# US 6,294,473 B1 · Method of polishing substrates comprising silicon dioxide and composition relating thereto

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- Number: US 6,294,473 B1
- Document ID: US6294473B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/325,304
- Filed: 1999-06-03
- Granted: 2001-09-25
- Earliest claimed: 1998-06-03
- Assignees: Rodel Holdings, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael R. Oliver
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6294473B1

## CPC

- H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass
- H10P 52/403: {of conductive or resistive materials}
- H10W 10/014: {using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations}
- H10W 10/17: formed using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices or precursors to semiconductor devices by hydrophobically modifying a device layer to thereby decrease the rate of polishing of the layer by at least 15%. The hydrophobically modified layer can be used as a stop layer to thereby allow for improved planarization of at least one layer of the device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device or semiconductor device precursor, said method comprising the step of hydrophobically modifying a substrate surface of the semiconductor device or the semiconductor device precursor, said substrate comprising silicon dioxide, whereby the hydrophobic modification of said substrate reduces the polishing rate of said substrate by more than 15% relative to the polishing rate of said substrate before hydrophobic modification and whereby said substrate is hydrophobically modified by chemically bonding hydrocarbon radicals to at least a portion of the silicon dioxide or by dehydrogenating at least a portion of the silicon dioxide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method in accordance with claim 1, whereby at least a portion of the silicon dioxide is hydrophobically modified by applying hydrophobic modifier to the silicon dioxide, said modifier having a general formula of Me(O—R)4, where Me is a metal, “O” is oxygen, “R” is an alkyl radical having 1-8 carbon atoms or all aryl radical, wherein each of the four R radicals can be the same or different.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method in accordance with claim 1, whereby the semiconductor device comprises a trench capacitor, an isolated trench, a combination comprising a metal, an insulator and a stud, or an interlayer dielectric.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said substrate is pre-treated with an anhydrous inert gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method in accordance with claim 1, whereby the hydrophobic modification of the substrate reduces the polishing rate of the substrate by more than 25% relative to the polishing rate of the substrate before hydrophobic modification.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method in accordance with claim 5, whereby the hydrophobic modification of the substrate reduces the polishing rate of the substrate by more than 50% relative to the polishing rate of the substrate before hydrophobic modification.