Method for planarizing microelectronic substrates having apertures

A method for planarizing a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• providing a microelectronic substrate having a dielectric portion with an aperture therein, the aperture being empty or containing a sacrificial material;
• engaging a planarizing medium having abrasive elements, including fumed silica particles having a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than approximately 200 nanometers, or colloidal particles having a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than approximately fifty nanometers, or both, with the microelectronic substrate at least proximate to the dielectric portion and the aperture;
• and
• moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing medium relative to the other to remove material from the microelectronic substrate.

A method for planarizing a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• pressing a microelectronic substrate having an oxide portion with an aperture that is empty or at least partially filled with a sacrificial material against a planarizing medium;
• controlling a surface roughness of the oxide portion of the microelectronic substrate by disposing in the planarizing medium a plurality of abrasive elements having a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than approximately fifty nanometers and engaging the abrasive elements with the microelectronic substrate;
• and
• moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing medium relative to the other to remove material from the microelectronic substrate.

A method for planarizing a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• providing a microelectronic substrate having an insulating portion with an aperture therein, the aperture being empty or containing a sacrificial material;
• engaging a planarizing medium with the microelectronic substrate;
• moving at least one of the planarizing medium and the microelectronic substrate relative to the other to remove material from the microelectronic substrate;
• and
• controlling the formation of cracks in the insulating portion of the microelectronic substrate adjacent to the aperture by selecting a mean cross-sectional dimension of a plurality of abrasive elements in the planarizing medium to be at or below a selected value.

A method for forming a capacitor in a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• forming a capacitor aperture in an insulating material of the microelectronic substrate;
• disposing a first conductive material on the insulating material and on walls of the capacitor aperture;
• pressing at least one of a planarizing medium and the microelectronic substrate against the other;
• removing a portion of the first conductive material from the microelectronic substrate to expose the insulating material by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing pad relative to the other;
• controlling the formation of cracks in the insulating material of the microelectronic substrate adjacent to the aperture by selecting the planarizing medium to include colloidal abrasive particles with a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than approximately fifty nanometers, or fumed silica particles having a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than approximately 200 nanometers, or both;
• and
• disposing a dielectric material and a second conductive material on the first conductive material in the capacitor aperture.

A method for forming features in a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• forming first and second apertures in an insulating portion of the microelectronic substrate with a distance between the apertures of about 0.15 micron or less;
• pressing a planarizing medium having abrasive elements with a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than about fifty nanometers against the microelectronic substrate proximate to the insulating portion while the apertures are empty or at least partially filled with a sacrificial material;
• and
• moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing medium relative to the other to remove material from the microelectronic substrate.

A method for forming features in a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• forming first and second apertures in an insulating portion of the microelectronic substrate with a distance between the apertures of about 0.15 micron or less;
• pressing a planarizing medium having fumed silica abrasive particles with a mean cross-sectional dimension of less than about 200 nanometers against the microelectronic substrate proximate to the insulating portion while the first and second apertures are empty or at least partially filled with a sacrificial material;
• and
• moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing medium relative to the other to remove material from the microelectronic substrate.