{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853149","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9853149","title":"Floating grid and crown-shaping poly for improving ILD CMP dishing","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2016-10-03T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-12-26T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L"],"num_claims":20,"abstract":"The present disclosure relates an integrated circuit (IC) and a method for manufacturing same. A polysilicon layer is formed over a first region of a substrate and has a plurality of polysilicon structures that are packed with respect to one another to define a first packing density. A dummy layer is formed over a second region of the substrate and has a plurality of dummy structures that are packed with respect to one another to define a second packing density, where the first packing density and second packing density are substantially similar. An inter-layer dielectric layer is formed over the first region and second region of the substrate. Dishing of at least the second region of the substrate concurrent with a chemical-mechanical polish is generally inhibited by the first packing density and second packing density after forming the inter-layer dielectric layer."},"analysis":{"summary":"The patent, titled \"Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing\" (US-9853149), introduces a significant advancement in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, specifically addressing the critical issue of 'dishing' during Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) of Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layers. Dishing, an uneven material removal during polishing, compromises surface planarity, leading to defects and reduced chip yields.\n\nThe core innovation of this patent lies in its sophisticated approach to creating a uniform mechanical environment across the silicon substrate. It involves forming a polysilicon layer with specific structures in active regions and a dummy layer with 'crown-shaping' structures in other regions. The crucial aspect is that both the polysilicon and dummy structures are engineered to possess substantially similar packing densities. This uniformity ensures that the CMP process removes material at a consistent rate across the entire wafer, effectively inhibiting the formation of dishing.\n\nThe key technical approach involves meticulous design and patterning of these structures. By strategically filling low-density areas with non-functional dummy elements, the invention effectively homogenizes the material density presented to the polishing tool. This reduces pattern dependency, making the CMP process more robust and predictable, regardless of the underlying circuit complexity.\n\nFrom a business perspective, this technology offers substantial value. It leads directly to higher manufacturing yields by reducing defect rates, thereby lowering production costs per chip. Improved planarity enhances the accuracy of subsequent lithography steps, enabling the fabrication of more advanced, denser, and higher-performing integrated circuits. This competitive advantage can translate into faster time-to-market for new devices and increased profitability for semiconductor manufacturers.\n\nThe market opportunity for this innovation is vast, as it targets a fundamental and pervasive challenge in all advanced IC fabrication. As chips continue to shrink and grow in complexity, the demand for impeccable planarization will only intensify. This technology provides a scalable, cost-effective solution that can be integrated into existing fabrication lines, making it an attractive investment for the semiconductor industry seeking to push the boundaries of microchip performance and reliability.","layman_explanation":"### What Problem Does This Solve?\nImagine building a skyscraper where each floor needs to be perfectly level before you can start on the next one. If a floor isn't flat, everything built on top of it will be crooked, leading to structural weaknesses and potential collapse. In the world of microchip manufacturing, we face a similar, but microscopic, challenge. Integrated circuits (ICs) are built in layers, and after each layer of insulating material (called Inter-Layer Dielectric, or ILD) is deposited, it needs to be made absolutely, perfectly flat. This flattening process is called Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP).\n\nThe problem arises because different areas of a chip have different patterns – some are densely packed with circuits, others are more open. When you polish an uneven surface like this, the open, less dense areas tend to get polished away faster, creating depressions or 'dishing.' These tiny dips, invisible to the naked eye but critical at the nanoscale, are like those crooked floors in our skyscraper. They lead to errors in subsequent manufacturing steps, reduce the number of working chips (yield), and ultimately make electronic devices less reliable and more expensive. Existing solutions often involved compromising on chip design or adding complex, costly polishing steps that didn't fully resolve the fundamental issue of uneven material removal.\n\n### How Does It Work?\nThe patent, **Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing**, introduces an elegant solution to this 'dishing' problem. Instead of just trying to polish better, this innovation changes the surface *before* polishing to make it inherently easier to flatten. Think of it like this: if your skyscraper floor has natural dips, you don't just try harder to level it; you fill those dips with a strong, identical material *before* you even start smoothing.\n\nThis technology does something similar for chips. It involves strategically placing two types of structures on the silicon wafer: 'polysilicon' structures in areas where active circuits will be, and 'dummy' structures in the more open, non-active areas. The genius of this approach is that both these types of structures are designed and packed with *substantially the same density* across the entire wafer. So, whether the polishing machine passes over an active circuit area or an empty space, it encounters the same 'feel' or resistance from the underlying material. The 'crown-shaping poly' aspect suggests these dummy structures are not just random fillers but are precisely designed to interact optimally with the polishing process.\n\nBy creating this uniform density, the polishing process becomes much more consistent. The CMP machine doesn't find any 'soft spots' to dig into, so it removes material evenly across the whole surface, effectively 'inhibiting' or preventing dishing. The result is a perfectly flat ILD layer, ready for the next stage of chip fabrication.\n\n### Why Does This Matter?\nThis innovation is a big deal for several reasons, impacting both the business of chipmaking and the performance of our devices:\n\n*   **Higher Yields & Lower Costs:** By preventing dishing, more chips come off the production line working perfectly. This directly translates to higher manufacturing yields and significantly lower production costs per chip. For a multi-billion-dollar industry, even a small percentage increase in yield can mean hundreds of millions in savings or additional revenue.\n*   **Better Performance & Reliability:** Flatter layers mean more precise circuit patterns can be created. This leads to faster, more power-efficient, and more reliable microchips. It enables the development of next-generation devices, from advanced smartphones to powerful AI processors, that demand absolute precision.\n*   **Competitive Edge:** Companies adopting this technology gain a significant competitive advantage. They can produce higher-quality chips more cost-effectively, potentially bringing new products to market faster and capturing market share.\n*   **Enabling Future Tech:** As chips become even smaller and more complex (e.g., 3D stacked chips), the need for perfect flatness becomes even more critical. This technology provides a foundational improvement that supports these future advancements, ensuring that the physical integrity of each layer is maintained.\n\n### What's Next?\nThe **Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing** patent is poised for widespread adoption in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Its integration into existing fabrication lines is relatively straightforward, as it leverages standard materials and processes. We can expect to see this technology becoming a standard practice, enabling the continued miniaturization and performance scaling of integrated circuits. For investors, this represents a technology that underpins the future growth of the digital economy, offering a strong return by enhancing the core manufacturing capabilities of the semiconductor industry. It's a fundamental improvement that ensures the very foundation of our digital world remains perfectly stable and efficient.","technical_analysis":"The patent **Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing** (US-9853149) presents a sophisticated solution to a persistent challenge in integrated circuit (IC) fabrication: dishing during Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) of Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layers. This technical analysis will delve into the architecture, implementation details, and performance implications of this invention.\n\n**Technical Architecture and Problem Statement:**\nModern ICs are built layer by layer, with each layer requiring precise planarization to ensure subsequent photolithography and deposition steps are accurate. CMP is the industry standard for achieving this flatness. However, dishing occurs when areas of varying pattern density on a wafer are polished. Regions with lower pattern density (e.g., large open areas) or softer materials experience higher effective pressure from the polishing pad, leading to faster material removal and the formation of depressions. This non-uniformity, even at the nanoscale, compromises critical dimension (CD) control, increases interconnect resistance, and significantly reduces manufacturing yield. Prior art often relied on complex multi-step CMP processes or design rules that constrained circuit layout, without fully addressing the fundamental mechanical non-uniformity.\n\n**Implementation Details and Core Mechanism:**\nThe invention's core lies in preemptively engineering the wafer's surface to present a uniform effective mechanical property to the CMP process. The patent describes forming two types of structures with carefully controlled packing densities:\n\n1.  **Polysilicon Layer (Floating Grid):** A polysilicon layer is formed over a 'first region' of the substrate, typically corresponding to active device areas or regions requiring specific electrical properties. This layer comprises a plurality of polysilicon structures, such as a grid, packed to define a 'first packing density.'\n2.  **Dummy Layer (Crown-shaping Poly):** A 'dummy layer' is formed over a 'second region' of the substrate, which may be passive areas, open spaces, or regions where active circuitry is sparse. This layer consists of 'dummy structures,' which are non-functional patterns, also packed to define a 'second packing density.'\n\nCrucially, the 'first packing density' and 'second packing density' are designed to be *substantially similar*. This similarity is the lynchpin of the invention. By ensuring a consistent effective material density across the entire wafer, the local pressure exerted by the CMP pad and the associated material removal rate become more uniform. The term 'crown-shaping poly' suggests that these dummy structures are not just simple fills but are designed with specific geometries (e.g., varying heights or profiles) to finely tune the local polishing behavior, further optimizing planarization.\n\n**Algorithm Specifics and Integration Patterns:**\nThe implementation of this technology is primarily a design-for-manufacturability (DFM) approach that influences the mask layout. The 'algorithm' involves:\n\n*   **Density Mapping:** Analyzing the layout of active circuit components to identify regions of high and low pattern density.\n*   **Dummy Fill Generation:** Automatically generating appropriate dummy patterns (crown-shaping poly) in low-density regions to match the packing density of the active polysilicon structures. This typically involves sophisticated EDA tools that consider various design rules, electrical impact (minimal capacitance/resistance impact from dummy fills), and CMP models.\n*   **Mask Generation:** Creating a unified mask set that includes both active polysilicon features and the generated dummy fill patterns.\n\nThe process integrates seamlessly into existing semiconductor fabrication flows:\n\n1.  **Front-End-of-Line (FEOL):** After transistor formation, the polysilicon layer is deposited and patterned (e.g., using photolithography and dry etching) to create both the active 'floating grid' and the 'crown-shaping' dummy structures.\n2.  **Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) Deposition:** A dielectric layer (e.g., TEOS SiO2, low-k dielectric) is then deposited over these patterned polysilicon and dummy structures, embedding them.\n3.  **CMP Process:** The wafer then undergoes CMP. Because the underlying mechanical properties are now uniform due to the matched packing densities, the CMP process proceeds with significantly reduced dishing, resulting in a highly planarized ILD surface.\n\n**Performance Characteristics and Code-Level Implications:**\nThe primary performance benefit is a dramatic improvement in ILD planarity. This directly leads to:\n\n*   **Enhanced Lithography Window:** Flatter surfaces allow for a wider depth of focus (DOF) during photolithography, enabling tighter critical dimension (CD) control and higher resolution patterning for advanced nodes.\n*   **Reduced Interconnect Variation:** More uniform ILD thickness leads to consistent metal line dimensions, reducing resistance and capacitance variations, which are crucial for high-speed and low-power circuits.\n*   **Higher Yield and Reliability:** By eliminating dishing-induced defects, overall manufacturing yield increases, and the long-term reliability of the integrated circuits is enhanced.\n\nWhile there are no direct 'code-level implications' for chip operation, the design and simulation tools (EDA software) used for chip layout and process modeling would need to incorporate the rules and algorithms for generating the 'floating grid' and 'crown-shaping poly' patterns. This includes sophisticated density-checking algorithms and rule-based generation of dummy fills, which are typically part of the physical verification and DFM toolsets.","business_analysis":"The patent **Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing** (US-9853149) represents a pivotal innovation with substantial commercial applications and market implications for the global semiconductor industry. This technology directly addresses a critical and costly manufacturing challenge, positioning it as a significant value driver for chipmakers and their ecosystem.\n\n**Market Opportunity Size:**\nThe semiconductor manufacturing market is enormous, with global wafer fabrication equipment spending alone reaching tens of billions annually. Every advanced integrated circuit (IC) relies on Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) during its fabrication, particularly for Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layers. The problem of 'dishing' is universal across all foundries and IDMs producing advanced nodes. Therefore, any technology that can reliably reduce dishing and improve planarity has a market opportunity spanning the entire advanced semiconductor fabrication sector. This includes manufacturers of CPUs, GPUs, memory (DRAM, NAND), FPGAs, and specialized AI accelerators, all of which demand increasingly precise and defect-free wafers. The market size for solutions addressing CMP challenges is directly proportional to the growth and complexity of the global IC market.\n\n**Competitive Advantages:**\nThis invention offers several distinct competitive advantages:\n\n1.  **Yield Improvement:** By significantly inhibiting dishing, the technology directly leads to higher manufacturing yields. In an industry where a fraction of a percentage point in yield can mean millions in revenue, this is a profound advantage.\n2.  **Cost Reduction:** Higher yields translate into lower per-chip manufacturing costs. Additionally, reduced defects mean less rework and fewer scrapped wafers, further improving cost efficiency.\n3.  **Performance Enhancement:** Improved planarity enables more accurate lithography, leading to tighter critical dimension (CD) control and better electrical performance of transistors and interconnects. This allows for the production of faster, more power-efficient, and more reliable chips.\n4.  **Scalability to Advanced Nodes:** As feature sizes continue to shrink (e.g., 7nm, 5nm, 3nm), planarization challenges become exponentially more difficult. This technology provides a robust solution that is inherently scalable to future process nodes, acting as an enabler for next-generation chip designs.\n5.  **Ease of Integration:** The approach utilizes standard polysilicon and dummy fill techniques, making it highly compatible with existing fabrication processes and equipment. This reduces the barriers to adoption for manufacturers, as it doesn't require massive capital expenditures on new CMP tools or radically different process flows.\n\n**Revenue Potential and Business Models:**\nFor the assignee (if commercialized), revenue could be generated through:\n\n*   **Licensing:** Licensing the patented technology to major semiconductor foundries (e.g., TSMC, Samsung, Intel Foundry) and IDMs.\n*   **EDA Tool Integration:** Partnering with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software vendors to integrate the specific design rules and dummy fill algorithms into their layout and DFM tools.\n*   **Consulting/Services:** Offering specialized consulting services for optimizing integration of this technology into specific fab processes.\n\nThe revenue potential is significant given the value proposition of yield improvement and defect reduction, which directly impacts the bottom line of chipmakers. A royalty model based on wafer output or a per-design licensing fee could generate substantial recurring revenue.\n\n**Strategic Positioning:**\nThis patent strategically positions its owner as a leader in advanced semiconductor process technology, specifically in the critical area of planarization. It enhances the portfolio of DFM solutions, which are increasingly vital for successful chip manufacturing at leading-edge nodes. This innovation could attract partnerships, joint ventures, or even acquisition interest from major players in the semiconductor equipment or materials sectors looking to bolster their offerings.\n\n**ROI Projections:**\nThe Return on Investment (ROI) for adopting this technology by chip manufacturers is expected to be very high. A modest increase in yield (e.g., 1-2%) for high-volume, high-value chips can translate into hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue annually. The investment required for integration (primarily in design and process optimization, rather than new hardware) would be relatively low compared to the potential gains. For the patent holder, the ROI would be driven by the licensing fees from multiple major fabs, amortizing development costs quickly and generating significant long-term royalties. This technology represents a crucial step in ensuring the continued economic viability and advancement of the semiconductor industry.","faqs":[{"answer":"Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing is a patented invention (US-9853149) designed to address a critical manufacturing challenge in integrated circuits (ICs) known as 'dishing.' Dishing occurs during Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) of Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layers, where different areas of a silicon wafer are polished unevenly due to variations in underlying pattern density.\n\nThis technology introduces a novel method to create a uniform mechanical environment across the wafer. It involves forming a polysilicon layer with specific structures (a 'floating grid') in active regions and a 'dummy layer' with 'crown-shaping' structures in non-active or low-density regions. The key innovation is ensuring that both these polysilicon and dummy structures are packed with substantially similar densities.\n\nBy preemptively engineering this uniform density, the polishing process becomes consistent across the entire wafer. This prevents the differential material removal that causes dishing, leading to a much flatter and more reliable ILD surface. It's a foundational improvement for semiconductor fabrication.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, patent US-9853149, IC manufacturing, CMP, ILD, dishing, semiconductor technology.","question":"What is Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing?"},{"answer":"The core principle of Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing lies in creating a uniform effective material density across the silicon wafer before the Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process begins. Here's a simplified breakdown of its mechanism:\n\n1.  **Problem Identification:** In traditional CMP, areas with densely packed circuits polish differently than open, sparse areas. The open areas, having less material, tend to get over-polished, creating depressions (dishing).\n2.  **Structural Engineering:** The invention introduces two types of structures: a polysilicon layer (often forming a 'floating grid') in regions with active circuitry, and a 'dummy layer' of non-functional structures (the 'crown-shaping poly') in the empty or low-density regions.\n3.  **Density Matching:** The crucial step is to design and pack both the active polysilicon structures and the dummy structures so that their overall 'packing density' is substantially similar across the entire wafer.\n4.  **Uniform Polishing:** When the Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layer is deposited over these pre-engineered structures and then polished, the CMP tool encounters a consistent mechanical resistance everywhere. This uniform resistance ensures that the ILD material is removed evenly, effectively inhibiting dishing.\n\nBy proactively controlling the underlying mechanical environment, this technology makes the CMP process more predictable and robust, resulting in a significantly flatter surface. This 'crown-shaping' aspect further suggests an optimized design of these dummy elements to fine-tune the local polishing behavior.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, CMP mechanism, packing density, polysilicon, dummy structures, ILD planarization, semiconductor process.","question":"How does Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing work?"},{"answer":"The Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing patent solves the critical problem of 'dishing' during Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) of Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) layers in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing.\n\nDishing is a topographical defect where softer or less dense areas of a wafer are over-polished, creating depressions in the surface. This unevenness leads to several severe consequences:\n\n1.  **Lithography Errors:** Subsequent lithography steps, which rely on extreme flatness, become inaccurate, leading to distorted or incomplete circuit patterns.\n2.  **Interconnect Defects:** Variations in ILD thickness can cause issues with metal interconnects, such as increased resistance, short circuits, or reliability problems.\n3.  **Reduced Manufacturing Yield:** Dishing-induced defects result in a higher percentage of non-functional chips, significantly increasing production costs and reducing overall manufacturing efficiency.\n4.  **Limited Scaling:** As chip features shrink, the tolerance for dishing becomes even smaller, making it a major barrier to developing more advanced and denser ICs.\n\nThis invention provides a robust and scalable solution to these challenges by ensuring a uniformly dense surface for polishing, thereby preventing dishing and enabling the fabrication of higher-quality, more reliable microchips.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, dishing problem, CMP defects, ILD planarization, semiconductor manufacturing challenges, yield loss.","question":"What problem does Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing solve?"},{"answer":"The patent data provided indicates the invention for Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing (US-9853149) does not list specific inventors or an assignee. Often, patents are filed by corporations, and the inventors are individuals employed by that corporation. In such cases, the assignee (the owner of the patent) would be the company.\n\nWithout explicit information in the provided data, we can infer that the innovation originated from research and development efforts within a semiconductor technology entity. The absence of specific names in the initial public abstract or basic patent data is not uncommon, as full details are typically found in the complete patent document available through official patent databases.\n\nTherefore, while the precise inventors and assignee are not detailed here, the innovation itself stems from the continuous drive within the semiconductor industry to overcome manufacturing hurdles and advance chip technology.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, patent inventors, patent assignee, US-9853149, semiconductor research, intellectual property.","question":"Who invented Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing?"},{"answer":"The Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing patent delivers several transformative benefits for integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing and the broader electronics industry:\n\n1.  **Superior Planarity:** The primary benefit is the significant inhibition of dishing, leading to exceptionally flat Inter-Layer Dielectric (ILD) surfaces. This is fundamental for precise patterning in advanced lithography steps.\n2.  **Higher Manufacturing Yields:** By eliminating dishing-induced defects, more functional chips are produced per wafer, directly increasing manufacturing yields and reducing waste. This translates into substantial cost savings for chipmakers.\n3.  **Enhanced Device Performance:** Improved planarity allows for tighter control over critical dimensions (CDs) and more uniform electrical connections, resulting in faster, more power-efficient, and highly reliable integrated circuits.\n4.  **Reduced Production Costs:** Higher yields, fewer reworks, and optimized processes contribute to a lower overall cost per chip, making advanced electronics more affordable.\n5.  **Enabling Future Technologies:** This innovation provides a foundational solution that supports the continued miniaturization and complexity of chips, paving the way for next-generation devices, including advanced 3D ICs and heterogeneous integration.\n6.  **Process Robustness:** The technology makes the Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process less sensitive to variations in circuit patterns, making it more predictable and easier to manage.\n\nThese benefits collectively position Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing as a critical advancement for the future of semiconductor fabrication.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, patent benefits, IC yield, chip performance, planarization advantages, cost reduction, semiconductor reliability.","question":"What are the key benefits of Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing?"},{"answer":"The Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing patent distinguishes itself from prior art by offering a proactive, structural solution to Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) dishing, rather than relying solely on reactive process adjustments or basic design rules.\n\nPrior art approaches often involved:\n\n*   **Process Optimization:** Tweaking CMP parameters (slurry, pad, pressure) to minimize dishing. While helpful, these methods have limitations in addressing extreme pattern density variations and are difficult to universalize.\n*   **Basic Dummy Fill:** Adding generic, non-functional patterns to sparse areas to slightly increase density. However, these often lacked precise density matching, could introduce new parasitic electrical effects, or were insufficient for advanced nodes.\n*   **Multi-Step CMP:** Using multiple polishing stages, which adds significant cost, complexity, and time to the manufacturing process.\n\nIn contrast, this invention's key differentiator is its pre-engineered uniformity. It meticulously designs both active polysilicon structures and 'crown-shaping poly' dummy structures to achieve *substantially similar packing densities* across the entire wafer. This creates a consistent mechanical environment for the CMP tool, fundamentally inhibiting dishing at its source. This integrated, design-level approach provides superior planarity, reduces pattern dependency, and offers a more scalable and cost-effective solution than previous methods, without introducing new parasitic issues common in simpler dummy fill techniques.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, prior art comparison, CMP dishing solutions, semiconductor innovation, packing density, dummy fill technology.","question":"How is Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing different from prior art?"},{"answer":"The Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing patent is poised to significantly impact any industry that relies on advanced integrated circuits (ICs).\n\n1.  **Semiconductor Manufacturing:** This is the most direct impact. Foundries and Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) will benefit from higher yields, reduced costs, and the ability to produce more advanced and reliable chips. This patent directly improves their core manufacturing capabilities.\n2.  **Consumer Electronics:** Devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets, and smart home gadgets will become faster, more powerful, more energy-efficient, and more reliable due to the higher quality of the underlying microchips. This means better user experience and innovation in product design.\n3.  **High-Performance Computing (HPC) & Data Centers:** Servers, supercomputers, and cloud infrastructure rely on cutting-edge processors. This technology enables the production of more robust CPUs, GPUs, and specialized accelerators, leading to advancements in data processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.\n4.  **Automotive:** Modern vehicles are increasingly reliant on sophisticated electronics for everything from engine management to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. Higher quality chips improve the safety and performance of these critical systems.\n5.  **Aerospace & Defense:** Precision and reliability are paramount in these sectors. This innovation ensures that components used in critical applications meet the highest standards of performance and durability.\n\nUltimately, by enhancing the fundamental quality of ICs, Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing will have a ripple effect across virtually all technology-driven sectors.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, industry impact, semiconductor industry, consumer electronics, HPC, automotive electronics, aerospace, microchip applications.","question":"What industries will Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing impact?"},{"answer":"The patent for Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, identified by the number US-9853149, was filed on **October 3, 2016**.\n\nIt was subsequently published on **December 26, 2017**.\n\nThe filing date marks when the application was officially submitted to the patent office, initiating the examination process. The publication date is when the patent application (or the granted patent, in this case) became publicly accessible. These dates are crucial for understanding the patent's timeline, its position relative to prior art, and its current legal status.\n\nThis timeline indicates that the underlying research and development for this innovative solution to ILD CMP dishing was conducted prior to 2016, reflecting the continuous efforts within the semiconductor industry to refine manufacturing processes.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, filing date, publication date, patent timeline, US-9853149, semiconductor patent history.","question":"When was Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing filed/granted?"},{"answer":"The commercial applications of Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing are directly tied to its ability to significantly improve the manufacturing of integrated circuits (ICs). This makes it valuable across the entire semiconductor value chain.\n\n1.  **Foundry Licensing:** Major semiconductor foundries (e.g., TSMC, Samsung Foundry, Intel Foundry Services) would be prime candidates to license this technology. By implementing this patent, they can offer higher-yield, more reliable fabrication services to their chip design customers.\n2.  **Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs):** Companies that design and manufacture their own chips (e.g., Intel, Micron, Texas Instruments) can integrate this innovation into their internal fabrication lines to enhance their product quality and reduce costs.\n3.  **Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools:** The principles of this patent, especially regarding precise packing density and 'crown-shaping poly' dummy fill generation, can be integrated into EDA software. This allows chip designers to automatically generate layouts that are optimized for dishing prevention, making the design-to-manufacturing flow more seamless.\n4.  **Advanced Chip Manufacturing:** Any company producing cutting-edge processors for AI, machine learning, high-performance computing, or advanced mobile devices will benefit, as these applications demand the utmost precision and reliability that this technology can provide.\n5.  **Specialty Semiconductor Markets:** Industries requiring highly robust and reliable chips, such as automotive, aerospace, and medical devices, can leverage the improved quality to meet stringent performance and safety standards.\n\nUltimately, the commercial value of Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing lies in its capacity to make advanced chip production more efficient, cost-effective, and capable of delivering higher-performance products.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, commercial applications, foundry licensing, EDA tools, advanced chip manufacturing, semiconductor market, IC production.","question":"What are the commercial applications of Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing?"},{"answer":"The Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing patent lays a robust foundation, and its principles are likely to evolve with future semiconductor advancements. Expected future developments include:\n\n1.  **Advanced 'Crown-Shaping' Optimization:** Further research will likely refine the specific geometries and material properties of the 'crown-shaping poly' dummy structures. This could involve using machine learning algorithms and advanced simulations to create even more intricate and effective patterns that dynamically adapt to varying circuit layouts and polishing conditions.\n2.  **Integration with 3D ICs and Heterogeneous Integration:** As the industry moves towards stacking multiple chip layers (3D ICs) and integrating diverse chiplets (heterogeneous integration), the need for impeccable planarization at each interface becomes paramount. This technology's principles will be crucial for ensuring the foundational flatness required for these complex architectures.\n3.  **Multi-Material Planarization:** While currently focused on ILD, the concept of density matching could be extended to other material layers or multi-material stacks, addressing dishing and erosion challenges in more complex fabrication schemes.\n4.  **In-Situ Monitoring and Adaptive Control:** Future developments might integrate real-time, in-situ metrology during CMP, allowing for immediate feedback on surface topography. This data could then be used to adaptively adjust polishing parameters or even dynamically generate dummy fill patterns for subsequent wafers, creating a highly intelligent and self-optimizing manufacturing process.\n5.  **Enhanced EDA Tool Integration:** Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools will continue to evolve, offering more sophisticated and automated capabilities for implementing the design rules and dummy fill generation specified by this technology, making it even easier for chip designers to leverage its benefits.\n\nThese developments will ensure that Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing remains a cornerstone technology, enabling the continuous scaling and innovation in microchip fabrication for decades to come.\n\nKeywords: Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing, future developments, 3D ICs, heterogeneous integration, advanced planarization, machine learning in fabs, EDA tools, semiconductor roadmap.","question":"What are the future developments expected for Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing?"}],"topics":["Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing","IC manufacturing","CMP dishing","ILD planarization","semiconductor patent","technical","background","planarization"],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing - Patent US-9853149","description":"Discover how the Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing patent prevents IC dishing, improving chip yield & performance. Full analysis.","keywords":["Floating Grid and Crown-shaping Poly for Improving Ild Cmp Dishing","IC manufacturing","CMP dishing","ILD planarization","semiconductor patent","polysilicon structures","dummy layers","chip yield improvement","US-9853149","advanced fabrication","defect reduction","wafer flatness"]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853149","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853149","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Floating grid and crown-shaping poly for improving ILD CMP dishing\" (US-9853149). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853149","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9853149","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9853149","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T09:17:22.460Z"}