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Cobalt (Co) has been applied as one of the most promising candidates of barrier metals for copper (Cu) interconnects. The present work describes the static etching and chemical mechanical polishing process of Cu and Co, which were conducted by potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) as an oxidizer at various pH values. It was found that compared with the conventional oxidizer hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-based slurries, the K2S2O8-based slurries exhibited a relatively high Co removal rate, as well as the diminished particulate contamination and excellent post-etching morphology. A slurry consisting of 3 vol% colloidal silica, 10 mM K2S2O8, and 5 mM benzotriazole (BTA) produced a Co removal rate of ~ 127 Å/min at pH 10, along with a removal rate selectivity of ~ 1 between Cu and Co films. Based on the data of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and nano-scratch depth tests, the interplaying mechanisms of chemical and mechanical on Cu and Co removal rates in K2S2O8-based slurries were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The material removal mechanism of copper in a periodate-based slurry during barrier layer chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has not been intensively investigated. This paper presents a study of the copper surface film chemistry and mechanics in a periodate-based slurry. On this basis, the controlling factor of the copper CMP material removal mechanism is proposed. The results show that the chemical and electrochemical reaction products on the copper surface are complex and vary considerably as a function of the solution pH. Under acidic conditions (pH 4) the copper surface underwent strong chemical dissolution while the corrosion was mild and uniform under alkaline conditions (pH 11). The corrosion effect was the lowest in near neutral solutions because the surface was covered with non-uniform Cu(IO 3 ) 2 ·H 2 O/Cu-periodate/copper oxides films, which had better passivation effect. The surface film thickness and mechanical removal properties were studied by AES and AFM nano-scratch tests. Based on the combined surface film analysis and CMP experiment results, it can be concluded that the controlling factor during copper CMP in a periodate-based slurry is the chemical-enhanced mechanical removal of the surface films. The periodate-based slurry should be modified by the addition of corrosion inhibitors and complexing agents to achieve a good copper surface quality with moderate chemical dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are substantial studies on chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes of ruthenium (Ru) as a barrier layer in periodate-based slurries, little is known about the passivation mechanism of inhibitors and the galvanic corrosion mechanism of Cu. In this study, the synergetic effect of benzotriazole (BTA) and potassium molybdate (K 2 MoO 4 ) on the polishing performance of Ru and Cu in KIO 4 -based slurry was investigated. The galvanic corrosion of Cu in a Cu–Ru coupled system was studied from a completely different perspective. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with other measurements was used to reveal the synergetic passivation mechanism of BTA and K 2 MoO 4 . The results show that the galvanic corrosion of Cu is strongly mitigated in the presence of both BTA and K 2 MoO 4 . Based on the data, it was regarded that the adsorbed MoO 4 2− not only modified the surface structure of Ru and Cu, but also supported the adsorption of BTA passivation film. Also, it was found that insoluble salts were deposited into the gaps of the passivation film, which improved the compactness of the molybdate-BTA film. The CMP tests showed that the selectivity of the material removal rate of Cu to Ru can be evidently improved in the presence of BTA and K 2 MoO 4 . The increase of oxidizer content and the reduction of polishing down force could help to further decrease the MRR selectivity between Cu and Ru. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a specially designed carrier with a one-zone pneumatic loading system that uses a thick copper disk as the workpiece was developed. Comparative studies of the fluid pressure and workpiece orientation between the disk and wafer carriers during chemical mechanical polishing were conducted. The results reveal that the copper disk leans down toward the leading edge and produces a negative-dominated (approximately 70%) fluid pressure, which differs from the multi-zone carrier but agrees with other studies in which the fluid pressure is measured from the disk side. Different balancing statuses and wedged gaps are formed in these two structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During the process of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of copper interconnection in ultra large scale integration (ULSI), copper passivation plays a critical role in material removal. The kinetics of copper passivation in glycine solutions containing BTA was studied by the chronoamperometry technique. The results showed that the current density transients followed with a double-exponential decay, including both non-faradaic double layer charging and faradaic reaction effects. Furthermore, a model based on the passivation kinetics was proposed for low-pressure CMP. Combining the model and the experimental results, the material removal mechanism was analyzed. The mechanical effect dominated the material removal at pH 4, while it was a chemical dominant process at pH 10. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]