Research on the Application of Diamond Film in Chemical Mechanical Polishing

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of diamond films on silicon carbide substrates as polishing pad conditioners in chemical mechanical polishing due to their high hardness and wear resistance.

Contribution

The study introduces a method to evaluate diamond films' bonding strength and wear resistance for CMP applications using HWCVD and nano-scratch tests.

Findings

Diamond films on SiC substrates show strong bonding and wear resistance suitable for CMP.

Humid wear tests revealed effective performance and potential mechanisms of diamond films.

The films meet the physical and chemical requirements for CMP pad conditioners.

Abstract

Polishing pad conditioners are of critical importance in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), acting as a key determinant of CMP efficiency and an indispensable consumable in the polishing process. In addition to acid–alkali resistance and outstanding stability, stringent requirements are also imposed on the physical properties of conditioners, including high hardness and wear resistance. Diamond films, with their exceptional comprehensive performance, can satisfactorily fulfill these demanding specifications. In this work, to investigate the bonding strength and wear resistance of diamond films deposited on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate, four groups of diamond films with distinct processing parameters were synthesized via hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) on SiC substrates. Nano-scratch tests were employed to characterize the bonding strength at the diamond film/SiC substrate interface, while wear tests under humid conditions with a 500 g load, accompanied by in-depth analysis of the associated wear mechanisms, were conducted. The results demonstrate that diamond films exhibit tremendous application potential as CMP pad conditioners in CMP processes.

Figures