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Influence of Ionic Strength and pH-value on the Silicon Dioxide Polishing Behaviour of Slurries Based on Pure Silica Suspensions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Ulrich Kuenzelmann
Affiliation:
ulrich.kuenzelmann@tu-dresden.de
Kathrin Estel
Affiliation:
kathrin.estel@tu-dresden.de, Dresden University of Technology, Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystem Technology, Dresden, Germany
Johann W Bartha
Affiliation:
johann.bartha@tu-dresden.de, United States
Erwin-Peter Meyer
Affiliation:
erwin-peter.mayer@wacker.com, Wacker Chemie AG, München, Germany
Herbert Barthel
Affiliation:
herbert.barthel@wacker.com, Wacker Chemie AG, München, Germany
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Abstract

In this study, the effect of the addition of electrolytes in a given ionic strength to various high-purity silica suspensions was investigated by measurement of the removal rates (RR's) in CMP processes on oxide layers under the same experimental conditions. As so-called slurries the following suspensions were used: i) silica sols produced by the Stöber process, ii) conventional silica sols based on alkali silicate as well as iii) suspensions of fumed silica, with the same SiO2 concentration in each suspension. Ionic strength of the added electrolyte was adjusted to e.g. 0.065 mol/l, with the electrolytes being HCl, NH4Cl, KOH, or binary mixtures of these substances.

These investigations revealed significant differences of the polishing behaviour between the different types of silica dispersions as slurries. While for the Stöber sols investigated, the RR's are highest in the acidic range and almost negligible in the alkaline pH range, fumed silica suspensions show an entirely different behaviour: RR is very low for acidic pH-values, and increases with the alkalinity of the slurry. In contrast to these observations, the RR's of slurries based on conventional silica sols are highest around the neutral point, and show a decrease for both more alkaline and acidic pH-values. In comparison to the other two types of material, these suspensions have a high amount of electrolyte background, originating from their manufacturing process.

A model is developed to explain these results in a comprehensive manner. It involves effects of the electrolyte type and the ionic strengths as well as influences of the particle size.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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