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155 Suhong East Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu Province, China 
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
In the realm of precision manufacturing, minute particles often dictate a product's success or failure. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technology is a critical process for achieving global planarization in semiconductor manufacturing, optical processing, and precision machinery. The performance of polishing liquids, which serve as the "lifeblood" of CMP, directly influences the surface quality and processing efficiency of workpieces. Silica and alumina, as two mainstream abrasive materials, each play an irreplaceable role in different polishing scenarios due to their unique characteristics.
Silica abrasives, commonly found in the form of silica sol, are widely used in the precision polishing field. With a Mohs hardness of approximately 7, they are suitable for polishing softer materials like silicon wafers, infrared glass, and aluminum alloys.
Advantages:
· Excellent Dispersion Stability: Silica polishing liquids exhibit outstanding dispersion in solution, forming stable suspensions.
· High Surface Quality: Polished workpieces achieve a smooth surface with minimal scratching.
· Chemically Reactive: Silica can engage in appropriate chemical reactions with the polished surface, aiding material removal.
· Easy Cleaning: Post-polishing cleaning is relatively straightforward, reducing residual contaminants.
· Low Agglomeration: Unlike alumina abrasives, silica does not experience significant particle layering.
Limitations:
· Limited Hardness: Not suitable for polishing harder materials.
· Slow Removal Rate: Less effective for rapid polishing of hard materials.
· Gel Formation Risk: There is a potential for gelation during the polishing process.
Alumina abrasives are among the most widely used polishing materials today, primarily composed of α-Al2O3, boasting a Mohs hardness of 9, second only to diamond and silicon carbide.
Advantages:
· Significant Hardness: High hardness allows effective polishing of hard materials, such as silicon carbide wafers.
· High Material Removal Rate: Quick cutting rates lead to high polishing efficiency.
· Controlled Morphology: Different preparation methods can yield spherical or plate-like shapes.
· Cost-Effectiveness: Simpler production processes result in lower costs.
Limitations:
· Agglomeration: Alumina's dispersion stability is inferior to that of silica, leading to particle clustering.
· Surface Damage Risk: High hardness may cause scratching of the workpiece surface.
· Lower Selectivity: In terms of selective polishing, alumina performs less effectively than other abrasives.
In semiconductor manufacturing, silica and alumina abrasives are utilized in different polishing stages due to their characteristics.
Silica in Semiconductor CMP: Silica-based polishing liquids are primarily used during the initial polishing stages of silicon wafers, where their chemical reactivity and moderate hardness enable high-quality surface polishing with minimal damage. For devices requiring exceptional surface uniformity, silica abrasives provide outstanding consistency.
Alumina in Semiconductor CMP: Alumina finds broader applications in semiconductor CMP, particularly excelling in hard material polishing:
· Polishing Silicon Carbide Wafers: As a representative of third-generation semiconductor materials with a Mohs hardness of 9.2, effective global planarization can only be achieved using alumina polishing liquids.
· Chip Manufacturing: During wafer polishing, plate-like alumina abrasives minimize surface damage and enhance yield rates.
· High-End Device Processing: Through specialized preparation methods, alumina particle sizes can be controlled within the range of 100nm-150nm for high-precision polishing.
Selecting between silica and alumina abrasives in production depends on various factors:
· Workpiece Hardness: For materials with a hardness below 7, silica is preferred; for harder materials like silicon carbide, stainless steel, and hard alloys, alumina is more suitable.
· Efficiency vs. Quality Balance: Choose alumina for high removal rates and silica for superior surface quality.
· Cost Considerations: Alumina is more cost-effective, making it suitable for budget-sensitive applications.
· Process Conditions: Factors such as polishing equipment, pad materials, and polishing liquid parameters also influence abrasive selection.
As semiconductor technology advances towards smaller nodes, CMP processes face heightened demands. Innovations in silica and alumina abrasives continue to emerge:
· Composite Abrasives: Combining the advantages of multiple abrasives for complementary performance.
· Morphology Control: Utilizing advanced preparation techniques to precisely control particle shapes and sizes.
· Surface Modification: Enhancing dispers
