Fourier analysis of scratches generated on m‐GaN substrates during polishing

Generation of scratches on surface of m‐plane GaN substrates due to polishing was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). For epi‐ready substrates AFM images confirm a flat surface with the atomic step roughness while a lot of scratches are visible in AFM images for partially polished GaN substrates. The Fourier analysis of AFM images show that scratches propagate easier along {c‐plane} and {a‐plane} directions on m‐plane GaN surface. This observation is an evidence of anisotropy of mechanical properties of GaN crystals in the micro‐scale. This anisotropy is directly correlated with the symmetry and atomic arrangement of m‐plane GaN.     

钛基片的化学机械抛光技术研究

采用化学机械抛光（CMP）方法对钛基片进行纳米级平坦化处理,通过系列抛光试验优化抛光液组成和抛光工艺条件后,得到AFM-Ra为0.159 nm的纳米级抛光表面和156.5 nm/min的抛光速率。抛光液的电化学分析结果表明：二氧化硅颗粒和乳酸在钛表面有不同程度的吸附缓蚀作用,氨水和F-的络合、扩散作用能破坏缓蚀膜层,两者的中间平衡状态才能得到最佳抛光效果。抛光后钛表层XPS测试结果显示钛表层经过化学氧化形成疏松氧化层后,再通过磨粒和抛光垫的机械作用去除。     

铜在氨水介质铁氰化钾抛光液中CMP的电化学行为研究

应用电化学测试技术研究了介质浓度（包括pH值）和成膜剂浓度对铜表面成膜及铜抛光过程的影响，探讨了成膜厚度及其致密性与抛光压力、抛光转速的关系，考察了压力及转速对抛光过程的作用，找出影响抛光过程及抛光速率的电化学变量。用腐蚀电位及腐蚀电流密度的变化解释了抛光过程的电化学机理，通过成膜速率及除膜速率的对比得出抛光过程的控制条件。证明了在氨水溶液介质中、以铁氰化钾为成膜剂、纳米γ-Al2O3为磨粒的抛光液配方是可行的，其抛光控制条件为压力10psi、转速300r/min。     

Influence of adhesion of silica and ceria abrasive nanoparticles on Chemical-Mechanical Planarization of silica surfaces

We report on a direct measurement of adhesion between abrasive nanoparticles of irregular shape, which are used in semiconductor industry in the process of Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP), and silica surface. The adhesion of ceria and silica nanoparticles to silica surface is measured in multiple chemistries of different CMP slurries using a specially developed atomic force microscopy (AFM) method. Using this method, we study the influence of adhesion on the main parameters of CMP, removal rate and defectivity, scratches. While being plausible to expect correlation between these parameters and adhesion, it has not been systematically studied as of yet. We observed direct correlation between adhesion and removal rate. Comparing the measured defectivity and adhesion, we observe the presence of some correlation between these parameters. We conclude that both adhesion and shape of abrasive particles influence defectivity, micro-scratches. Direct measurements of the adhesion between abrasive nano-particles and surface can be used in the screening of new slurries as well as various modeling related to wearing of the surfaces.     

Preparation of carbon fibers/carbon/alumina tubular composite membranes and their applications in treating Cu-CMP wastewater by a novel electrochemical process

In this study, the alumina substrate was first prepared by the extrusion method, then followed by poly-vinylydenchloride (PVDC) film wrapping, PVDC carbonization, catalyst precursor coating, and the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to grow carbon fibers on the carbon interlayer. The carbon fibers/carbon/alumina tubular composite membranes (CCA-TCMs) thus obtained, with a pore size distribution ranging from 2 to 10 nm, were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and permporometry. A prepared CCA-TCM of this kind was incorporated into a novel simultaneous crossflow electrocoagulation and electrofiltration (EC/EF) treatment module to evaluate its capability in treating Cu-CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) wastewater. Crossflow EC/EF performance tests were carried out based on the 2³⁻¹ fractional factorial design using the electric field strength, crossflow velocity, and transmembrane pressure (TMP) as the experimental factors. Under the optimal operating conditions, the CCA-TCM associated EC/EF treatment module is capable of treating Cu-CMP wastewater in a proper manner. Permeate thus obtained had a turbidity of below 1 NTU and the removal efficiencies of total solids content, total organic carbon, copper, and silicon for Cu-CMP wastewater were 72%, 81%, 92%, and 87%, respectively.     

Enzyme sensor for the electrochemical detection of the marine toxin okadaic acid

An enzyme sensor for the electrochemical detection of the marine toxin okadaic acid (OA) has been developed. The strategy was based on the inhibition of immobilised protein phosphatase (PP2A) by this toxin and the electrochemical measurement of the enzyme activity by the use of appropriate enzyme substrates, electrochemically active after dephosphorylation by the enzyme. Colorimetric inhibition assays have demonstrated the PP2A from human red blood cells to be more sensitive and to provide a wider linear range than the one produced by genetic engineering. Catechyl monophosphate (CMP) and p-aminophenyl phosphate (p-APP) have been tested as enzyme substrates, the former providing higher electrochemical currents at convenient working potentials (+450 mV vs. Ag/AgCl). Biosensors with 19.1 and 5.0 U of immobilised enzyme have been applied to the OA detection. Whereas the 19.1-U biosensor has provided higher electrochemical currents and more reliable determinations, the 5.0-U one has attained a lower 50% inhibition coefficient (IC₅₀) value (22.19 in front of 154.84 μg L⁻¹) and a larger working range (2.69-171.87 in front of 42.97-171.87 μg L⁻¹). The analysis of toxicogenic dinoflagellate extracts with both biosensors and the comparison with the colorimetric assay and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have demonstrated the applicability of the developed electrochemical devices as screening biotools for the assessment of the toxicity of a sample.     

Stabilization of gamma alumina slurry for chemical-mechanical polishing of copper

Stabilization of gamma-alumina suspension for chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) of copper was investigated. Citric acid and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) (M(w)=5000) were used as dispersant. The stability of suspension was evaluated from the changes in viscosity, particle size and zeta potential. It appears that metastable gamma-alumina mainly due to its high specific surface area and to the presence of aluminol groups on its surface is progressively transformed to bayerite (beta-Al(OH)(3)) by hydration procedure. Citric acid molecules were adsorbed onto gamma-alumina surface effectively and exhibited the excellent hydration inhibition effect. Although citrate-alumina surface complexes give barrier to the flocculation, the repulsion potential is based mainly on the electrostatic repulsion, thereby steric hindrance caused by the adsorption of these small molecules is very weak. The electrosteric repulsion, which provides more effective dispersion stability than electrostatic repulsion force, can be expected by using polyelectrolyte such as PAA; however, adsorbed layers of PAA onto solid/liquid interface are loosely formed. Therefore, a large amount of PAA was required to inhibit the surface hydration of gamma-alumina suspension, thereby the excess addition of PAA decreased the electrosteric repulsion and re-bridging of the dispersant between particles caused an increase in suspension viscosity. Therefore, synergistic effect can be expected in mixed dispersant system of citric acid and PAA, since small citric acid molecules are adsorbed faster than PAA, inhibiting the progress of surface hydration, and then adsorbed PAA layers exhibit the effective electrosteric repulsion interaction between particles with a small amount compared with PAA alone. It was revealed that the gamma-alumina slurry dispersed by mixed dispersant exhibited the improved removal rate of Cu layer by CMP polishing test.     

缓蚀剂1,2,4-三唑在铜CMP过程中的作用机理

基于静态腐蚀试验和Arrhenius公式,探讨了缓蚀剂1,2,4-三唑在铜晶圆表面的吸附机制,分析了其对铜晶圆表面化学反应活化能的影响;结合CMP试验,阐释了BTA和1,2,4-三唑两种缓蚀剂对CMP材料去除速率的影响.结果表明:在酸性抛光液中,缓蚀剂1,2,4-三唑主要存在两种缓蚀机制:一是在铜表面形成吸附膜Cu:(1,2,4-TAH)_(ads),二是形成聚合物膜Cu(1,2,4-TA)_2.CMP过程中化学反应活化能的降低量不随抛光液中1,2,4-三唑的含量而变化.但是相对于BTA,使用含有1,2,4-三唑的抛光液时CMP过程中晶圆表面的化学反应活化能降低量较大,表明机械促进化学作用较强.本研究结果为CMP过程中抛光液的优化提供了理论支撑.     

Chemical mechanical planarization of Ge_2Sb_2Te_5 using IC1010 and Politex reg pads in acidic slurry

In the paper, chemical mechanical planarization(CMP) of Ge2Sb2Te5(GST) is investigated using IC1010 and Politex reg pads in acidic slurry. For the CMP with blank wafer, it is found that the removal rate(RR) of GST increases with the increase of pressure for both pads, but the RR of GST polished using IC1010 is far more than that of Politex reg. To check the surface defects, GST film is observed with an optical microscope(OM) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). For the CMP with Politex reg, many spots are observed on the surface of the blank wafer with OM, but no obvious spots are observed with SEM. With regard to the patterned wafer, a few stains are observed on the GST cell, but many residues are found on other area with OM. However, from SEM results, a few residues are observed on the GST cell, more dielectric loss is revealed about the trench structure. For the CMP with IC1010, the surface of the polished blank wafer suffers serious scratches found with both OM and SEM, which may result from a low hardness of GST, compared with those of IC1010 and abrasives. With regard to the patterned wafer, it can achieve a clean surface and almost no scratches are observed with OM, which may result from the high-hardness SiO2 film on the surface, not from the soft GST film across the whole wafer. From the SEM results, a clean interface and no residues are observed on the GST surface, and less dielectric loss is revealed. Compared with Politex reg, the patterned wafer can achieve a good performance after CMP using IC1010.     

氧化硅/氧化铁复合磨粒用于硬盘基片的抛光研究

本文以HNO3、NaOH、Fe(NO3)3和SiO2浆料为原料,采用沉淀法制备了1种SiO2/Fe2O3复合磨粒,通过X射线衍射仪(XRD)、飞行时间二次离子质谱仪(TOF-SIMS)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对其结构进行表征,结果表明Fe2O3包覆到SiO2的表面,复合粒子具有很好的分散性.用UNIPOL-1502抛光机研究了所制备复合磨粒在镍磷敷镀的硬盘基片中的抛光性能,抛光后硬盘基片的表面粗糙度Ra由抛光前的8.87nm降至3.73nm;抛光后表面形貌的显微镜观测结果表明新制备的复合磨粒表现出较好的抛光性能.