What is CMP (chemical mechanical polishing)?

Chemical mechanical polishing/planarization (CMP) is a process that removes materials by a combination of chemical and mechanical actions to polish the wafer surface.

A technique used in the creation of integrated circuits and other microelectronic devices is chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). It is a type of polishing procedure that uses both chemical and mechanical abrasion to flatten and smooth out a material’s surface.

In the CMP procedure, an abrasive slurry is applied to the material’s surface before being scrubbed and pressure-applied with a polishing pad. The slurry’s abrasive particles remove material from the surface, while its chemical components aid in dissolving and removing any created debris. Typically, the procedure is completed in a specialized machine called a CMP tool. #

For many microelectronic applications, great levels of surface flatness and smoothness can be achieved using CMP. In addition to producing flat panel displays and other electronic devices, it is frequently utilized in the creation of microprocessors, memory chips, and other integrated circuits.