Contribution of ultrasonic traveling wave to chemical-mechanical polishing.

The ultrasonic vibrators are introduced into the chemical-mechanical polishing devices, and in this polishing system, the ultrasonic vibrators generate ultrasonic traveling wave and keep coaxial with the polished silicon wafer rotating at given speed so as to compare the texture of the polished silicon wafers. And the experiments on the chemical-mechanical polishing with assisted ultrasonic vibration are accomplished in order to investigate the effect of the ultrasonic vibration on the chemical-mechanical polishing. Via comparing the roughness average of the two silicon wafers polished with assisted ultrasonic vibration and without assisted vibration, it is found that the morphology of the silicon wafer polished with assisted vibration is superior to that without assisted vibration, that is, this series of experiments indicate that the ultrasonic vibration is beneficial to the chemical-mechanical polishing. Aiming at understanding the contribution of the ultrasonic vibration to chemical-mechanical polishing in detail, the model of the chemical-mechanical polishing with the assisted ultrasonic vibration is built up, which establishes the relationship of the removal rate and the polishing variables such as the rotary speed of silicon wafers, the amplitude and the frequency of vibrators, the particle density of polishing slurry and the characteristics of polishing pad etc. This model not only could be used to explain the experimental results but also to illuminate the roles played by the polishing variables.