A nanoclustered ceria abrasives with low crystallinity and high Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio for scratch reduction and high oxide removal rates in the chemical mechanical planarization

Kim, Na-Yeon; Kim, Goeun; Sun, Hanna; Hwang, Uiseok; Kim, Junyoung; Kwak, Donggeon; Park, Inkyung; Kim, Taesung; Suhr, Jonghwan; Nam, Jae‐Do

doi:10.1007/s10853-022-07338-x

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Reactions between CO 2 with H 2 O that generate H 2 CO 3 , HCO 3 -, CO 3 2− and H + as described in Eq. 2, and dissociated H + and electrons reduce the Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of smaller CNPs is the preferred to achieve defect-free surfaces. 2,3 As the trend towards using colloidal and smaller CNPs continues, challenges in post-CMP cleaning for the removal of residual CNPs on SiO 2 film surface have become more pronounced. 4 Higher Ce 3+ concentration at the surfaces of smaller CNPs can lead to the formation of more Ce-O-Si bonds with SiO 2 film surface, requiring relatively higher energy for rupture compared to other bonds (e.g., Si-O).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO₂ Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Park,

Jeon,

Liu

et al. 2024

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

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As a trend of using colloidal and smaller ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) at the shallow trench isolation (STI) chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) in semiconductor manufacturing, post-CMP cleaning challenges in the removal of residual CNPs on the SiO2 film surface became much more challenging.We investigated the reduction/oxidation of ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) by hydrogen gas-dissolved water (H2 GDW), carbon dioxide gas-dissolved water (CO2 GDW), and oxygen gas-dissolved water (O2 GDW). The concentration of Ce3+ on the CNPs changed from 18.64% to 19.48%, 20.31% to 21.94%, and 21.27% to 19.22%, respectively, after immersion in H2 GDW, CO2 GDW, and O2 GDW for 3 to 12 h. Following the Ce3+ concentration of the CNP surface, adhesion energies between CNPs immersed in H2 GDW, CO2 GDW, and O2 GDW for 6 hours with SiO2 surface were 6.06E-16 J, 6.18E-16 J, and 4.83E-16 J. Cleaning experiments under megasonic conditions revealed the efficacy of H2 GDW and O2 GDW in removing residual CNPs from SiO2 surfaces. The residual cerium (Ce) ion concentrations remaining on the SiO2 film surface after cleaning, were 0.06, 0.41, and 0.10 ppb for H2 GDW, CO2 GDW, and O2 GDW, respectively.

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“…Reactions between CO 2 with H 2 O that generate H 2 CO 3 , HCO 3 -, CO 3 2− and H + as described in Eq. 2, and dissociated H + and electrons reduce the Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO₂ Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Park,

Jeon,

Liu

et al. 2024

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

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“…These precursors commonly include cerium oxalates, hydroxides, acetates, and carbonates [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) is recognized for its elevated oxide removal rate (RR) owing to its strong chemical interaction with an oxide surface [ 18 , 19 ]. Various mechanisms explaining this interaction have been proposed by numerous researchers, with a consensus that the active sites for the reaction involve Ce 3+ ions on the ceria surfaces [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) is recognized for its elevated oxide removal rate (RR) owing to its strong chemical interaction with an oxide surface [ 18 , 19 ]. Various mechanisms explaining this interaction have been proposed by numerous researchers, with a consensus that the active sites for the reaction involve Ce 3+ ions on the ceria surfaces [ 19 , 20 ]. The formation of an oxygen vacancy results in the reduction of cerium ions within the lattice, transitioning from Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Ceria Nanoparticles as Abrasives Applied with Defoaming Polymers for CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) Applications

Hwang,

Kim

2024

Polymers

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Chemical mechanical polishing/planarization (CMP) is an essential manufacturing process in semiconductor technologies. This method combines chemical and mechanical forces to smooth the surfaces of wafers. The effectiveness of CMP relies on a carefully chosen slurry, demanding a sophisticated manufacturing technology. This technology must seamlessly integrate both chemical composition and mechanical elements, highlighting the intricate synergy required for successful semiconductor fabrication. Particularly in milling processes, if agglomerated particles due to slurry particle corrosion are present during polishing, uneven polishing, numerous fine scratches occur, leading to an increase in roughness and a deterioration in the quality of the finished surface. In this study, to overcome the issue of particle agglomeration and uneven polishing in commonly used ceria nanoparticle slurries during CMP processes, we investigated the ceria nanoparticle behavior based on styrene–maleic acid (SMA) dispersant polymer applied with three types of defoaming polymers. The investigations are expected to open up the possibility of utilizing ceria nanoparticles with applied defoaming polymer as an abrasive for advanced CMP applications. All samples were characterized by DLS (dynamic light scattering), SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), pH, conductivity, viscosity, a 10-day stability test at 60 °C, the AF4 test, and the polishing rate efficiency test. Our research demonstrates a significant improvement achieved through the use of SMA dispersant polymer, resulting in a polishing selection ratio exceeding 80 for oxide and nitride films. The G-336 defoaming polymer utilized here is expected to serve as a viable alternative in CMP processes by providing stable uniformity.

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“…Some research has focused on preventing scratches by synthesizing spherical ceria abrasives. 7,8 The post-CMP cleaning of ceria particles is gaining attention based on the Ce-O-Si bond between ceria and oxide film. 9 In practical fabrication, the polishing protocol offers limited adjustable parameters and requires a strict and lengthy verification process when replacing polishing consumables.…”

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confidence: 99%

Investigation of Polisher Head and Slurry Sweep Effect in Oxide Film Polishing

Liu,

Kang,

Park

et al. 2024

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

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Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has undergone rapid advancements in global and local planarization. The synergy between the process control and the consumables is critical to overall CMP performance. In addition to optimizing consumables and equipment including a polisher, metrology, and inspection, the polishing protocol plays a crucial role in effective process management. In fabrication scenarios, protocol revision is a convenient and practical approach for problem-solving. This research focuses on the study of head sweep direction, head sweep distance, and slurry sweep effects in oxide film polishing. Sweeping toward the outside resulted in an average increase of 12.66% removal amount for ceria and 11.57% for silica compared to fixed head polishing. Moreover, a longer head sweep distance reduced non-uniformity. While the slurry sweep exhibited a non-significant effect on the removal amount, it proved valuable in optimizing the removal amount profile.

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A nanoclustered ceria abrasives with low crystallinity and high Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio for scratch reduction and high oxide removal rates in the chemical mechanical planarization

Cited by 22 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO₂ Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO₂ Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Characterization of Ceria Nanoparticles as Abrasives Applied with Defoaming Polymers for CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) Applications

Investigation of Polisher Head and Slurry Sweep Effect in Oxide Film Polishing

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A nanoclustered ceria abrasives with low crystallinity and high Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio for scratch reduction and high oxide removal rates in the chemical mechanical planarization

Cited by 22 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO2 Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO2 Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Characterization of Ceria Nanoparticles as Abrasives Applied with Defoaming Polymers for CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) Applications

Investigation of Polisher Head and Slurry Sweep Effect in Oxide Film Polishing

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Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO₂ Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning

Effects of Gas-Dissolved Water for Ceria Nanoparticles on the SiO₂ Film Surface in Post-CMP Cleaning