Atomic-scale chemical mechanical polishing: advances and challenges for the post-Moore’s law era

作者：Lifei Zhang, Xinchun Lu · 发表于：Materials Futures · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1088/2752-5724/ae1fa2 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Advanced Surface Polishing Techniques、Copper Interconnects and Reliability、Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence

Abstract Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) has emerged as a critical technology for local and global surface planarization in integrated circuit manufacturing for decades. As device dimensions evolve from the submicron level toward the nanoscale and ultimately the atomic scale, CMP stands as a strategic cornerstone for transcending the physical limits of Moore’s law and underpins heterogeneous integration and functional expansion in the post-Moore’s law era. CMP represents a highly complex interdisciplinary system that integrates fluid mechanics, materials science, tribology, and interfacial chemistry. Its performance is governed by the synergistic optimization of polishing slurry, pads, conditioners, and process parameters. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in atomic-scale CMP across four dimensions: mechanisms, processes, consumables, and equipment. In terms of the atomic-scale removal mechanism, research progress has revealed the coupled roles of chemical-mechanical interactions in atomically precise material removal. On the process side, strategies for optimizing polishing, pad conditioning, and slurry distribution have been developed to enhance uniformity and controllability. Regarding consumables, the codesign of multicomponent slurries and interfacial regulation materials has improved removal selectivity and defect suppression. On the equipment front, fully integrated 12 inch CMP platforms and auxiliary external-field technologies have advanced th...