Bridging the Gap: Understanding the Chemistry of CMP

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 5 Issue 5 (2000) pp 242-245

Bridging the Gap: Understanding the Chemistry of CMP

Jason Keleher, Jie Zhang, Steve Waud, and Yuzhuo Li*

Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699-5810

Published online: 12 August 2000

Abstract. This laboratory exercise will expose upper-level undergraduate students to the aspect of chemistry known as Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP). CMP is used for the fabrication of computer chips and memory devices. Students investigate a representative slurry that is used for copper-based advanced integrated-circuit processes. More specifically, students monitor the generation of ·OH through the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a metal/amino acid complex, which is used as a catalyst. This introduces students to the fundamentals of ·OH trapping and provides practice in the techniques used for kinetic rate determination. The kinetics data obtained for these systems will be correlated with the static dissolution rate of Cu metal upon exposure to various control and hydroxyl radical generating solutions.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations;

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: yuzhuoli@clarkson.edu)

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