Characterization of chemically modified thin films for optimization of metal CMP applications

ABSTRACTMetal CMP applications necessitate the formation of a protective oxide film in the presence of surface active agents, oxidizers, pH regulators and other chemicals to achieve global planarization. Formation and mechanical properties of the chemically modified metal oxide thin films in CMP determine the stresses develop at the interfaces delineating the stability and protective nature of the chemically altered films on the surface of the metal wafer. The balance between the stresses built in the film structure versus the mechanical actions provided during the process can be used to optimize the process variables and furthermore help define new planarization techniques for the next generation microelectronic device manufacturing. In this study, the preliminary studies were concentrated on the very well established tungsten CMP applications and furthermore, titanium CMP applications were presented as a part of surface nano-structuring methodology for biomedical applications by stressing the synergistic effect of protective metal oxide film of titanium in this advanced application.