Improvement of oxide chemical mechanical polishing performance by increasing Ce3+/Ce4+ ratio in ceria slurry via hydrogen reduction

• Published in: Materials science in semiconductor processing Vol. 159; p. 107349
• Main Authors: Lee, Jaewon, Kim, Eungchul, Bae, Chulwoo, Seok, Hyunho, Cho, Jinil, Aydin, Kubra, Kim, Taesung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Ceria abrasive; Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP); Hydrogen gas; Reduction; Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP); Reduction; Ceria abrasive; Hydrogen gas
• ISSN: 1369-8001; 1873-4081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mssp.2023.107349

Ceria-based abrasive is widely used in the oxide chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process due to its high polishing performance. Ce3+ ions on the surface of ceria form a Ce–O–Si chemical bond with surface of the SiO2 wafer, significantly affecting the material removal rate (MRR). In this study, the ceria surface was reduced by contact with hydrogen gas in a high temperature isothermal environment. Hydrogen gas forms surface hydroxyls on the ceria. Then, the generated hydroxyls form H2O and oxygen vacancies occur through the desorption of the H2O. The color of ceria changed to blue due to a change of the crystal structure by the reduction reaction. The reducing ability of hydrogen gas increased as the reduction temperature increased and the Ce3+ ion concentration increased by 12.7% under isothermal conditions at 1000 °C. The MRR of reduced ceria was improved by up to 37.7% compared to the original ceria. [Display omitted] •The ceria particles were reduced by hydrogen gas in a high temperature environment.•Oxygen vacancy was formed through hydrogen adsorption and H2O desorption processes.•Ce3+ ion concentration increased as the reduction temperature increases.•The oxide removal rate was significantly affected by Ce3+ ion concentration.