Chemical mechanical planarization of gold

In this article, the authors investigate chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of gold. Our experiments show that the oxidizer concentration, hardness of the adhesion layer, and surfactants added to stabilize the slurry are the main factors determining the outcome of the process. A combination of 30% H2O2 solution and an alumina based slurry in 1:3 volumetric ratio along with added sodium dodecyl sulfate and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) was successfully used to pattern gold in a CMP Damascene process. After fabricating inlaid gold structures with CMP, the authors observed that pattern density, as opposed to feature size, is the major factor in determining the amount of metal thinning in inlaid features. 10 μm lines at 5% density were thinned down by 40 nm, while 150 μm pads at 75% density were recessed by 20 nm. The authors believe that in this process, metal recess, that is a chemical effect, outweighs dishing, a feature-size dependent factor, in controlling the severity of metal thinning.