Method and apparatus for uniformly planarizing a microelectronic substrate
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsStephen J. Kramer, Scott Meikle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for planarizing a microelectronic substrate. The apparatus can include a planarizing medium having a relatively hard polishing pad and a planarizing liquid disposed on a generally non-porous planarizing surface of the polishing pad. The planarizing liquid can include a colloidal suspension of colloidal particles having generally smooth external surfaces. The colloidal particles can have a variety of shapes, including a spherical shape, a cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, and a hexagonal shape, among others. The colloidal particles can be formed from a variety of materials, including silicon dioxide, manganese oxide, and cerium oxide.
Claims33
A planarizing medium for removing material from a surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:
- a polishing pad having a Shore D hardness of at least approximately 58, the polishing pad further having a generally non-porous planarizing surface for removing material from the surface of the microelectronic substrate;
- and
- a planarizing liquid on the planarizing surface of the polishing pad, the planarizing liquid having colloidal particles dispersed therein to form a colloidal suspension, the colloidal particles having a generally closed polyhedral shape with a length, the colloidal particles further having external non-concave surfaces with a surface roughness having a mean height of between at least approximately 0.01% and at least approximately 10% of the particle length.
A method for removing material from a surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:
- engaging the surface of the microelectronic substrate with a planarizing medium that includes a planarizing liquid having colloidal particles with a generally closed polyhedral shape with a length, the colloidal particles further having external non-concave surfaces with a surface roughness having a mean height of between at least approximately 0.1% and at least approximately 10% of the particle length, the planarizing medium further including a polishing pad having a Shore D hardness of at least approximately 58 and a generally non-porous planarizing surface;
- and
- moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing medium relative to the other of the microelectronic substrate and the planarizing medium to remove material from the surface of the microelectronic substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.