An Experimental and Computational Study on the Synergistic Effect of AEO-9/ADBS Composite Surfactant in Silicon CMP Slurry

To enhance silicon wafer surface quality and corrosion resistance during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), this study develops a composite surfactant system combining nonionic AEO-9 and anionic ADBS. At an optimal AEO-9/ADBS molar ratio of 2:1, the formulation achieves low surface roughness (Ra = 0.135 \(nm\) ), a high material removal rate (MRR = 198 \(nm/min\) ), stable slurry dispersion, and peak corrosion inhibition efficiency of 93.3%. Synergistic effects at this ratio are confirmed by a negative interaction parameter ( \(\beta\) = − 1.90) and enhanced micellization. Adsorption between surfactant molecules and silicon wafer follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Molecular dynamics simulations further reveal strong adsorption of surfactant molecules in a parallel orientation on the silicon surface, with a high binding energy of 337.2 \(kJ/mol\) , which improves wetting and water retention. This work presents a strategy integrating corrosion inhibition with surface quality optimization in CMP slurries, providing molecular-level insights into surfactant-assisted protection for designing high-efficiency, low-defect slurries for advanced wafer fabrication.