Abstract: In order to understand the fundamentals of the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) material removal mechanism, the indentation depth of a slurry particle into a wafer surface is determined using the in-situ nanomechanical testing system tribo-indenter by Hysitron. It was found that the removal mechanism in CMP is most probably a molecular scale removal theory. Furthermore, a comprehensive mathematical model was modified and used to pinpoint the effects of wafer/pad relative velocity, which has not been modeled previously. The predicted results based on the current model are shown to be consistent with the published experimental data. Results and analysis may lead to further understanding of the microscopic removal mechanism at the molecular scale in addition to its underlying theoretical foundation.

Key words: chemical mechanical polishing, model, molecular scale, experimental