Lanthanum Doping of Ceria Abrasive to Obtain Robust CMP Polish Rates

Category- Chemical Mechanical Planarization Process

Applications – Used for the polishing of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride wafers during the production of integrated circuits (ICs).

Industry – Semiconductor Manufacturing.

Market- Global chemical mechanical planarization market size is expected at $5.82 Bn by 2027 at a growth rate of 7.9%.

To achieve planarization and polishing of wafer surfaces, Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is an essential technique in semiconductor production.
Traditional CMP processes using abrasive slurries have limitations, including impurities, defects, and difficulty controlling material removal rates.
The development of next-generation nanoparticle abrasives holds promise for improving CMP performance, reducing defects, and achieving greater control over material removal.
Researchers are exploring using ceria nanoparticles and other advanced abrasives to enhance CMP processes and meet the demands of advanced semiconductor technology.

The CMP method involves using a fixed abrasive pad loaded with ceria, which contains less than 1 wt% lanthanum along with additives like L-proline.
The ceria abrasive can be either nano particles or micro particles, providing flexibility in particle size selection based on process requirements.
The ceria is a combination of cerium and oxygen, while the lanthanum present in ceria is in the form of lanthanum oxide.
The polishing slurry used in the process has a pH value of 7 and is designed to non-selectively enhance the polish rate of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.
This CMP method offers a controlled and efficient approach for planarization of silicon wafers, especially in semiconductor manufacturing, with the potential for improved performance and reduced defects.

Prof. Ramanathan S

Department of Chemical Engineering

TRL – 3

Technology concept formulated.

Technology Transfer