US 2003/0139053 A1 · Method and system to provide electroplanarization of a workpiece with a conducting material layer

Abstract

Systems and methods to operate upon a nonplanar top surface of a conductive surface layer of a workpiece, so as to, for example, preserve the structural integrity of a dielectric film layer disposed below the conductive surface layer, are presented. According to an exemplary method, a layer of conducting material such as a conducting paste is applied over the nonplanar top surface of the conductive surface layer to obtain a planar top surface. At least a portion of the conducting material layer and at least a portion of the conductive surface layer are removed in a planar manner to at least partially planarize the nonplanar top surface. The conducting material layer may be annealed so that the conducting material layer diffuses with the conductive surface layer prior to removal of at least the portions of conducting material layer and the conductive surface layer.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of planarizing a non-planar conductive surface layer on the workpiece, comprising:

applying a conducting material layer onto a top surface of the conductive surface layer of the workpiece using one of a spin-on, spray, doctor blading or other application technique that does not involve electroplating so that a top surface of the conducting material layer is planar, thus forming a planarized multi-layer structure that includes the non-planar conductive surface layer and the conducting material layer;
and
electropolishing the planarized multi-layer structure to remove in a planar manner at least portions of the non-planar top conductive layer and other portions of the conducting material layer, wherein the electropolishing in the planar manner is assisted by using conducting material in the conducting material layer that will electropolish at substantially the same rate as the non-planar conductive surface layer will electropolish.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system to provide electroplanarization of a workpiece with a conducting material layer

Life of this patent

Method and system to provide electroplanarization of a workpiece with a conducting material layer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19