Methods and apparatus for electrical, mechanical and/or chemical removal of conductive material from a microelectronic substrate

A method for removing a conductive material from a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging a face surface of the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• disposing a liquid adjacent to the polishing surface of the polishing pad, the liquid including at least one of (NH4)2SO4, K2SO4, H2SO4, MgSO4, H3PO4, and ammonium citrate;
• electrically coupling the conductive material to a source of electrical potential;
• and
• moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other while the polishing surface is engaged with the microelectronic substrate to remove material from the face surface of the microelectronic substrate.

A method for removing platinum from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging a platinum portion of the face surface of the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• applying an electrical current to the platinum portion by positioning first and second electrodes proximate to and spaced apart from the face surface and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing pad, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with the electrolytic fluid;
• and
• anisotropically removing at least part of the platinum portion from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing pad and while passing the electrical current through the first and second electrodes and the platinum portion.

A method for removing conductive material from a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the conductive material of the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing pad and while applying a varying electrical current to the conductive material;
• and
• controlling a pH of an environment adjacent to the conductive material to be from about 1 to about 14 when the conductive material includes platinum, less than about 3 or greater than about 4 when the conductive material includes tungsten, and less than about 6 or greater than about 8 when the conductive material includes copper.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• electrically coupling a noble metal material of the microelectronic substrate to a source of electrical potential;
• oxidizing at least a portion of the conductive material with an electrical current passing through first and second electrodes and the conductive material from the source of electrical potential by positioning the first and second electrodes spaced apart from the face surface and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with each other and the electrolytic fluid;
• and
• removing the portion of the conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• positioning first and second electrodes to be spaced apart from the face surface and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with the electrolytic fluid;
• oxidizing at least a portion of a platinum material of the microelectronic substrate by passing an electrical current from a source of electrical potential and through the first and second electrodes and the platinum material;
• and
• removing the portion of the platinum material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• removing a portion of a conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other;
• electrically coupling the conductive material to a source of electrical potential by positioning first and second electrodes apart from the face surface and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with each other and the electrolytic fluid;
• and
• controlling an amount of conductive material removed from the microelectronic substrate by controlling a flow of electrical current through the first and second electrodes and the conductive material while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing surface of the polishing pad.

A method for removing material from a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a material removal medium that includes a polishing pad having a polishing surface and an electrolytic fluid disposed adjacent to the polishing surface, the material removal medium having no discrete abrasive elements;
• electrically coupling a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate to a source of electrical potential;
• and
• removing a portion of the conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by passing an electrical current through the electrolytic fluid, the conductive material and first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other and facing toward a face surface of the microelectronic substrate, and moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other.

A method for removing material from a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• exposing the microelectronic substrate to a liquid having a concentration of chloride ions of from about 50 ppm to about 5,000 ppm;
• electrically coupling a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate to a source of electrical potential;
• and
• removing the portion of the conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other while passing an electrical current through the conductive material.

A method for removing conductive material from a microelectronic substrate, the conductive material being capable of being removed from the microelectronic substrate at a selected rate when engaged with a polishing pad and subjected to a first force normal to a polishing surface of the polishing pad, the method comprising:

• coupling the conductive material to a source of electrical potential;
• contacting the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• and
• removing an oxidized portion of the conductive material with a second force that is normal to the polishing surface of the polishing pad and is less than the first force, by applying an electrical current to the conductive material to form the oxidized portion.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• electrically coupling a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate to a source of electrical potential by positioning an anode and a cathode facing toward but spaced apart from the face surface of the microelectronic substrate, disposing an electrolytic fluid between the microelectronic substrate and the anode and cathode with the anode and cathode in fluid communication with each other and the electrolytic fluid, and coupling at least one of the anode and the cathode to the source of electrical potential;
• oxidizing at least a portion of the conductive material by passing an electrical current from the source of electrical potential through the conductive material, the anode and the cathode while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing surface of the polishing pad;
• and
• removing the portion of the conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• electrically coupling a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate to a source of electrical potential by positioning first and second electrodes proximate to and spaced apart from the face surface of the microelectronic substrate and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes while the face surface is engaged with the polishing surface of the polishing pad, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with each other and the electrolytic fluid;
• oxidizing at least a portion of the conductive material by passing an electrical current through the conductive material from the source of electrical potential;
• removing the portion of the conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other;
• and
• controlling a rate at which material is removed from the microelectronic substrate by controlling a concentration of chloride ions in the electrolytic fluid.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• electrically coupling a conductive material of the microelectronic substrate to a source of electrical potential by positioning first and second electrodes proximate to and spaced apart from the face surface of the microelectronic substrate and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes while the face surface is engaged with the polishing surface of the polishing pad, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with each other and the electrolytic fluid;
• oxidizing at least a portion of the conductive material by passing an electrical current through the conductive material from the source of electrical potential;
• removing the portion of the conductive material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other;
• and
• controlling a rate at which material is removed from the microelectronic substrate by controlling a concentration of alcohol in the electrolytic fluid.

A method for removing platinum from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging a platinum portion of the face surface of the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• selecting an electrolytic fluid to include chloride ions having a concentration of from about 50 ppm to about 5,000 ppm;
• applying an electrical current to the platinum portion by positioning first and second electrodes proximate to and spaced apart from the face surface and disposing the electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing pad, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with the electrolytic fluid;
• and
• anisotropically removing at least part of the platinum portion from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other while the microelectronic substrate is engaged with the polishing pad and while applying the electrical current to the platinum portion.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• selecting an electrolytic fluid to include chloride ions having a concentration of from about 50 ppm to about 5,000 ppm;
• positioning first and second electrodes to be spaced apart from the face surface and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with the electrolytic fluid;
• oxidizing at least a portion of a platinum material of the microelectronic substrate by passing an electrical current from a source of electrical potential and through the first and second electrodes and the platinum material;
• and
• removing the portion of the platinum material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other.

A method for removing material from a face surface of a microelectronic substrate, comprising:

• engaging the microelectronic substrate with a polishing surface of a polishing pad;
• selecting an electrolytic fluid to include to include at least one of (NH4)2SO4, H2SO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, and H3PO4;
• positioning first and second electrodes to be spaced apart from the face surface and disposing an electrolytic fluid between the face surface and the electrodes, with both the electrodes in fluid communication with the electrolytic fluid;
• oxidizing at least a portion of a platinum material of the microelectronic substrate by passing an electrical current from a source of electrical potential and through the first and second electrodes and the platinum material;
• and
• removing the portion of the platinum material from the microelectronic substrate by moving at least one of the microelectronic substrate and the polishing pad relative to the other.