Interfacial Reactivity Between Ceria and Silicon Dioxide and Silicon Nitride Surfaces

Abstract

The relative and material removal rates during chemical mechanical planarization were varied by three orders of magnitude as a function of water soluble organic additives in aqueous ceria suspensions. The removal requires a hydrolysis step which is influenced by the additive acid-base characteristics. The additives are postulated to stabilize the surface via site blocking or surface amine deprotonation. Molecules which can adsorb to either silica or ceria surfaces will also decrease removal rates. The results highlight the importance of additive functionality in mitigating ceria reactivity with surface silanol groups.