Milestones in a Quarter Century of CMP - Plenary

Abstract

A quarter century has passed since the first semiconductor planarization experiments were conducted in the silicon wafer manufacturing facility in 1983 at IBM in East Fishkill, NY. This paper will review selected highlights of the technology and business drivers that shaped what has become a pervasive, critically enabling process sector in the pursuit of Moore's Law. Since 1988 the segment has grown from zero to $1.2B in capital equipment and $2.0B in consumable materials and ancillaries annually. The fundamental CMP process consisting of a polisher, slurry and pad has spawned a supply chain of no fewer than 18 uniquely identifiable CMP-related product lines and countless businesses. CMP has indeed matured, with an overall growth rate that matches but no longer exceeds that of the industry to which it has become so vital. The paper will conclude with an outlook for the near-term growth opportunities for CMP.