Electrochemical techniques and their applications for CMP of metal films

Abstract Mitigation of process-induced defects is a primary objective of the emerging CMP strategies for IC manufacturing. The protocols considered in this approach frequently rely on the slurry chemistry to achieve planarization, while the mechanical function of CMP operates in a comparatively reduced role. For the newer interconnects consisting of chemically intricate novel materials and complex architectures, these processing requirements tend to complicate the chemical designs of metal CMP. Electrochemistry plays a major role in dictating these processing issues, because the chemical steps of CMP, as well as those of post-CMP cleaning (PCMPC) are largely driven by electrochemical reactions. Thus, electrochemical techniques are widely recognized now as essential tools for designing and evaluating the chemical consumables and procedures necessary to tackle the new challenges of metal CMP (and PCMPC). Focusing on these electrochemical aspects of metal CMP/PCMPC, this chapter discusses the practical applications of various electroanalytical techniques in the general field of CMP. The considerations for coupling these electroanalytical techniques with the mechanical components of CMP and PCMPC are also discussed with illustrative experimental results.