Metal-Oxide Dendrimer CMP Slurry for High-Rate Low-Scratch Polishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process for semiconductor manufacturing, especially for memory and logic semiconductor devices with line widths of 5 nm or less, scratches occur, leading to reduced yield and issues in subsequent processes, necessitating a slurry with high polishing rates and reduced micro-scratches.
Innovation Solution
A slurry composition for CMP using dendrimer particles surface-treated with metal oxide as abrasive, which provides a cushioning effect to reduce scratches and enhance polishing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional slurry is used for CMP process, then polishing action is achieved, but scratches occur on wafer surface reducing yield
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite abrasive particles consisting of a soft core material (such as silica or glass) coated with a hard metal oxide layer (such as cerium oxide, aluminum oxide, or titanium oxide). This composite structure combines the cushioning effect of the soft core with the high hardness and chemical reactivity of the metal oxide coating, enabling effective polishing while reducing scratch occurrence on the wafer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the abrasive particles by controlling the core size (50-200 nm), metal oxide layer thickness (10-50 nm), and metal oxide content (1-20 wt%). These parameter optimizations balance the cushioning effect and polishing capability, achieving high polishing rates while minimizing scratches.
2Productivity
If high polishing rate is achieved, then productivity improves, but micro-scratches increase reducing yield
Solution Approach 1:
The composite abrasive particles with soft core and hard metal oxide coating enable simultaneous achievement of high polishing rate and excellent surface quality. The soft core provides cushioning to prevent micro-scratches while the hard metal oxide coating ensures efficient material removal, resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The abrasive particles exhibit local quality differentiation where the core provides cushioning properties and the surface coating provides hardness and chemical reactivity. This local quality distribution allows the same particle to simultaneously protect the wafer surface and perform effective polishing, achieving both high productivity and surface quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The slurry composition achieves high polishing rates while significantly reducing scratches and defects on the wafer surface, improving yield and process reliability.
Implementation Method 1
dendrimer particles surface-treated with metal oxide as abrasive, which provides a cushioning effect to reduce scratches and enhance polishing performance
Implementation Method 2
processing a target surface of the wafer through a chemical action by the slurry and a physical action by high-speed rotation
Implementation Method 3
supplying a slurry so that the slurry is uniformly distributed on a surface of a polishing pad rotating at high speed, and placing the surface of the wafer for which planarization is required near the surface of the polishing pad, thereby processing a target surface of the wafer through a chemical action by the slurry and a physical action by high-speed rotation
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a slurry composition for chemical mechanical polishing including an abrasive including dendrimer particles surface-treated with metal oxide, a method of preparing same, and a chemical mechanical polishing method of a wafer.