Crystalline structure of ceria particles controlled by the oxygen partial pressure and STI CMP performances

The effect of the crystalline structures of nano-sized ceria particles on shallow trench isolation (STI) chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) performance was investigated. The ceria particles were synthesized via a solid-state displacement reaction method, and their crystalline structure was controlled by regulating the oxygen partial pressure at the reaction site on the precursor. The crystalline structures of ceria particles were analyzed by the high-resolution TEM nano-beam diffraction pattern. In a calcination process with a high oxygen concentration, the synthesized ceria particles had a cubic fluorite structure (CeO2), because of the decarbonation of the cerium precursor. However, a low oxygen concentration results in a hexagonal phase cerium oxide (Ce2O3) rather than the cubic phase due to the insufficient oxidation of Ce3+ to Ce4+. In the STI CMP evaluation, the ceria slurry prepared with the cubic CeO2 shows enhanced performances of the oxide-to-nitride removal selectivity.