Li's current research interests in CMP include supramolecular design; surface modification and functionalization of abrasive particles; abrasive-free CMP; investigation of polishing mechanisms for copper and STI CMP; and slurry development for copper CMP, STI CMP, and computer hard drive memory disc polishing.
Li is also the writer and editor of over 100 publications, including Microelectronic Applications of Chemical Mechanical Planarization, published in 2007.
The development of ICs with even smaller features sizes than today's 65-nm technology presents major challenges for the development of new materials and chemicals. CMP is an important process and will continue to play an essential role in enabling the manufacture of more advanced and reduced node size chips.