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Asahi CMP Conditioners
Asahi Diamond's advanced bonding technologies allows for ultra flat diamond conditioning discs. Asahi understands particulate release and wafer defects are critical factors in obtaining high yields.

EXPERIENCE:
Working together with leading CMP equipment manufacturers, the top foundries overseas, and the foremost semiconductor IC manufacturer's world wide Asahi had developed a premium line of CMP PAD CONDITIONERS. With over 60 years of diamond abrasive bonding technology Asahi can continually supply the market place with the top of the line conditioner to optimize your process. Whether the process is STI, Barrier, Copper, Tungsten, low pH slurries or a less aggressive disc Asahi has a solution for you.

QUALITY CONTROL
The one thing we hear from our customers time and time again, is that they need a disc that performs consistently disc, after disc, after disc. In order to achieve this, the QC steps in manufacturing a CMP pad conditioner needs to extensive enough to produce such a disc. Please follow this link to see the various QC STEPS Asahi has implemented to ensure their conditioners perform consistently disk, after disk, after disk.

TECHNOLOGY

Nickel Plated Disc:
Asahi has developed a nickel plating process that bond the diamonds to the base substrate ensuring proper diamond exposure, smooth nickel surface and enhanced bonding strength of the diamonds to the nickel bond. Diamond "pull-out" is the primary concern with the nickel plating technology, but Asahi's innovative plating process ensures all loose diamonds are removed and that the remaining diamonds are strongly held by the bond. This photo is an example of the diamond surface.

In-Situ Copper or Tungsten Processing
The development of Asahi's protective coating allows for in-situ conditioning during Copper and Tungsten processing. The low pH slurries reaction with the bond can cause contamination, so Asahi's coated disc is the solution for this problem. The two bottom discs in the photo to the right have this protective black coating.

Disc Design
Our disc shape is also design to achieve the best results during conditioning. With our "RING" design, it ensures proper contact between the disc's diamond surface and polishing pad surface. See the following contact measurements between two other 4" conditioners for the AMAT tool.

Disc "A", due to its bowing, only has contact in the center, and Disc "B" shows uneven contact around the outer edge of the disc.

Chemical Bond Disc:
Knowing the disadvantages of the chemical or brazed type conditioners Asahi Diamond set out to improve this bonding technology.

With many years of experience behind them they were able to develop a chemical bond disc with out the negative features of other vendors. The chemical bonding process requires extremely high temperatures, which will cause bowing of the base substrate. This in turn will affect the contact area between the diamonds and the polishing pad resulting in improper conditioning of the pad surface. See the chart below comparing Asahi's chemical bond disc flatness to four other vendors.