Removal rate mechanisms of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride films during chemical mechanical polishing using ceria particles-based dispersion in the presence and absence of different additives are discussed. Our results show that ceria particles give high silicon dioxide and silicon nitride removal rates due to the reactivity of the Ce 3+ species with silicon dioxide or the sub-oxide formed on the silicon nitride surface by hydrolysis. With several additives, complete blockage of the reactive species and the reduction of oxide and nitride removal rates to <2 nm/min occur when the amount of the additive adsorbed has reached a limiting value. Silicon nitride removal rates can also be suppressed to <2 nm/min when the conversion of the nitride surface to suboxide is hindered due to the adsorption of additives on the nitride surface.
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