Method of thick film planarization

A planarization process comprising:

• providing a substrate that includes elevated areas and then fully covering said substrate with a layer of a first material, said layer having an upper surface that includes valleys and raised portions that fully overlap said elevated areas;
• coating said upper surface with a layer of photoresist that is thinner on said raised portions and thicker in said valleys;
• patterning said layer of photoresist so that it is selectively removed from over said elevated areas thereby forming unprotected areas;
• then etching until all unprotected portions of said layer are removed down to the level of said elevated areas, said unprotected areas growing wider as said thinner parts of said photoresist are etched away, thereby removing said raised portions and valleys and forming upwardly projecting horns of said first material;
• then removing all remaining photoresist;
• then coating said upper surface with a layer of a second material that is thinner on said horns and thicker between said horns;
• selectively removing the thinner portions of said layer of a second material and then etching, whereby said horns are reduced in size while said elevated areas continue to be protected;
• then removing all remaining instances of said second material;
• and
• then planarizing by means of chemical-mechanical polishing.