Brownian motion simulation of SiO₂ abrasive nanoparticle on SiC substrate surface

Abstract

Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process has emerged as the method of choice for planarization in the semiconductor industry. The interaction force between the surface being polished and the abrasive nanoparticles plays a significant role in flattening the substrate surface in the CMP process. For example, when the SiO₂ nanoparticle is distant from the SiC substrate surface, the interaction force between the surface and the nanoparticles is presented. This force could be analysed using Derjaguin and Landau and Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) theory and particle Brownian motion. According to the simulation results, we found that very fine abrasive nanoparticle such as smaller than approximately 10 nm is comparatively approach to the surface being polished more certainly.