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A Contact Mechanics Formulation for Predicting Dishing and Erosion CMP Defects in Integrated Circuits

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Abstract

A three-dimensional contact mechanics formulation is presented for chemical mechanical polishing applications. The formulation is coupled with the Preston material removal equation in order to simulate the evolution of pressure and wafer height. The physics-based formulation allows the pressure and height to evolve such that dishing and erosion appear seamlessly. Results are compared against another feature-scale model and experiment. The methodology and model offer physics-based results that further the understanding of chemical mechanical polishing for a given layout.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the NSF Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF) within the CISE Directorate for supporting this Award 0811770 and the CSSI DFM working group led by Professor Shawn Blanton.

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  1. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    J. A. Sierra Suarez & C. F. Higgs III

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  1. J. A. Sierra Suarez
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  2. C. F. Higgs III
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Correspondence to C. F. Higgs III.

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Sierra Suarez, J.A., Higgs, C.F. A Contact Mechanics Formulation for Predicting Dishing and Erosion CMP Defects in Integrated Circuits. Tribol Lett 59, 36 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-015-0550-1

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