Investigation of Copper CMP Mechanisms Using an Atomic Force Microscope

In order to understand the mechanisms of Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP), an atomic force microscope (AFM) is used to characterize polished copper surfaces after a set of polishing experiments. Surface analysis using the AFM revealed detailed surface characteristics of CMP. It was found that removal mechanisms depend on the slurry chemistry, potential, per cent of oxidizer, and the applied load. This presentation discusses these findings.