Effect of Pad Surface Roughness on SiO2 Removal Rate in Chemical Mechanical Polishing with Ceria Slurry

Abstract

The effect of pad surface roughness on SiO2 removal rate was investigated using four different slurries containing ceria (CeO2) powders of different crystallite sizes and mean particle sizes. A clear maximum was observed in the dependence of removal rate on pad surface roughness. The four ceria slurries showed a peak in blanket wafer removal rate against pad surface roughness Ra. The peak moved toward larger Ra values with decreasing ceria crystallite size. The removal rate was strongly influenced not only by pad surface roughness but also by the crystallite size of ceria in the slurry.