Method for chemical-mechanical planarization of a substrate on a fixed-abrasive polishing pad

A chemical-mechanical planarizing method for removing material from a copper surface of a microelectronic substrate assembly, comprising:

• providing a substantially abrasive-free planarizing solution having a chemical that oxidizes the material at the surface without passing the material into solution by maintaining a pH of the planarizing solution either less than approximately 2.5 or more than 10.5;
• providing a fixed-abrasive pad having abrasive particles dispersed in a suspension medium, the fixed-abrasive particles being fixedly attached to the suspension medium;
• dispensing the planarizing solution onto the fixed-abrasive pad;
• pressing the surface of the substrate against the fixed-abrasive pad in the presence of the planarizing solution, wherein the planarizing solution forms non-soluble oxides on the surface of the substrate;
• and
• moving at least one of the substrate and the fixed-abrasive pad relative to the other, the fixed-abrasive pad removing the non-soluble oxides from the substrate.

A chemical-mechanical planarizing method for removing material from an aluminum surface of a microelectronic substrate assembly, comprising:

• providing a substantially abrasive-free planarizing solution having a chemical that oxidizes the material at the surface without passing the material into solution by combining deionized water with another oxidant and maintaining a pH of the planarizing solution between 3 and 10;
• providing a fixed-abrasive pad having abrasive particles dispersed in a suspension medium, the fixed-abrasive particles being fixedly attached to the suspension medium;
• dispensing the planarizing solution onto the fixed-abrasive pad;
• pressing the surface of the substrate against the fixed-abrasive pad in the presence of the planarizing solution, wherein the planarizing solution forms non-soluble oxides on the surface of the substrate;
• and
• moving at least one of the substrate and the fixed-abrasive pad relative to the other, the fixed-abrasive pad removing the non-soluble oxides from the substrate.

A method for forming electrically isolated conductive features on a substrate with a fixed-abrasive polishing pad having abrasive particles fixedly bonded to a suspension medium, the method comprising:

• depositing a layer of conductive material over an insulating layer on the substrate and into depressions in the insulating layer;
• dispensing a substantially non-abrasive planarizing solution having deionized water and an oxidizing agent onto the fixed-abrasive pad, the planarizing solution having a pH that forms a thin, scabrous layer on the conductive layer without passing the conductive material into solution;
• pressing the conductive layer against the fixed-abrasive pad and the planarizing solution;
• and
• moving at least one of the substrate and the fixed-abrasive pad relative to the other, the abrasive particles in the fixed-abrasive pad removing the scabrous layer from the conductive layer.

A chemical-mechanical planarization method for removing material from a surface of a semiconductor wafer using a fixed-abrasive pad having abrasive particles bonded to a suspension medium, the method comprising:

• providing an abrasive-free planarizing solution having deionized water and a chemical, the solution being at a pH that oxidizes the material at the surface without passing the material into solution;
• dispensing the planarizing solution onto the fixed-abrasive pad, wherein the planarizing solution interacts with the material at the surface of the wafer to form a non-soluble scabrous layer on the surface of the wafer;
• pressing the surface of the wafer against the fixed-abrasive pad in the presence of the planarizing solution;
• and
• moving at least one of the wafer and the fixed-abrasive pad relative to the other to remove the scabrous layer from the wafer.