Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T15:43:12.774Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Atomistic Mechanisms Underlying Chemical Mechanical Planarization of Copper

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Y.Y. Ye
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Microelectronics Research Center and Ames Laboratory-USDOE, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 Center of Analysis and Testing, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
R. Biswas
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Microelectronics Research Center and Ames Laboratory-USDOE, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
A. Bastawros
Affiliation:
Dept. of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
A. Chandra
Affiliation:
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011.
Get access

Abstract

With an aim to understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of copper, we simulate the nanoscale polishing of a copper surface with molecular dynamics utilizing the embedded atom method. Mechanical abrasion produces rough planarized surfaces with a large chip in front of the abrasive particle, and dislocations in the bulk of the crystal. The addition of chemical dissolution leads to very smooth planarized copper surfaces and considerably smaller frictional forces that prevent the formation of bulk dislocations. This is a first step towards understanding the interplay between mechanistic material abrasion and chemical dissolution in chemical mechanical planarization of copper interconnects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1] Steigerwald, J. M., Murarka, S. P., and Gutmann, R. J., Chemical Mechanical Planarization of Microelectronic Materials, Wiley, New York 1997.Google Scholar
[2] Chemical-Mechanical Planarization 2000, Proceedings Materials Research Society Symp. 613 (2000) edited by R. K. Singh, R. Bajaj, M. Meuris and M. Moinpour; Chemical mechanical Planarization; ibid 732E (2002) edited by S. V. Babu, R. K. Singh, M. R. Oliver, and N. Hayasaka.Google Scholar
[3] Fleming, J.G. and Lin, S.Y. Opt. Lett. 24,49 (1999).Google Scholar
[4] Daw, M. S. and Baskes, M. I., Phys. Rev. B 29, 6443 (1984).Google Scholar
[5] Foiles, S. M., Daw, M. S. and Baskes, M. I., Phys. Rev. B 33, 7983 (1986).Google Scholar
[6] Komanduri, R. Chandrasekaharan, N. and Raff, L. M., M.D. Simulation of indentation and scratching of single crystal aluminum, Wear 242, 113143 (2000).Google Scholar
[7] Fang, T. and Weng, C.-I., Three-dimensional molecular dynamics analysis of processing using a pin tool on the atomic scale, Nanotechnology 11, 148153 (2000).Google Scholar
[8] Zhang, L. and Tanaka, H. Towards a deeper understanding of wear and friction on the atomic scale- a molecular dynamics analysis, Wear 211, 4453 (1997).Google Scholar
[9] Rentsch, R. Atomistic simulation and experimental investigation of ultra precision cutting processes, MRS Proceedings 578, 261266 (2000).Google Scholar
[10] Ye, Y. Biswas, R. Morris, J. R., Bastawros, A. and Chandra, A.Molecular dynamics simulation of nanoscale polishing of copper”, Nanotechnology 14, 390 (2003). Y. Y. Ye, R. Biswas, A. Bastawros and A. Chandra, Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1872 (2002)Google Scholar