The Role of Chemistry in Oxide Polishing

OXIDE CMP PROCESSES — MECHANISMS AND MODELS 5.1 THE ROLE OF CHEMISTRY IN OXIDE POLISHING... 

Chemistry plays a very signiticant role in the CMP process. Several variables listed in Chapter 3, the fluid boundary layer formation at the solid-liquid interface, chemical composition of the surface being polished, the formation of the passivating layer at the solid surface caused by an oxidizer, dissolution of the solid surface or of the mechanically abraded solid fragments or atoms/molecules of the original or passivated layer, the isoelectric point (see Chapter 5) related to abrasive and solid surface charge layers, effective removal or redeposition of the polished material, polished surface contamination and post-CMP passivation, and lifetime and properties of the pad all are determined by the chemical interactions induced by the chemicals in the slurry and the solid surfaces. Thus the choice of chemicals (thus of an appropriate chemistry) in making the slurry is very important. 

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