Slurry for use in polishing semiconductor device conductive structures that include copper and tungsten and polishing methods

A slurry for the chemical-mechanical polishing or planarizing of a copper conductive structure and an adjacent tungsten-containing barrier layer of a semiconductor device, the slurry comprising a mixture of an oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive and water in amounts relative to one another such that when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent tungsten-containing barrier layer, the tungsten-containing barrier layer being removed at substantially the same rate or at a slower rate than the copper is removed.

A slurry for the chemical-mechanical polishing or planarizing of a copper conductive structure and an adjacent barrier layer of a semiconductor device, the slurry comprising a mixture of a dual oxidizer, an inhibitor, and an abrasive in amounts relative to one another such that when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent barrier layer, the adjacent barrier layer being removed at substantially the same rate or at a slower rate than the copper is removed.

A method for chemical-mechanical polishing a copper structure and an adjacent barrier layer of a semiconductor device structure, comprising:

• providing a semiconductor device structure including a recess formed in a surface of the device structure, a barrier layer lining at least the recess, and a conductive layer comprising copper over the barrier layer;
• substantially concurrently polishing the conductive layer and the barrier layer with a slurry having a pH of about 3 to about 7 and comprising a mixture of an oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive, and water in amounts relative to one another such that when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent barrier layer, the polishing being effected without oxidizing a material of the barrier layer at a substantially greater rate than the copper is oxidized.

A system for polishing a conductive structure of a semiconductor device, the conductive structure including a conductive region comprising copper and an adjacent tungsten-containing barrier layer, the system comprising:

• a slurry comprising a mixture of an oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive, and water;
• the slurry formulated to substantially concurrently polish the conductive region and the tungsten-containing barrier layer so as to remove a material of the tungsten-containing barrier layer at substantially the same rate as or at a slower rate than copper is removed, when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent tungsten-containing barrier layer.

A method for formulating a slurry for polishing a conductive structure of a semiconductor device, comprising the step of:

• selecting and determining concentrations of at least one oxidizer, at least one inhibitor, and at least one abrasive, in which the slurry will oxidize copper at substantially the same rate as or at a faster rate than a tungsten-containing barrier layer material is oxidized.

A method for chemical-mechanical polishing a copper structure and an adjacent tungsten-containing barrier layer of a semiconductor device structure, comprising:

• providing a semiconductor device structure including a recess formed in a surface of the device structure, a tungsten-containing barrier layer lining at least the recess, and a conductive layer comprising copper over the tungsten-containing barrier layer;
• substantially concurrently polishing the conductive layer and the tungsten-containing barrier layer with a slurry comprising a mixture of an oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive, and water in amounts relative to one another such that when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent tungsten-containing barrier layer, the polishing being effected without oxidizing a material of the tungsten-containing barrier layer at a substantially greater rate than the copper is oxidized.

A method for chemical-mechanical polishing a copper structure and an adjacent barrier layer of a semiconductor device structure, comprising:

• providing a semiconductor device structure including a recess formed in a surface of the device structure, a barrier layer lining at least the recess, and a conductive layer comprising copper over the barrier layer;
• substantially concurrently polishing the conductive layer and the barrier layer with a slurry comprising a mixture of a dual oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive, and water in amounts relative to one another such that when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent barrier layer, the polishing being effected without oxidizing a material of the barrier layer at a substantially greater rate than the copper is oxidized.

A system for polishing a conductive structure of a semiconductor device, the conductive structure including a conductive region comprising copper and an adjacent barrier layer, the system comprising:

• a slurry having a pH of about 3 to about 7 and comprising a mixture of an oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive, and water;
• the slurry formulated to substantially concurrently polish the conductive region and the barrier layer so as to remove a material of the barrier layer at substantially the same rate as or at a slower rate than copper is removed, when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent barrier layer.

A system for polishing a conductive structure of a semiconductor device, the conductive structure including a conductive region comprising copper and an adjacent barrier layer, the system comprising:

• a slurry comprising a mixture of a dual oxidizer, an inhibitor, an abrasive, and water;
• the slurry formulated to substantially concurrently polish the conductive region and the barrier layer so as to remove a material of the barrier layer at substantially the same rate as or at a slower rate than copper is removed, when the slurry is in contact with both the copper conductive structure and the adjacent barrier layer.

A method for formulating a slurry for polishing a conductive structure of a semiconductor device, comprising the step of:

• selecting and determining concentrations of at least one oxidizer, at least one inhibitor, and at least one abrasive, in which the slurry has a pH of about 3 to about 7, and will oxidize copper at substantially the same rate as or at a faster rate than a barrier layer material is oxidized.

A method for formulating a slurry for polishing a conductive structure of a semiconductor device, comprising the step of:

• selecting and determining concentrations of a dual oxidizer, at least one inhibitor, and at least one abrasive, in which the slurry will oxidize copper at substantially the same rate as or at a faster rate than a barrier layer material is oxidized.