Microelectronic substrate having conductive material with blunt cornered apertures, and associated methods for removing conductive material

A method for processing a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• disposing a generally non-conductive material adjacent to a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate;
• forming a recess extending through the generally non-conductive material and into the conductive material, the recess defining a corner at least proximate to an interface between the conductive material and the generally non-conductive material;
• removing at least part of the conductive material from the corner to at least partially blunt the corner by exposing the corner to an electrical potential via an electrolytic fluid;
• and
• as the at least part of the conductive material is removed from the corner, attracting less electrical current to the corner to reduce a rate at which conductive material is removed from the corner.

A method for processing a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• forming an oxide layer on a doped silicon material of the microelectronic substrate;
• disposing a nitride layer on the oxide layer;
• etching a recess through the nitride layer and the oxide layer and into the conductive material;
• removing a portion of the nitride layer and the oxide layer proximate to the recess to expose a corner of the conductive material;
• disposing an electrolytic fluid adjacent to the corner of the conductive material;
• oxidizing at least part of the conductive material at the corner by positioning first and second electrodes proximate to and spaced apart from the microelectronic substrate and in fluid communication with the electrolytic fluid, and coupling at least one of the electrodes to a source of electrical potential;
• and
• removing at least part of the oxidized material by exposing the oxidized material to an etchant;
• and
• reducing a rate at which material is removed from the corner by rounding the corner to reduce a flow of electrical current from the at least one electrode to the corner.

A method for processing a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• forming a recess in a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate, the recess defining a corner at an intersection of the aperture and a plane of the conductive material;
• forming a conductive microelectronic feature in the recess;
• and
• controlling electromagnetic emanations from the conductive microelectronic feature by rounding the corner defined by the recess, wherein rounding the corner includes electrically coupling a source of electrical potential to the corner via an electrolytic fluid to oxidize the conductive material, removing oxidized material from the corner by exposing the oxidized material to an etchant, and as the oxidized material is removed from the corner, attracting less electrical current to the corner to slow a rate at which material is removed from the corner.