Preparation of copper-incorporated mesoporous alumina abrasive and its CMP behavior on hard disk substrate

To improve the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) performances, copper-incorporated mesoporous alumina abrasive was synthesized by sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption analyses show that the prepared mesoporous abrasives have highly ordered mesostructures with nanoscale pore diameter and uniform porous size distribution. The CMP performances of the mesoporous abrasives on hard disk substrates were investigated. The results show that, by comparison with pure mesoporous alumina and solid alumina, the copper-incorporated mesoporous alumina abrasives have much larger material removal rate (MRR). And the surfaces of hard disk polished by the porous alumina abrasives (mesoporous alumina or copper-incorporated mesoporous alumina) have much lower topographical variations and surface roughness (Ra) than that polished by solid alumina.

Graphical abstractMesoporous CuO/Al2O3 abrasives with nanoscale pore diameter and uniform porous size distribution were synthesized by sol-gel method. By the introduction of polishing active element Cu, the composite alumina abrasives have much larger material removal rate. And the porous structures provide the alumina abrasives with lower polished surface roughness than solid alumina abrasive.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Mesoporous CuO/Al2O3 particles are prepared as CMP abrasives. ► Copper as polishing active element improves MRR in CMP. ► Surface polished by porous Al2O3 has lower Ra than that polished by solid Al2O3.