Electrochemical behavior of copper chemical mechanical polishing in KIO[sub 3] slurry

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of polishing copper with colloidal silica abrasive slurry formulated with KIO3 oxidizer has been investigated. For planarization of the surface morphology, the control of the surface passivation of Cu is critical during polishing. KIO3 is not only an oxidizer but also a passivator for copper in an acidic slurry by forming a CuI layer on the surface. With alkaline slurry, Cu2O is the primary corrosion product on the Cu surface. The copper corrosion rate and removal rate can be decreased dramatically with increasing slurry pH. The low corrosion resistance or high corrosion susceptibility of Cu as determined by electrochemical measurements is the basis for the high removal rates. The copper removal rate is reduced from 4600 to 650 A/min when the slurry pH is increased from 2 to 5; and the copper removal rate levels off at pH 7 with a steady-state removal rate of 200 A/min.