Validation of a large area three-dimensional erosion simulator for chemical mechanical polishing

Validation procedures and results are presented for a model that simulates the erosion of large area three-dimensional patterns on semiconductor wafer s during the chemical mechanical polishing process. The model, which is bas ed on a pseudo-physical simulation of the contact and stress transfer betwe en the pad and wafer, is reviewed. The validation results demonstrate that the model predicts the eroding topography to within experimental measuremen t error, implying that it faithfully captures the essential physical mechan isms at work on the feature-to-pattern scale during polishing. (C) 1999 The Electrochemical Society. S0013-4651(99)04-101-4. All rights reserved.