Dual-Function Isopropanol Strategy for Hansen Solubility Parameter Guided Dispersion and Surface Hydroxylation in Surfactant-Free CeO2 Slurries for SiO2 Chemical Mechanical Polishing

In integrated circuit manufacturing, achieving high-quality planarization of dielectric films through chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is crucial for downstream process fidelity and overall device performance. CeO2 is a highly effective abrasive for dielectric CMP, but its dispersion typically relies on surfactants that can reduce the material removal rate. Here, we present a surfactant-free approach that uses Hansen solubility parameters and a water–isopropanol (IPA) co-solvent to simultaneously improve CeO2 dispersibility and surface hydroxylation, strengthening chemo-mechanical interactions with SiO2. At an optimal IPA concentration (20 vol%), the slurry achieves a 1.86-fold increase in SiO2 material removal rate to 483 nm/min compared to a water-only formulation, while maintaining an ultralow root-mean-square roughness (Rq) of 0.151 nm. This work outlines a broadly applicable method to optimize abrasive dispersion and interfacial reactivity without surfactants, enabling rational tuning of dielectric-CMP slurry performance.