The CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process plays a vital role in semiconductor manufacturing, and the number of CMP process steps is increasing as next-generation device technology continues to evolve. These new plant technologies often include more layers, new materials, and tighter process control requirements. These manufacturing challenges require new and continuous optimization of the CMP process, which is likely to drive the growth of the CMP ancillary equipment or consumables market.
According to market research agency TECHCET, revenue from CMP ancillary devices such as pad regulators, PVA brushes, POU slurry filters, and retaining rings will grow by about 11% by 2025 and is expected to reach $1.15 billion. The growth was primarily driven by the recovery of wafer counts and the increased use of copper/tungsten CMP steps. The CMP ancillary equipment market is expected to see a modest recovery of about 5% in 2024, with CMP pad adjusters accounting for the largest revenue and volume share. This trend is also reflected in TECHCET's latest CMP assistive devices market report 2024-2025.
TECHCET expects CMP ancillary devices to grow at a CAGR of 10% by 2028. This is because state-of-the-art logic chips, 3D NAND, and DRAM devices will continue to enter the mass production phase (HVM). In addition, the expansion plans of major fabs in the next 2 to 4 years will also drive further growth in demand for CMP auxiliary equipment.
Figure: The CMP Assistive Equipment Market Will Double In 2025 (Source: TECHCET)
As the market for CMP ancillary devices grows, more advanced CMP ancillary devices will be introduced into the semiconductor manufacturing process, which will help improve the efficiency and quality of the CMP process. For example, more efficient equipment such as abrasive pad organizers, filters, and brushes will help improve polishing speed and accuracy, reducing production costs. In addition, advances in CMP ancillary equipment will facilitate the application of new materials in semiconductor manufacturing. For example, as the dielectric layer becomes thinner, the requirements for the CMP process are higher, requiring a lower dielectric surface roughness. This is driving the demand for new materials such as nano-cerium dioxide slurry, which is also supported by ancillary equipment such as new versions of slurry filters.
While equipment manufacturers have been working hard to reduce the cost of sourcing consumables from suppliers, there is very limited room for price reductions due to the current ongoing inflation and highly customized market environment. Cost pressures are shifting from the supply side to the demand side, which provides more opportunities for price negotiation and profit margins. At the same time, key advanced packaging processes such as 3DHI, chiplet integration, multi-Vt GAA, 3D NAND, and 3D DRAM are driving performance improvements and defect rate requirements. Due to the higher cost of implementing these technologies, manufacturers are also turning to more expensive CVD diamond dressers to meet these challenges.
With the growth of the CMP auxiliary equipment market, green manufacturing will become an important trend in the industry. CMP auxiliary equipment manufacturers will increase R&D investment and market promotion in green intelligent manufacturing, reduce the energy consumption and emission level of equipment, and realize the functions of intelligent control and remote monitoring of equipment. This will help drive the sustainable development of the semiconductor industry. In addition, advances in CMP ancillary equipment will help improve resource efficiency. For example, equipment such as more efficient filters and abrasive pad finishers will help reduce polishing slurry waste and pollutant emissions, reducing production costs and environmental burdens.
