMP retaining ring will impact the shape of the pad asperities. This modification will cause different amounts of pad fragments and influence the extent of fragment entrainment, which in turn has a significant impact on the overall performance of the CMP process. Studies have shown that TECATRON CMP wears the pads in a manner so that the pad asperities are optimised for enhanced material removal as well as reduced defects. (See study, the product is called TECATRON SE in the article, which is the former name of TECATRON CMP)
As with all Ensinger semiconductor grades, TECATRON CMP natural tubes are processed in compliance with semiconductor copy exactly requirements (also known as copy exact or CE) and more stringent quality controls compared to industrial PPS grades.
Additional quality controls and measures enable reduced risks of impurities and improved internal stress and dimensional stability compared to standard industrial PPS materials.
Besides the optimizations of material properties, Ensinger has also developed special tube sizes that better fit typical sizes of CMP retaining rings, thus enables reduction of waste and costs during machining. For example, using the tube size with O.D. 350 mm / I.D 300 mm saves up to 27 % material costs compared to conventional O.D. 360 / I.D. 290 mm.
For CMP retaining rings that require more enhanced lifetime, Ensinger offers an unfilled PEEK based TECAPEEK CMP natural, also with a special property profile aligned to CMP retaining rings. For other semiconductor PPS applications that do not require this special property profile, Ensinger offers a more cost-efficient semiconductor grade PPS plate, rod, and tubes – TECATRON SX natural.
