Definition
A narrow physical groove or abrasion left on a wafer surface during or after CMP, typically caused by pad asperities, agglomerated slurry particles, trapped debris or other abnormal mechanical contact.
Application
Monitored as a critical CMP defect because scratches can damage dielectric or metal structures, print into later layers, create leakage or opens and reduce yield; filtration, pad conditioning and post-CMP cleaning are used to control them.
Related search terms
CMP microscratch; polishing scratch
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Related concepts
Evidence and further reading
- Evidence from entegris.comhttps://www.entegris.com/en/home/our-science/by-industry/microelectronics/semiconductor/cmp.html
- Evidence from entegris.comhttps://www.entegris.com/en/home/our-science/by-industry/microelectronics/semiconductor/advanced-packaging/cmp.html