In the semiconductor chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technology system, process stability and consumable cost control are key levers determining mass production feasibility and corporate profitability. The two are mutually causal and jointly constitute the core operational pain point of CMP polishers, especially in advanced processes of 7nm and below, where this contradiction becomes more acute and a major constraint on large-scale production.

The root cause of out-of-control process stability lies in the strong coupling characteristics of the CMP process: slight fluctuations in temperature, pressure, rotational speed, humidity and polishing pad condition can be amplified into yield loss of the final product. Traditional equipment struggles to maintain a constant process window during high-volume, long-cycle processing. For example, after several hours of use, the surface morphology and hardness of the polishing pad undergo irreversible attenuation due to wear, leading to removal rate (RR) drift; a small change in ambient temperature and humidity (±1℃) can trigger removal rate fluctuations, resulting in over-polishing or under-polishing. Such instability directly leads to frequent unplanned downtime and high rework rates in production, severely impacting delivery cycles.

Accompanying this is extremely high consumable cost. CMP is a typical "consumable" process, with polishing pads and slurries forming the core of production costs. As a vulnerable component, the polishing pad’s surface morphology determines polishing performance, requiring regular conditioning or even replacement, with a high proportion of procurement and maintenance costs. For polishing slurries, advanced processes require dedicated formulations for different layers such as metal interconnects and dielectric layers, which are expensive and highly monopolized in the supply chain, driving up consumable cost per wafer continuously.

In addition, the complex maintenance system further exacerbates operational pressure. Frequent problems such as pipeline blockage, nozzle crystallization, and cross-contamination of cleaning modules not only require professional operation and maintenance teams but also high investment in spare parts inventory. The superposition of high consumable consumption and maintenance costs significantly increases the manufacturing cost per wafer, directly eroding corporate profit margins.

In summary, production fluctuations caused by out-of-control process stability and the cost black hole from high consumable loss are the most severe challenges faced by CMP polishers in the mass production stage. Solving this pain point requires intelligent closed-loop control, research and development of highly durable consumables, and construction of a refined operation and maintenance system to achieve efficient, low-cost mass production in semiconductor manufacturing.