Cabot Microelectronics Corporation

Benjamin P Bayer

Vlasta A Brusic

Francesco De Rege Thesauro

Kevin J Moeggenborg

Robert Vacassy

Christopher Thompson

Zhan Chen

Dinesh N Khanna

Francesco DeRege Thesauro

Vlasic Brusic

The invention provides methods of polishing a noble metal-containing substrate with one of two chemical-mechanical polishing compositions. The first chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprises (a) an abrasive comprising &#x3b1;-alumina, (b) about 0.05 to about 50 mmol/kg of ions of calcium, strontium, barium, or mixtures thereof, and (c) a liquid carrier comprising water. The second chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprises (a) an abrasive selected from the group consisting of &#x3b1;-alumina, &#x3b3;-alumina, &#x3b4;-alumina, &#x3b8;-alumina, diamond, boron carbide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, titanium nitride, and mixtures thereof, (b) about 0.05 to about 3.5 mmol/kg of ions of calcium, strontium, barium, magnesium, zinc, or mixtures thereof, and (c) a liquid carrier comprising water.

Chemical-mechanical polishing composition and method for using the same

The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising contacting a substrate comprising a noble metal on a surface of the substrate with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising (a) a polishing component selected from the group consisting of an abrasive, a polishing pad, and a combination thereof, (b) an oxidizing agent, (c) an ethylene-oxide containing polymer, and (d) a liquid carrier, and abrading at least a portion of the noble metal with the chemical-mechanical polishing system to polish the substrate.

CMP composition with a polymer additive for polishing noble metals

The invention provides a method of preparing a chemical-mechanical polishing composition for polishing a substrate with at least a first layer and a second layer. The method comprises providing both a first chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising an abrasive with a selectivity for a first layer as compared to a second layer and a second chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising an abrasive with different selectivity for the first layer as compared to the second layer, wherein the second chemical-mechanical polishing composition is stable in the presence of the first chemical-mechanical polishing composition, and mixing the first and second chemical-mechanical polishing compositions in a ratio to achieve a final selectivity for the first layer as compared to the second layer. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate.

Tunable selectivity slurries in CMP applications

The invention provides a method for polishing a substrate comprising a metal in an oxidized form, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate comprising a metal in an oxidized form, (b) contacting a portion of the substrate with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising: (i) a polishing component, (ii) a reducing agent, and (iii) a liquid carrier, and (c) abrading at least a portion of the metal in an oxidized form to polish the substrate. The reducing agent can be selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxy-4-pyrones, &#x3b1;-hydroxy-&#x3b3;-butyrolactones, ascorbic acid, borane, borohydrides, dialkylamine boranes, formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen, hydroquinones, hydroxylamine, hypophosphorous acid, phosphorous acid, a metal or metal ions in an oxidation state having a standard redox potential that is less than the standard redox potential of the metal in an oxidized form, trihydroxybenzenes, solvated electrons, sulfurous acid, salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.

Chemical-mechanical polishing of metals in an oxidized form

The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising (i) contacting a substrate comprising a noble metal layer with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising (a) a polishing component, (b) an oxidizing agent, and (c) a liquid carrier, and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the noble metal layer to polish the substrate. The polishing component is selected from the group consisting of an abrasive, a polishing pad, or a combination thereof, and the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of bromates, bromites, hypobromites, chlorates, chlorites, hypochlorites, perchlorates, iodates, hypoiodites, periodates, peroxyacetic acid, organo-halo-oxy compounds, salts thereof, and combinations thereof. The chemical-mechanical polishing system has a pH of about 9 or less, and the oxidizing agent does not produce a substantial amount of elemental halogen. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a noble metal layer and a second layer using the aforementioned polishing system that further comprises a stopping compound.

CMP of noble metals

The invention provides a polishing composition and a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate comprising a noble metal, the polishing composition comprising (a) an oxidizing agent that oxidizes a noble metal, (b) an anion selected from the group consisting of sulfate, borate, nitrate, and phosphate, and (c) a liquid carrier. The invention further provides a polishing composition and a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate comprising ruthenium, the polishing composition comprising (a) an oxidizing agent that oxidizes ruthenium above the +4 oxidation state, (b) a polishing additive selected from the group consisting of metal sequestering polymers, metal chelators, organic thiols, compounds that reduce ruthenium tetraoxide, lactones, and &#x3b1;-hydroxycarbonyl compounds.

Polishing composition for noble metals

The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a noble metal comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a CMP system and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate. The CMP system comprises an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a liquid carrier, and a sulfonic acid compound.

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Aurora, IL, United States of America

Benjamin P Bayer