Dynamic Lateral Force Measurements during Chemical Mechanical Polishing of Silica

Abstract

Lateral frictional force measurement provides an understanding of pad‐surface interactions in chemical mechanical polishing. The lateral forces have been found to be significantly dependent on the surface roughness of the silica, thus showing that in situ dynamic changes in the surface roughness could be observed. Studies of the effect of and ionic strength on polishing characteristics of silica are presented. The studies were conducted with particle‐free slurries, so as to obtain a better signal‐to‐noise ratio. The rate of material removal as a function of and ionic strength was determined and correlated with the friction force measurements. ©1999 The Electrochemical Society