Special Issue on Recent Advances in Chemical Mechanical Planarization/Polishing

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Automation Technology (IJAT), titled “Recent Advances in Chemical Mechanical Planarization/Polishing,” presents a selection of invited papers from participants of the International Conference on Planarization/CMP Technology (ICPT 2023, Kanazawa, Japan), together with contributions from the broader international chemical mechanical planarization/polishing (CMP) community. The objective is to provide an up-to-date overview of research and practice spanning multiple device generations, diverse materials, and varied applications. The articles collected in this issue encompass a wide range of topics: front-end and back-end CMP; 3D integration and through-silicon via (TSV) technologies; fundamental studies, modeling, and simulation; process optimization and control; metrology; post-CMP cleaning and defect mitigation; consumables and equipment; and emerging and alternative CMP approaches. Several contributions address CMP for hard and wide-bandgap materials such as SiC and GaN, alongside environmentally responsible processes and strategies for sustainable manufacturing. CMP remains indispensable for semiconductor device fabrication, and its applications continue to expand into related and emerging technological domains. The studies collected in this issue reflect a dual trajectory—advancing the fundamental understanding of underlying mechanisms and in situ monitoring, while also proposing innovative solutions to challenges in integration, yield, and reliability. We believe that this Special Issue will serve as a valuable reference for researchers, engineers, and students seeking both foundational insights and practical methodologies. We extend our sincere gratitude to all contributing authors for their high-quality submissions and timely revisions, to the reviewers for their insightful evaluations, and to the IJAT Editorial Office for their efficient support. We also wish to acknowledge the ICPT community for the discussions and collaborations that inspired and shaped this Special Issue.