Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Nanoabrasives Retention And Removal Mechanisms In Polyurethane Pads For Copper Cmp, Iftikhar Ul-Hasan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The continued reduction in integrated circuit (IC) feature size requires similar reductions in surface defectivity. A key source of surface defects in IC fabrication processes stems from nanoabrasives used in chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) processing. During CMP processing, polished surfaces are more vulnerable to defects including scratching, nanoabrasive particle adhesion and nanoabrasive agglomerate adhesion. The removal of these nano-sized particles is a priority for the IC fabrication industry and is reflected in the 2008 ITRS defect budget. However, there is insufficient technical understanding regarding the retention of residual nanoabrasives on the surfaces of the CMP pad following a CMP process and …