Interfacial Pressure Measurements at Chemical Mechanical Polishing Interfaces

Abstract

We have found that the entrainment of a slurry between a silicon surface and a polyurethane pad will cause the generation of subambient pressure at that interface. These pressures cause the silicon to be further impressed into the pad. We have measured these pressures and this paper reports on the pressure distribution maps over an area beneath a 100mm diameter silicon wafer. The pressures are generally not uniform. The leading 2/3 of the wafer has subambient pressures of the order of 50kPa and the trailing 1/3 of the wafer has positive pressures of approximately 10kPa. The reasons for the subambient pressures is related to the dynamics of the compression of pad asperities, the boundary effects of the silicon edge, the rebound of the asperities, and re-infiltration of the slurry.