Agglomerated Large Particles under Various Slurry Preparation Conditions and Their Influence on Shallow Trench Isolation Chemical Mechanical Polishing

Abstract

The effects of various slurry manufacturing conditions, such as suspension pH, abrasive contents, and the calcination temperature of abrasive ceramic particles on the formation of agglomerated large particles of ceria slurry were investigated. The agglomerated large particles in slurry have much influence on the micro-scratches on the wafer surface in shallow trench isolation chemical mechanical polishing (STI CMP). The formation of large agglomerated particles is affected by the conformation of the organic additives in the slurry as a function of the suspension pH and the specific surface area of the abrasive particle. Regarding the solid content, abrasive particles are more easily dispersed at lower solid loading, which prevents additional agglomeration even under acidic conditions. The influence of agglomerated large particles on STI CMP was investigated through a polishing experiment with plasma-enhanced tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (PETEOS) and a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) nitride layer.