Poly open polish process

A method of fabricating a microelectronic structure, comprising:

• providing structure on a microelectronic substrate, said structure having a temporary component;
• forming an etch stop layer abutting said structure and at least a portion of said microelectronic substrate;
• forming an interlevel dielectric layer abutting said etch stop layer;
• chemical mechanical polishing a portion of said interlevel dielectric layer with a slurry adapted selectively remove said interlevel dielectric layer relative to said etch stop layer;
• and
• performing a removal step to expose said temporary component.

A method of fabricating a microelectronic structure, comprising:

• providing transistor gate structure on a microelectronic substrate, said transistor gate structure having a temporary component;
• forming an etch stop layer abutting said transistor gate structure and at least a portion of said microelectronic substrate;
• forming an interlevel dielectric layer abutting said etch stop layer;
• and
• performing a first removal step and a second removal step through said interlevel dielectric layer and said etch stop layer to expose said structure temporary component.

A method of fabricating a microelectronic structure, comprising:

• forming a gate oxide layer on a microelectronic substrate;
• forming a polysilicon layer abutting said gate oxide layer;
• patterning a hardmask on said polysilicon layer;
• etching a portion of said polysilicon layer and said gate oxide layer not protected by said hardmask to form polysilicon gate electrode and a gate oxide;
• forming spacers on opposing sides of said polysilicon gate electrode to form a transistor gate structure;
• forming an etch stop layer abutting said transistor gate structure and at least a portion of said microelectronic substrate;
• forming an interlevel dielectric layer abutting said etch stop layer;
• performing a first removal step and a second removal step through said interlevel dielectric layer and said etch stop layer to expose said structure temporary component.