1256 results about "Chemical-mechanical planarization" patented technology

Annular and linear contact structures are described which exhibit a greatly reduced susceptibility to process deviations caused by lithographic and deposition variations than does a conventional circular contact plug. In one embodiment, a standard conductive material such as carbon or titanium nitride is used to form the contact. In an alternative embodiment, a memory material itself is used to form the contact. These contact structures may be made by various processes, including chemical mechanical planarization and facet etching.

An inkjet printing arrangement having a series of nozzles for the ejection of ink wherein the nozzle rims are formed as a result of the deposition of a rim material layer and a subsequent planar etching of the material layer so as to form the nozzle rim. The planar etching can comprise chemical-mechanical planarization of the rim material layer and any associated sacrificial layers.

Methods are provided for controlling adjustable pressure zones of a CMP carrier. A method comprises determining a first thickness of a layer on a wafer underlying a first zone of the carrier. A first portion of the layer underlying the first zone is removed. The first zone is configured to exert a first pressure against the second surface of the wafer. A second thickness of the layer underlying the first zone is determined and a target thickness corresponding to a predetermined thickness profile is selected. A second pressure for the first zone is calculated using the first thickness, the second thickness, the first pressure, and the target thickness. The pressure exerted by the first zone against the second surface of the wafer is adjusted to the second pressure and the steps are repeated for a second zone.

CMP slurries comprising at least an abrasive, at least an organic phosphonate, at least an oxidizer, and water are disclosed. The slurries can optionally include corrosion inhibitors, surfactants, polymers, and bases. The concentrations of the ingredients in the slurries can be appropriately chosen to formulate copper CMP slurry and barrier CMP slurry. The copper CMP slurries are capable of polishing copper at high removal rate and having high selectivity to tantalum barrier. The barrier slurries deliver good planarity and have high hydrogen peroxide stability.

Annular, linear, and point contact structures are described which exhibit a greatly reduced susceptibility to process deviations caused by lithographic and deposition variations than does a conventional circular contact plug. In one embodiment, a standard conductive material such as carbon or titanium nitride is used to form the contact. In an alternative embodiment, a memory material itself is used to form the contact. These contact structures may be made by various processes, including chemical mechanical planarization and facet etching.

An improved pad and process for polishing metal damascene structures on a semiconductor wafer. The process includes the steps of pressing the wafer against the surface of a polymer sheet in combination with an aqueous-based liquid that optionally contains sub-micron particles and providing a means for relative motion of wafer and polishing pad under pressure so that the moving pressurized contact results in planar removal of the surface of said wafer, wherein the polishing pad has a low elastic recovery when said load is removed, so that the mechanical response of the sheet is largely anelastic. The improved pad is characterized by a high energy dissipation coupled with a high pad stiffness. The pad exhibits a stable morphology that can be reproduced easily and consistently. The pad surface resists glazing, thereby requiring less frequent and less aggressive conditioning. The benefits of such a polishing pad are low dishing of metal features, low oxide erosion, reduced pad conditioning, longer pad life, high metal removal rates, good planarization, and lower defectivity (scratches and Light Point Defects).

A composition for removal of chemical residues from metal or dielectric surfaces or for chemical mechanical polishing of a copper or aluminum surface is an aqueous solution with a pH between about 3.5 and about 7. The composition contains a monofunctional, difunctional or trifunctional organic acid and a buffering amount of a quaternary amine, ammonium hydroxide, hydroxylamine, hydroxylamine salt, hydrazine or hydrazine salt base. A method in accordance with the invention for removal of chemical residues from a metal or dielectric surface comprises contacting the metal or dielectric surface with the above composition for a time sufficient to remove the chemical residues. A method in accordance with the invention for chemical mechanical polishing of a copper or aluminum surface comprises applying the above composition to the copper or aluminum surface, and polishing the surface in the presence of the composition.

A planarization composition is set forth for chemical mechanical planarization of dielectric layers for semiconductor manufacture. The composition comprises spherical silica particles having an average diameter of from 30 nm to about 400 nm, and a narrow range of particle sizes, wherein about 90% of the particles is within 20% of the average particle diameter. The composition includes a liquid carrier comprising up to about 9% alcohol and an amine hydroxide in the amount of about 0.2 to about 9% by weight. The pH of the composition is in the range of about 9 to about 11.5, and the remainder of the solution is water. The composition has low amounts of metal ions, and the composition is used for thinning, polishing and planarizing interlayer dielectric thin films, shallow trench isolation structures, and isolation of gate structures. The invention also comprises methods for using the planarization composition in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

Embodiments of the invention provide approaches for replacement metal gate (RMG) diffusion break formation. Specifically, a diffusion break is created after source/drain (S/D) formation, thereby allowing facet free and high quality S/D formation. A dummy gate body is removed selective to a sidewall section of a capping layer and a GOx layer formed over a substrate, and the opening is then extended through the GOx layer and into the substrate by etching the dummy gate body selective to the sidewall section of the capping layer. Retaining the capping layer during the dummy gate body etch enables the diffusion break to be self-aligned to the gate and eliminates device variability due to S/D volume variations. Processing then continues with RMG poly open chemical mechanical planarization (POC) and poly open planarization (POP).

Novel slurries for the chemical mechanical polishing of thin films used in integrated circuit manufacturing. A tungsten slurry of the present invention comprises an oxidizing agent, such as potassium ferricyanide, an abrasive such as silica, and has a pH between two and four. The tungsten slurry of the present invention can be used in a chemical mechanical planarization process to polish back a blanket deposited tungsten film to form plugs or vias. The tungsten slurry can also be used to polish copper, tungsten silicide, and titanium nitride. A second slurry, which is a 9:1 dilution of the tungsten slurry is ideal for chemical mechanical polishing of titanium nitride films. A third slurry of the present invention comprises a fluoride salt, an abrasive such as silica and has a pH</=8. The third slurry can be used to polish titanium films.

Raspberry-type coated particles comprising a core selected from the group consisting of metal oxides of Si, Ti, Zr, Al, Zn and mixtures thereof with a core size of from 20 to 100 nm wherein the core is coated with CeCO₂ particles having a particle size below 10 nm; process for preparing raspberry type coated particles comprising the steps of i) providing a mixture containing: a) core particles selected from the group of metal oxides of Si, Ti, Zr, Al, Zn and mixtures thereof, with a particle size of from 20 to 100 nm; b) a water soluble Ce-salt and c) water; ii) adding an organic or inorganic base to the mixture of step i) at temperatures of from 10 to 90° C. and iii) aging the mixture at temperatures of from 10 to 90° C.; and polishing agents containing the particles and their use for polishing surfaces.

Various techniques and apparatus permit fabrication of superconductive circuits. A niobium/aluminum oxide/niobium trilayer may be formed and individual Josephson Junctions (JJs) formed. A protective cap may protect a JJ during fabrication. A hybrid dielectric may be formed. A superconductive integrated circuit may be formed using a subtractive patterning and/or additive patterning. A superconducting metal layer may be deposited by electroplating and/or polished by chemical-mechanical planarization. The thickness of an inner layer dielectric may be controlled by a deposition process. A substrate may include a base of silicon and top layer including aluminum oxide. Depositing of superconducting metal layer may be stopped or paused to allow cooling before completion. Multiple layers may be aligned by patterning an alignment marker in a superconducting metal layer.

Tools for conditioning chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pads comprise a substrate with abrasive particles coupled to at least one surface. The tools can have various particle and bond configurations. For instance, abrasive particles may be bonded (e.g., brazed or other metal bond technique) to one side, or to front and back sides. Alternatively, abrasive particles are bonded to a front side, and filler particles coupled to a back side. The abrasive particles can form a pattern (e.g., hexagonal) and have particle sizes that are sufficiently small to penetrate pores of a CMP pad during conditioning, leading to fewer defects on wafers polished with the conditioned CMP pad. Grain bonding can be accomplished using brazing films, although other metal bonds may be used as well. Also, balanced bond material (e.g., braze on both sides) allows for low out-of-flatness value.

A post-CMP cleaning composition and method comprising same are disclosed herein. In one aspect, there is provided a composition comprising: water, an organic base, and a plurality of chelating agents comprised of a poly-amino carboxylic acid and a hydroxylcarboxylic acid wherein the pH of the composition ranges from 9.5 to 11.5.

The present invention deposits a conductive material from an electrolyte solution to a predetermined area of a wafer. The steps that are used when making this application include applying the conductive material to the predetermined area of the wafer using an electrolyte solution disposed on a surface of the wafer, when the wafer is disposed between a cathode and an anode, and preventing accumulation of the conductive material to areas other than the predetermine area by mechanically polishing the other areas while the conductive material is being applied.