• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.56-59
• /
• 2011

The characterization of the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process for undensified phophosilicate glass (PSG) film is reported using design of experiments (DOE). DOE has been used by experimenters to understand the relationship between the input variables and responses of interest in a simple and efficient way, and it typically is beneficial for determining the appropriatesize of experiments with multiple process variables and making statistical inferences for the responses of interest. The equipment controllable parameters used to operate the machine consist of the down force of the wafer carrier, pressure on the back side wafer, table and spindle speeds (SS), slurry flow (SF) rate, pad condition, etc. None of these are independent ofeach other and, thus, the interaction between the parameters also needs to be understoodfor improved process characterization in CMP. In this study, we selected the five controllable equipment parameters the most recommendedby process engineers, viz. the down force (DF), back pressure (BP), table speed (TS), SS, and SF, for the characterization of the CMP process with respect to the material removal rate and film uniformity in percentage terms. The polished material is undensified PSG which is widely used for the plananization of multi-layered metal interconnects. By statistical modeling and the analysis of the metrology data acquired from a series of $2^{5-1}$ fractional factorial designs with two center points, we showed that the DF, BP and TS have the greatest effect on both the removal rate and film uniformity, as expected. It is revealed that the film uniformity of the polished PSG film contains two and three-way interactions. Therefore, one can easily infer that process control based on a better understanding of the process is the key to success in current semiconductor manufacturing, in which the size of the wafer is approaching 300 mm and is scheduled to continuously increase up to 450 mm in or slightly after 2012.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2006.06a
• /
• pp.565-566
• /
• 2006

Slurry used in metal chemical mechanical polishing normally consists of an oxidizer, a complexing agent, a corrosion inhibitor and an abrasive. This paper investigates effects of citric acid as a complexing agent for Cu CMP with $H_2O_2$ as an oxidizer. In order to study chemical effects of a citric acid, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed on Cu sample after Cu etching test. XPS results reveal that CuO, $Cu(OH)_2$ layer decrease but Cu/$Cu_2O$ layer increase on Cu sample surface. To investigate nanomechanical properties of Cu sample surface, nanoindentation was performed on Cu sample. Results of nanoindentation indicate wear resistance of Cu Surface decrease. According to decrease of wear resistance on Cu surface, removal rate increases from $285\;{\AA}/min$ to $8645\;{\AA}/min$ in Cu CMP.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.274-285
• /
• 2019

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), which is a material removal process involving chemical surface reactions and mechanical abrasive action, is an essential manufacturing process for obtaining high-quality semiconductor surfaces with ultrahigh precision features. Recent rapid growth in the industries of digital devices and semiconductors has accelerated the demands for processing of various substrate and film materials. In addition, to solve many issues and challenges related to high integration such as micro-defects, non-uniformity, and post-process cleaning, it has become increasingly necessary to approach and understand the processing mechanisms for various substrate materials and abrasive particle behaviors from a tribological point of view. Based on these backgrounds, we review recent CMP R&D trends in this study. We examine experimental and analytical studies with a focus on substrate materials and abrasive particles. For the reduction of micro-scratch generation, understanding the correlation between friction and the generation mechanism by abrasive particle behaviors is critical. Furthermore, the contact stiffness at the wafer-particle (slurry)-pad interface should be carefully considered. Regarding substrate materials, recent research trends and technologies have been introduced that focus on sapphire (${\alpha}$-alumina, $Al_2O_3$), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN), which are used for organic light emitting devices. High-speed processing technology that does not generate surface defects should be developed for low-cost production of various substrates. For this purpose, effective methods for reducing and removing surface residues and deformed layers should be explored through tribological approaches. Finally, we present future challenges and issues related to the CMP process from a tribological perspective.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.309-317
• /
• 2000

Langasite is a promising new piezoelectric material for SAW filter application. Little was known until recently about the methods needed to mechanically polish and chemically polish/etch this material. In this experiment, polishing, slurry chemistry and chemical wet etching for langasite is described. Conventional quartz and LN ($LiNbO_3$) polishing methods did not produce satisfactory polished surfaces, and polishing with a colloidal silica slurries has shown to be most effective. The optimum condition was investigated by changing the slurry chemistry. As the planarization effect is very important in SAW filter applications, the examination of the effective particle number effect and the particle size effect was carried out. Z-cut langasite surface which had been polished with the colloidal silica slurries was etched in a variety of etchants. Conventional quartz etchants destroyed the polished surface. Other etchants formed a thin film on the surfaces. In this experiment, the reaction between langasite and a few etching solution was analysed. And an appropriate selective etchant solution for analyzing the defects was synthesized.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.167-172
• /
• 2006

Submicron colloidal silica coated with ceria were prepared by mixing of silica and nano ceria particles and modified by hydrothermal reaction. The polishing efficiency of the ceria coated silica slurry was tested over oxide film on silicon wafer. By changing the polishing pressure in the range of $140{\sim}420g/cm^2$ with the ceria coated silica slurries in $100{\sim}300nm$, rates, WIWNU and friction force were measured. The removal rate was in the order of 200, 100, and 300 nm size silica coated with ceria. It was known that the smaller particle size gives the higher removal rate with higher contact area in Cu slurry. In the case of oxide film, the indentation volume as well as contact area gives effect on the removal rate depending on the size of abrasives. The indentation volume increase with the size of abrasive particles, which results to higher removal rate. The highest removal rate in 200 nm silica core coated with ceria is discussed as proper combination of indentation and contact area effect.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.61-66
• /
• 2012

Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is a polishing process used in the microelectronic fabrication industries to achieve a globally planar wafer surface for the manufacturing of integrated circuits. Pad conditioning plays an important role in the CMP process to maintain a material removal rate (MRR) and its uniformity. For metal CMP process, highly acidic slurry containing strong oxidizer is being used. It would affect the conditioner surface which normally made of metal such as Nickel and its alloy. If conditioner surface is corroded, diamonds on the conditioner surface would be fallen out from the surface. Because of this phenomenon, not only life time of conditioners is decreased, but also more scratches are generated. To protect the conditioners from corrosion, thin organic film deposition on the metal surface is suggested without requiring current conditioner manufacturing process. To prepare the anti-corrosion film on metal conditioner surface, vapor SAM (self-assembled monolayer) and FC (Fluorocarbon) -CVD (SRN-504, Sorona, Korea) films were prepared on both nickel and nickel alloy surfaces. Vapor SAM method was used for SAM deposition using both Dodecanethiol (DT) and Perfluoroctyltrichloro silane (FOTS). FC films were prepared in different thickness of 10 nm, 50 nm and 100 nm on conditioner surfaces. Electrochemical analysis such as potentiodynamic polarization and impedance, and contact angle measurements were carried out to evaluate the coating characteristics. Impedance data was analyzed by an electrical equivalent circuit model. The observed contact angle is higher than 90o after thin film deposition, which confirms that the coatings deposited on the surfaces are densely packed. The results of potentiodynamic polarization and the impedance show that modified surfaces have better performance than bare metal surfaces which could be applied to increase the life time and reliability of conditioner during W CMP.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.207-210
• /
• 2003

The chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process is a method of planarizing semiconductor wafers with a high degree of success. However, fundamental mechanisms of the process are not fully understood. Several theoretical analyses have been introduced, which are focused on kinematics, von Mises stress distributions and hydrodynamic lubrication aspects. This paper is concerned with hydrodynamic lubrication theory as the chemical mechanical planarization model; the three-dimensional Reynolds equation is applied to predict slurry film thickness and pressure distributions between the pad and the wafer. This paper classifies geometry of wafer into 3 types and focuses on the differences between them.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.108-111
• /
• 2006

The oxidizer-induced corrosion state and microstructure of surface passive metal-oxide layer greatly influenced on the removal rate of tungsten film according to the slurry chemical composition of different mixed oxidizers. In this paper, the actual polishing mechanism and pH-potential equilibrium diagram obtained from potentiodynamic polarization curve were electrochemically compared. An electrochemical corrosion effect implies that slurries with the highest removal rate (RR) have the high dissolution rate.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics D
• /
• v.36D no.12
• /
• pp.37-42
• /
• 1999

In this paper, some of main processes for the next generation integrated circuits, such as Cu damascene process using CMP, electron beam lithography, $SiO_2$ CVD and RIE, Ti/Cu-CVD were carried cut and then, two level Cu interconnects were accomplished. In the results of CMP unit processes, a 4,635 ${\AA}$/min of removal rate, a selectivity of Cu : $SiO_2$ of 150:1, a uniformity of 4.0% are obtained under process conditions of a head pressure of 4 PSI, table and head speed of 25rpm, a oscillation distance of 40 mm, and a slurry flow rate of 40 ml/min. Also 0.18 ${\mu}m\;SiO_2$ via-line patterns are fabricated using 1000 ${\mu}C/cm^2$ dose, 6 minute and 30 second development time and 1 minute and 30 second etching time. And finally sub-0.2 ${\mu}$ twolevel metal interconnects using the developed processes were fabricated and the problems of multilevel interconnects are discussed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.631-635
• /
• 2011

Spherical and non-spherical silica particles prepared by the direct oxidation were studied for the effect of the particle size and shape of these particles on oxide CMP removal rate. Spherical silica particles, which have 10~100 nm in size, were prepared by the direct oxidation process from silicon in the presence of alkali catalyst. The 10 nm silica particles were aggregated by addition of an acid, an alcohol, or a silane as an aggregation inducer between the particles. Two or more aggregated silica particles were used as a seed to grow non spherical silica particles in the direct oxidation process of silicon in the presence of alkali catalyst. The oxide removal rate of spherical silica particles increased with increasing an average particle size for spherical silica abrasives in the oxide CMP. It further increased non-spherical particles, compared with the spherical particles in the similar average particle size.