Method and apparatus for increasing chemical-mechanical-polishing selectivity

A chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) pad for planarizing a substrate assembly, said CMP pad programmed with a target selectivity based on a CMP solution, a first material, and a second material to be used therewith, said CMP pad comprising:

• a base member, said base member formed of an intrinsically non-porous material with respect to CMP solution particles to be used with said CMP pad, said base member having an arrangement of recesses and islands;
• said islands having a contact width determined at least in part based on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• said recesses having a non-contact width determined at least in part based on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• said contact width of said islands separated by said non-contact width of said recesses to provide a duty cycle;
• whereby said CMP pad is programed to provide said target selectivity.

A method for chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) to selectively remove a first material over a second material, said first material and said second material forming part of a substrate assembly, said method comprising:

• selecting a pad configured to remove said first material more rapidly than said second material, said pad formed at least in part of an intrinsically non-porous material with respect to CMP solution particles to be used therewith, said pad formed with spaced-apart contact portions;
• said contact portions separated by at least one non-contact portion, said contact portions formed of said intrinsically non-porous material to provide a surface to contact said substrate assembly during CMP, said contact portions spaced-apart to provide a duty cycle, said duty cycle determined at least in part by:
• selecting a contact width for said contact portions based at least in part on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• selecting a non-contact width associated with spacing of said contact portions, said non-contact width selected based at least in part on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• placing said pad on a chemical-mechanical-polisher platform;
• providing said CMP solution to said pad;
• and polishing said substrate assembly using said pad and said CMP solution.

Method for chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) to selectively remove a first material more rapidly than a second material, said first material and said second material forming part of a substrate assembly, said method comprising:

• selecting a CMP solution having particles;
• selecting a pad configured to remove said first material more rapidly than said second material, said pad formed at least in part of an intrinsically non-porous material with respect to said particles, said pad formed with spaced-apart contact portions;
• said contact portions separated by at least one non-contact portion for containing said CMP solution for reaction with said substrate assembly, said contact portions formed of said intrinsically non-porous material to provide a surface to contact said substrate assembly during CMP, said contact portions spaced-apart to provide a predetermined duty cycle, said contact portions having a rough surface sufficient to transport said particles;
• said duty cycle predetermined at least in part by:
• selecting a contact width for said contact portions based at least in part on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• selecting a non-contact width for said at least one non-contact portion based at least in part on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• and
• placing said pad on a chemical-mechanical-polisher platform.

Method for setting up a polisher to more selectively remove a first material disposed over a second material, said first material and said second material forming part of a substrate assembly, said method comprising:

• selecting a chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) solution;
• determining a duty cycle to remove said first material more rapidly than said second material, said duty cycle determined by:
• selecting a contact width based at least in part on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• selecting a non-contact width for said at least one non-contact portion based at least in part on said CMP solution, said first material, and said second material;
• configuring a pad with at least one raised portion to provide said duty cycle;
• said raised portion defining at least one recessed portion, said raised portion providing a contact surface for contacting said substrate assembly during polishing;
• and
• placing said pad on a polisher platform.

A method for setting-up a chemical-mechanical polisher to enhance selective removal of a first substance disposed over a second substance on a substrate assembly, the chemical-mechanical polisher configured to receive a chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP) solution having particulate, the method comprising:

• providing a pad, the pad formed with discrete raised portions to define contact regions and non-contact regions, the contact regions formed at least in part of a material with no intrinsic ability to absorb the CMP solution particulate and patterned with a predetermined pitch and duty cycle to provide a target selectivity, the duty cycle predetermined at least in part by,
• selecting the pitch based at least in part on the CMP solution, the first substance, and the second substance;
• selecting a spacing of the contact regions based at least in part on the CMP solution, the first substance, and the second substance;
• and
• placing the pad on the chemical-mechanical polisher to polish the substrate assembly.

A method for polishing a substrate assembly having a first material and a second material different from the first material, the method comprising:

• providing a chemical-mechanical-polisher having a pad, the pad having a patterned surface defining raised regions and recessed regions and having a textured non-porous polishing surface, the pad configured to selectively remove the first material in the presence of the second material;
• providing a polishing solution to react with at least one of the first material and the second material to provide a first selectivity ratio;
• and
• moving the substrate assembly relative to the raised regions and the recessed regions to remove the first material faster than the second material at a second selectivity ratio, the second selectivity ratio greater than the first selectivity ratio.

A method for planarizing a substrate assembly having a first material disposed in near proximity to a second material, the method comprising:

• providing a chemical-mechanical-polishing system having a pad, the pad having a patterned surface, the patterned surface defining contact portions and non-contact portions, the contact portions and non-contact portions configured to provide a predetermined duty cycle, the duty cycle predetermined to provide a target selectivity to remove the first material faster than the second material;
• providing slurry onto the pad, the slurry having slurry particulate, the pad formed of a material having no intrinsic ability to absorb the slurry particulate;
• and
• moving the substrate assembly relative to the channels to selectively remove the first doped material.