Experimental and Computational Investigation of Salicylhydroxamic Acid as a Corrosion Inhibitor for Copper in Alkaline Solutions

Inhibitors, as indispensable components in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurries, have a significant impact on inhibiting copper (Cu) corrosion and enhancing post-polishing surface quality. However, one of the major challenges in CMP lies in unraveling the microscopic corrosion inhibition mechanism of Cu. This work focuses on investigating the impact of an inhibitor, salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA), on the static etching rate (SER), electrochemical parameters, and surface morphology of Cu. The experimental findings demonstrate that SHA significantly decreases the SER and corrosion current density of Cu, while notably improving the Cu surface quality. The corrosion inhibition mechanisms of SHA on Cu are revealed through adsorption isotherm models, contact angle analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and computational chemistry method. The benzene ring, oxime group, and O1 atom of SHA exhibit significant chemical reactivity, facilitating the preferential adsorption of SHA on Cu in a parallel orientation, thereby forming a hydrophobic protective film on the Cu surface. This process hinders the interaction between corrosive solutions and Cu, therefore SHA exhibits excellent corrosion inhibition performance on Cu. These findings hold great importance in gaining a deeper comprehension of the corrosion inhibition process of Cu, and provide guidance for designing more efficient inhibitors.