This study introduces a novel retainer ring design aimed at mitigating the edge effect during chemical mechanical planarization. The innovative design features an arch-shaped geometry that creates a bending effect, thereby reducing excessive pressure on the wafer's edge. A two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model was developed, and simulation data were utilized to create a metamodel. Multi-objective optimization was conducted using an evolutionary algorithm, focusing on the normal contact stress on the wafer surface. Representative Pareto-optimal designs were analyzed to assess the distribution of normal contact stresses. The results demonstrated that the proposed design significantly reduced peak normal stresses and enhanced stress uniformity, especially at the wafer edge. This optimized retainer ring is anticipated to improve wafer edge quality and increase semiconductor yield.
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is an essential polishing process in semiconductor manufacturing. Advances in memory technology, including increased capacity and performance, have increased the importance of electronic packaging. In heterogeneous integration, the interposer acts as an important intermediary between the logic die and the substrate, solving numerous I/O bump problems in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and logic chips. Traditionally, board-to-memory connections were made through wire bonding, which required additional space for wire connections and introduced latency due to extended signal transmission paths. A through-type approach has emerged as a solution that can significantly reduce waiting time and installation space by improving space efficiency and enabling vertical connections without extending wiring. Due to these new approaches, the importance of CMP is reemerging. Implementation of this important process requires precise control of the CMP dishing/protrusion of bonding surfaces. Improper selection of Cu pad dishing/protrusion can cause problems such as increased RC delay time and signal short circuit in the wiring. In this paper, we proposed a strategy to control dishing using CMP, especially for Through-glass-via (TGV).
Silicon carbide (SiC) is chemically stable, highly heat-resistant, and resistant to thermal shock. SiC having excellent characteristics in a high temperature and high voltage environment is used in high-power semiconductors, highprecision mechanical devices, optical components, etc. As it is used in various industries, there is a growing demand for processing fine holes or grooves in silicon carbide. In this study, micro holes and grooves were machined on 4HSiC and sintered SiC using electrical discharge machining (EDM). Silicon carbide which has very high hardness can be easily processed by EDM as compared with mechanical processes. As a tool material, a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) which has high wear resistance was used and a micro tool of a diameter of 100 μm was fabricated by wire electrical discharge grinding (WEDG). In the EDM of SiC, the machining characteristics such as surface roughness, discharge gap, and tool wear were investigated.
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Experimental Study on the Formation of Discharge Crater Morphology in Micro EDM Jae Yeon Kim, Ui Seok Lee, Hee Jin Kong, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2026; 43(1): 61. CrossRef
Micro Hole Machining Characteristics of Glassy Carbon Using Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) Jae Yeon Kim, Ji Hyo Lee, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2025; 42(4): 325. CrossRef
Prediction of Machining Conditions from EDMed Surface Using CNN Ji Hyo Lee, Jae Yeon Kim, Dae Bo Sim, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2024; 41(11): 865. CrossRef
Vitreous carbon (VC) is an excellent material for glass molding due to its high hot hardness and low adhesion to glass materials. As a low-cost VC micro/nano mold fabrication method, carbonization of replicated Furan precursor has been investigated for various glass molded micro/nano optical and fluidic devices. One of the critical issues identified in the method is the substantial pyrolysis shrinkage (~22%) during the carbonization process. In this study, a method of minimizing pyrolysis shrinkage by adding VC powder to the initial Furan resin mixture was investigated. The mixing ratio of Furan resin, initiator, and ethanol was experimentally optimized for each VC powder mixing ratio, and the effects of the VC powder mixing ratio on the pyrolysis shrinkage of VC mold were examined. As the VC powder mixing ratio increased from 0% to 40%, we observed a reduction in the shrinkage ratio from 22.18% to 12.89% aligning closely with theoretical expectations.
Energy devices in modern society require high efficiency, carbon neutrality, and the capability of distributed power generation. A fuel cell is an energy conversion device, that satisfies all of these requirements. However, most fuel cells use hydrogen as a fuel, and more than half of hydrogen is currently produced through hydrocarbon reforming, resulting in significant energy loss. Additionally, the storage and supply of hydrogen require costly systems, and a large amount of energy is consumed during compression or liquidation processes. This paper develops a solid oxide fuel cell, that uses hydrocarbon directly as fuel to resolve this problem. A small amount of Ru is mixed with the Ni-based electrode, for the effective internal reforming of hydrocarbons. For rapid deposition of YSZ electrolytes, we developed a reactive sputtering process, using a DC power source. The developed thin-film solid oxide fuel cell, showed a performance of 76 mW/cm² at 500℃ using methane as fuel.
Most of the consumables used in the CMP (Chemical Mechanical Planarization) process are discarded because it is difficult to reuse them. Slurry accounts for most of the consumables, so research is being conducted to reduce the amount of slurry used. A previous study explains that when the same amount of slurry is injected, the material removal rate is improved when the slurry is injected wide and thin instead of the tube nozzle, which is the conventional slurry injection method. However, there was no change in the injection method due to the problems of the injection method suggested in previous studies and the lack of follow-up studies. Thus, in this paper, an injection method through an ultrasonic spray nozzle is proposed to improve the problems of the injection method proposed in previous studies. Additionally, it is intended to calculate the slurry film thickness according to the spraying range and to explain the effect of the film thickness on the material removal rate.
Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is an essential process for device integration and planarization in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The most critical function in the CMP process, is to predict and cover the geometrical characteristics of various sizes and densities, of patterned wafers for local and global planarization. To achieve the wafer-level and die-level planarization, it is necessary to understand the contact mechanism between the CMP pads and the macro-scale patterns. In the macro-scale pattern, pad deformation is divided into two layers: an asperity layer and a bulk pad layer. Through bulk pad deformation, asperity contact distribution within the pattern is predicted. In this paper, the distribution of asperity contact according to the pattern geometrical characteristics was analyzed, through large-area real contact area (RCA) measurement. Bulk pad deformation was predicted by analyzing RCA distribution according to pattern geometry such as pattern size and density, pattern shape and step height according to the polishing time, and applied pressure. Additionally, through the distribution of the contact area and the number of contact points, the rounding phenomenon and planarization characteristics in the pattern CMP were predicted.
Silicon carbide (SiC) has been used as a material for semi-conductor, molds, and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) because of its superior thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. However, micro machining of SiC is very challenging due to its hardness and brittleness. This paper presents an experimental study of micro hole drilling of SiC. In this study, polycrystalline diamond (PCD) was used as a tool to overcome the hardness of SiC. The micro PCD tool with a diameter of 110 μm was fabricated by micro electrical discharge machining (EDM). Micro drilling was conducted with varying machining parameters such as tool rotational speed and feed rate. Effects of surface roughness of the tool and lubrication method were also investigated.
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Citations to this article as recorded by
Experimental Study on the Formation of Discharge Crater Morphology in Micro EDM Jae Yeon Kim, Ui Seok Lee, Hee Jin Kong, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2026; 43(1): 61. CrossRef
Micro Hole Machining Characteristics of Glassy Carbon Using Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) Jae Yeon Kim, Ji Hyo Lee, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2025; 42(4): 325. CrossRef
Prediction of Machining Conditions from EDMed Surface Using CNN Ji Hyo Lee, Jae Yeon Kim, Dae Bo Sim, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2024; 41(11): 865. CrossRef
Machining Characteristics of Micro EDM of Silicon Carbide Ju Hyeon Lee, Chan Young Yang, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2024; 41(2): 131. CrossRef
Study on Micro Grooving of Tungsten Carbide Using Disk Tool Min Ki Kim, Chan Young Yang, Dae Bo Sim, Ji Hyo Lee, Bo Hyun Kim Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2024; 41(2): 123. CrossRef
EDM Using Wire Electrical Discharge Milling Electrode Do Kwan Chung Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2022; 39(1): 21. CrossRef
Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is an essential process for flattening the surface of the wafer to produce a fine structure. The CMP process is performed after a break-in step prior to optimizing the polishing pad. Break-in consists of the conditioning step and warming-up step. In the conditioning step, a conditioner embedded with diamonds is used to remove residues from the pad surface and manages the directionality and height deviation of asperities on the surface. The warming-up step serves to increase the temperature of the pad surface by polishing multiple wafers. The temperature in the warming-up step is raised due to friction between the wafer and pad, and the pad state is divided into a partly warmed up section, a transition section, and a fully warmed up section of the pad. In this study, as the wafer pressure increased in the warm-up stage, the time for the pad to reach the stable section was confirmed, and the break-in mechanism was analyzed in terms of surface characteristics and mechanical properties, such as surface photograph, surface roughness of the pad, and elastic modulus of pad asperities. Based on these results, the break-in mechanism that increases the material removal rate was analyzed.
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is a wafer planarization process that uses chemical reactions initiated by slurry and mechanical actions by pad asperity. The progression of CMP causes temperature deviation on the pad surface. Increase in process temperature results in increased material removal rate (MRR). So, pad temperature distribution is closely related to With-In Wafer Non-Uniformity (WIWNU). In this study, the pad temperature distribution is modelled from the energy perspective and slurry supply location is suggested to reduce temperature deviation. An energy supplying expression was created by setting the micro area and substituting the applied pressure, relative velocity, and process time. The energy and temperature distributions were observed as quite consistent and the temperature peak matched well with highest friction heat point (HFHP). Based on the model expression, the slurry injection position was set to the center of pad, the HFHP and wafer center, and change in temperature distribution was measured. A comparative analysis was carried out employing the existing method that uses multiple nozzles rather than single nozzles and the deviation was reduced by about 18.5% when slurry was supplied to the HFHP for a single nozzle and by 24.7% when the largest flow rate was supplied for multiple nozzles.
The necessity of converting toxic gas has arisen from the usage of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and hydrocarbon gases in the semiconductor process and laboratories. Also, recent strong regulations on the emission gas from vehicles also present the need for the highly efficient chemical conversion of toxic emission gases. In this study, we present the fabrication of platinum and ruthenium alloy metal catalysts on the yttria-stabilized zirconia balls, and the application of the metal catalysts to the catalytic converter for methane oxidation. The platinum and ruthenium alloy metal catalysts showed better performance than the platinum catalyst, i.e., 75% increase in the methane conversion efficiency at 500℃. Such improvement seems to be because of the facile oxygen supply from the ruthenium surface. Also, the platinum and ruthenium alloy catalysts with the doped cerium oxide interlayer showed better thermal stability than the platinum and ruthenium alloy metal catalysts, possibly because of the stronger bonding between the metal and oxide support.
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is a semiconductor process which is necessary for multi-layer interconnection structure. CMP pad is a consumable used in the process and with numerous asperities on the surface that wear out by the load applied from the contact with the wafer. Also, it has a patterned wafer, the step height is gradually removed by contact of the asperities with upper and lower layers. The contact state would be different according to the step height reduction. Likewise, depending on the pattern size at the specific step height, the maximum radius of the asperity curvature differs whether it reaches the down area. In this study, the height distribution of asperities was expressed as a function of time and asperity height taking into account the wear of asperities, and based on the Greenwood-Williamson theory, a mathematical model for material removal rate considering pattern size was derived. The consistency of the novel model is verified with the CMP experiment conducted using oxide patterned wafers, and the experimental data were compared with the residual step height using theoretical removal rate. The root mean square error of the step height reduction was 19.84 nm.
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Precision Engineering and Intelligent Technologies for Predictable CMP Somin Shin, Hyun Jun Ryu, Sanha Kim, Haedo Jeong, Hyunseop Lee International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing.2025; 26(9): 2121. CrossRef
Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is an indispensable process of forming multilayer integrated circuit. However, it is necessary to understand the pattern in order to achieve global planarization. Material Removal Rate (MRR) depends on the pattern density in the actual CMP process and is required to predict the MRR according to density of the pattern. Based on the Preston equation (CMP governing equation), the MRR can be expressed as a product of pressure, relative velocity, and the Preston`s coefficient. Therefore, understanding of pressure distribution acting on the patterned wafer is essential. Pressure distribution depends on contact area between pad asperity and wafer surface. In this study, pressure distribution according to contact mode between asperity and wafer surface where step height exists was analyzed, and the planarization model presented. Finally, a comparison was done between the mathematical model and the experimental data, and the planarization model was verified.
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Planarization Modeling for Device Pattern with Geometric Characteristics of Pad Asperity Somin Shin, Dasol Lee, Seonho Jeong, Kyeongwoo Jeong, Jinuk Choi, Haedo Jeong Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2020; 37(8): 567. CrossRef
Variation of Pad Temperature Distribution by Slurry Supply Conditions Jinuk Choi, Seonho Jeong, Kyeongwoo Jeong, Haedo Jeong Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2020; 37(12): 873. CrossRef
Finite element analysis of CMP process was studied to understand uneven pressure distribution between polishing pad and wafer. Since WIWNU (Within wafer non-uniformity) is mainly influenced by dynamic viscoelastic properties of CMP polishing pad, the dynamic property of the polishing pad has to be understood first for dynamic finite element analysis of the process. To measure viscoelasticity of the polishing pad, time-dependent strain data by load were obtained using a viscoelasticity measurement system capable of measuring deformation by periodic load. Primary and secondary elastic modulus and relaxation time could be achieved for the behavior of the polishing pad by load. Finite element analysis was carried out under the same conditions as viscoelastic measurement. Material properties of the polishing pad were assumed based on results of experiments. By comparing experimental results with analytical results, material properties in the analytical model were modified and FEA was carried out again. It was confirmed that the behavior of the polishing pad by load in the experiment and FEA according to modified material properties were well matched. Through this process, viscoelastic properties of polishing pad were well defined for dynamic analysis of CMP process.
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FEM Studies of CMP Retainer Ring Using Metamodel Do Yeong Jung, Seung Heon Lee, Jun Geon Park, Jae Phil Boo, Jung Woo Lee, Byoung Wan Kim, Gu Young Cho Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2025; 42(12): 1065. CrossRef
High precision fabrication of aluminum optics by optimizing an Ar+ ion beam figuring strategy for polishing the contamination layer Chunyang Du, Yifan Dai, Chaoliang Guan, Hao Hu Optics Express.2021; 29(18): 28886. CrossRef
A chemical ablation analysis of hypersonic missile for thermal protection design was performed using SAMCEF AMARYLLIS V.17, the specific ablation module of commercial software based on a finite element code. The pyrolysis and surface recession models based on the effects of mass loss, pore gas diffusion, and endothermic reaction energy were applied for non-linearity of material and boundary. The numerical studies were carried out to confirm the tendency of the pyrolysis and chemical ablation of theoretical ablative composite for open testing (TACOT) with a chemical composition similar to charring carbon/phenolic composites. The frequency of variation in surface recession, temperature, density and gas mass flux was reviewed to determine the characteristics of multiple decomposition reactions and oxidation via pyrolysis of gas species.
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The DSC/TGA and Ablation Analysis to Conforming Pyrolysis Characteristic and Surface Recession of Hypersonic Missile Youn Gyu Choi, Jeong Eun Kim, Kyung-Ho Noh, Young Hwan Jo, Gu Hyun Ryu Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering.2021; 38(4): 279. CrossRef
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