Characteristics of Sapphire Wafers Polishing Depending on Ion Conductivity of Silica Sol

CMP(Chemical Mechanical Polishing) Processes have been used to improve the planarization of the wafers in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Polishing performance of CMP Process is determined by the chemical reaction of the liquid sol containing abrasive, pressure of the head portion and rotational speed of the polishing pad. However, frictional heat generated during the CMP process causes agglomeration of the particles and the liquidity degradation, resulting in a non-uniform of surface roughness and surface scratch. To overcome this chronic problem, herein, we introduced NaCl salt as an additive into silica sol for elimination the generation of frictional heat. The added NaCl reduced the zata potential of silica sol and increased the contact surface of silica particles onto the sapphire wafer, resulting in increase of the removal rate up to 17 %. Additionally, it seems that the silica particles adsorbed on the polishing pad decreased the contact area between the sapphire water and polishing pad, which suppressed the generation of frictional heat.