Performance of Polishing Liquid Prepared Based on Amine-functionalized Silica

ZHAO Qinlong; JIAO Ziyan; WEI Wei; LI Xiaojie; LIU Jingcheng

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.19.008

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (19) : 84-95. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.19.008

Precision and Ultra-precision Machining

Performance of Polishing Liquid Prepared Based on Amine-functionalized Silica

ZHAO Qinlong, JIAO Ziyan, WEI Wei, LI Xiaojie, LIU Jingcheng^*

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Abstract

This research presents the development and comprehensive evaluation of a novel amino-functionalized silica abrasive for the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of silicon wafers. The core innovation lies in the strategic design of the abrasive particle surface to concurrently amplify both chemical and mechanical interactions during polishing. Unlike conventional abrasives that primarily rely on physical actions, this work utilizes N-(β-Aminoethyl)-γ- aminopropyl methyldimethoxysilane (KH602) as a coupling agent to covalently graft organic amino groups onto the silica surface, so as to create a synergistic effect where the introduced amino functionalities enhance chemical adhesion to the silicon wafer while the silica core maintains the necessary mechanical action, thereby jointly improving material removal efficiency and final surface quality.
The amino-modified silica abrasives were synthesized by direct grafting. Specifically, a calculated amount of KH602 silane was hydrolyzed and subsequently underwent condensation reactions with the surface hydroxyl groups of colloidal silica particles. This process established stable Si—O—Si bonds, permanently anchoring the amine-containing organic chains onto the abrasive surface. The functionalized abrasives were then incorporated into a standard alkaline polishing slurry formulation. Systematic CMP experiments were conducted on prime silicon wafers with a bench-top polisher under controlled pressure, platen speed, and slurry flow rate conditions. The polishing performance was meticulously assessed by measuring the material removal rate (MRR) using precise weighing and the post-polish surface topography via atomic force microscopy (AFM) to obtain the average roughness (Ra).
A key finding was the identification of an optimal modifier concentration. When the KH602 addition amounted to 10wt.% relative to the silica, the polishing slurry delivered peak performance. At this optimum, a maximum MRR of 0.59 μm/min was achieved, coupled with the attainment of an ultra-smooth surface characterized by an Ra value of 0.26 nm. This represents a significant simultaneous enhancement in both removal efficiency and surface finish compared with slurries employing unmodified silica.
The superior performance was rigorously validated and explained through advanced computational simulations. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to model the interaction between the abrasive and the silicon surface. Calculations revealed a markedly more stable binding interface for the modified abrasive, evidenced by a substantially lower (more negative) adsorption energy of -25 863.511 J/g, compared with -22 934.999 J/g for the pristine silica abrasive. This confirmed that the amino groups facilitated stronger adhesion to the wafer surface, a critical factor for efficient material removal.
Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided electronic-level insights. They demonstrated that the amino modification significantly altered the surface electronic properties of the silica nanoparticle. The calculated electrostatic potential energy increased from 3.9 eV for unmodified silica to 5.979 eV for the KH602-modified variant. This elevation in electrostatic potential correlated directly with the observed enhancement in MRR, as it implied a stronger electrostatic interaction and heightened chemical activity at the abrasive-wafer interface, which promoted the surface reaction rate during the CMP process.
In conclusion, this study successfully demonstrates a material-centric innovation for CMP through the rational surface engineering of abrasives. The covalent grafting of aminosilane creates a dual-functional abrasive that synergistically combines enhanced chemical adhesion (via amino groups) with sustained mechanical action (via the silica core). The optimal formulation (10wt.% KH602) yields excellent polishing metrics. Most importantly, the underlying mechanism, a more stable interfacial binding and an increased surface electrostatic potential leading to synergistic chemo-mechanical removal, is conclusively unveiled through MD and DFT simulations. This work provides a new paradigm for designing high-performance functional abrasives by tailoring surface chemistry to actively participate in the material removal process.

Key words

chemical mechanical polishing / abrasive modification / silica / simulation calculations / wear mechanism

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ZHAO Qinlong, JIAO Ziyan, WEI Wei, LI Xiaojie, LIU Jingcheng. Performance of Polishing Liquid Prepared Based on Amine-functionalized Silica[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(19): 84-95

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