Polishing methods
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorMichael T. Andreas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) method includes applying a solid abrasive material to a substrate, polishing the substrate, flocculating at least a portion of the abrasive material, and removing at least a majority portion of the flocculated portion from the substrate. Applying solid abrasive material can include applying a CMP slurry or a polishing pad comprising abrasive material. Such a method can further include applying a surfactant comprising material to the substrate to assist in effectuating flocculation of the abrasive material to the surfactant comprising material may be cationic which includes, for example, a quaternary ammonium substituted salt. Also, for example, the surfactant comprising material may be applied during polishing, brush scrubbing, pressure spraying or buffing.
Claims21
A polishing method comprising:
- applying a polishing slurry to a semiconductor substrate, the polishing slurry containing substantially dispersed, solid particles;
- applying a surfactant to the semiconductor substrate, overcoming the dispersion of at least some particles, agglomerating particles with the surfactant, and forming floccule;
- and
- removing from the semiconductor substrate at least some of the floccule containing particles.
A polishing method comprising:
- applying a polishing slurry to a semiconductor substrate, the polishing slurry containing substantially dispersed, solid particles;
- applying a surfactant-containing material to the semiconductor substrate, the surfactant-containing material exhibiting the characteristic of decreasing a settling time for the particles in an aqueous dilution of the slurry and exhibiting a one-hour settling rate constant of greater than 0.035 for the particles in an aqueous mixture of about 0.1 weight percent surfactant and about 1 weight percent slurry and the surfactant containing a cationic quaternary ammonium substituted salt;
- overcoming the dispersion of at least some particles, agglomerating particles with the surfactant, and forming floccule;
- and
- removing from the semiconductor substrate at least some of the floccule containing particles.
A polishing method comprising:
- applying a polishing slurry to a semiconductor substrate, the polishing slurry containing substantially dispersed, solid particles;
- polishing the semiconductor substrate with the slurry;
- after polishing the semiconductor substrate, applying a surfactant to the semiconductor substrate, overcoming the dispersion of at least some particles, agglomerating particles with the surfactant, and forming floccule;
- and
- removing from the semiconductor substrate at least some of the floccule containing particles, without dissolving the particles, using a technique selected from the group consisting of brush scrubbing the semiconductor substrate using a scrubbing solution containing the surfactant, pressure spraying the semiconductor substrate using a spray solution containing the surfactant, immersing the semiconductor substrate in a bath solution containing the surfactant, and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.