Development and application of a new CMP slurry for phase change memory

Abstract

In this paper, the development of a new chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurry for phase change material GeSbTe (GST) and its application in the manufacturing process of phase change memory based on GST is presented. The basic abrasive of the slurry was special colloid silica which was chosen from several kinds of colloid silica with different surface treatment and stable pH range. Oxidizer, chelator, inhibitor and protective agent were added to the colloid silica to accelerate the polishing rate and protect the surface. A series of CMP experiments were carried out on a 4-inch experimental platform to confirm and optimize the performance of the slurry with different ratio of reagents. After the recipe was frozen, the slurry was used in the CMP process of manufacturing the phase change memory on 12-inch wafers. The results on blanket wafers show that the remove rate, endurance life, residue control is at the same level with those of the old slurry, while the scratch control is much better than that of the old one. The final results on both metal line structure and blade structure show that the new slurry has much better performance than the old one on oxide loss, scratch and erosion control.