Determination of Particle Size Distribution in Oxide Abrasive Slurry After Chemical Mechanical Polishing Process Using Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Analysis of oxide abrasive slurry chemical species used for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) have attracted tremendous interests because it is one of the most considerable factors for determining the polishing performance including material removal rate, static etching rate and the roughness of surface. In this study, we investigate the distribution of Al2O3 particle size in slurry and shear time effects through the particle size analysis before and after CMP process of TiN wafer. Furthermore, a novel method for determination of particle size distribution of alumina abrasives is developed by means of Raman spectra. Matching with Raman peaks of polished slurry, the Al2O3 particle size trend increased during the particle size of abrasives (alumina oxide) mixed in CMP slurries increased. Graphical Abstract: Raman spectroscopy is a novel method for assuming the TiN wafer particle size in oxide abrasive slurries when the CMP process completed. It has little research for analyzing the compositions changes during the polishing time progressing. We obtained the Raman peak intensity trend to increase due to the abrasive particle size increase at the polishing time is 150 s. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].