Molecular Modeling of the Mechanical Effect in the Chemical Mechanical Polishing Process

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is currently the unique technology of ultra-fine surface machining for global planarization in the process of ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) of multi-layer copper interconnects. Molecular modeling has been demonstrated to be an effective tool to simulate the CMP process, which usually takes place on the nano-scale. Here, recent important progresses on the molecular dynamics simulation investigation into the material removal mechanisms and the roles of particles in the CMP processes are shown. The mechanical effects on the material removal during the CMP process are discussed. Finally, a short summary and future outlook towards this direction will be given.