Cabot Microelectronics Corporation

Sriram Anjur

Jeffrey Dysard

Paul M Feeney

Timothy P Johns

Steven Grumbine

Yun-Biao Xin

Li Wang

William J Ward

Isaac K Cherian

Ian Wylie

Zhan Chen

Daniela White

Timothy Johns

The present invention provides a method for polishing silicon nitride-containing substrates. The method comprises abrading a surface of a silicon nitride substrate with a polishing composition, which comprises colloidal silica, at least one acidic component, and an aqueous carrier. The at least one acidic component has a pKa in the range of about 1 to 4.5. The composition has a pH in the range of about 0.5 pH units less than the pKa of the at least one acidic component to about 1.5 pH units greater than the pKa.

Compositions and methods for polishing silicon nitride materials

The inventive chemical-mechanical polishing system comprises a polishing component, a liquid carrier, and a polyether amine. The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the aforementioned polishing system.

Polishing composition containing polyether amine

The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with an inventive polishing composition comprising a liquid carrier, a cationic polymer, an acid, and abrasive particles that have been treated with an aminosilane compound.

Polishing composition and method utilizing abrasive particles treated with an aminosilane

The present invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) composition suitable for polishing a substrate comprising a phase change alloy (PCA), such as a germanium-antimony-tellurium (GST) alloy. The composition comprises not more than about 6 percent by weight of a particulate abrasive material in combination with an optional oxidizing agent, at least one chelating agent, and an aqueous carrier therefor. The chelating agent comprises a compound or combination of compounds capable of chelating a phase change alloy or component thereof (e.g., germanium, indium, antimony and/or tellurium species) that is present in the substrate, or chelating a substance that is formed from the PCA during polishing of the substrate with the CMP composition. A CMP method for polishing a phase change alloy-containing substrate utilizing the composition is also disclosed.

Compositions and methods for CMP of phase change alloys

The invention provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate having at least one feature defined thereon, wherein the feature has at least one dimension with a size W, with a chemical-mechanical polishing composition. The polishing composition comprises particles of an abrasive wherein the particles have a mean particle diameter Dwherein the mean particle diameter of the particles satisfies the equation: D&#x3e;W. The invention further provides a method of preparing the chemical-mechanical polishing composition.

Composition and method for damascene CMP

Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing pad, intended for polishing a substrate, and designed for improved flow and distribution of a polishing composition to the area of interaction between the pad and substrate. In one aspect, a polishing pad is provided having first and second pluralities of unidirectional pores configured to communicate polishing composition between the top and bottom surfaces of the pad. A cyclic flow of composition is established to continuously renew composition to the area of interaction between the pad and the substrate. In another aspect, a polishing apparatus is provided having a polishing composition transfer region between a polishing pad and a platen. Pores disposed through the pad communicate composition from the transfer region to the top surface. To facilitate directing the composition into the pores, the apparatus includes a plurality of protrusions protruding into the transfer region that are aligned with the pores.

Electrochemical-mechanical polishing system

The invention provides a polishing pad comprising composite particles that comprise a solid core encapsulated by a polymeric shell material, wherein the solid core comprises a material that differs from the polymeric shell material, as well as a method of polishing a substrate with such a polishing pad.

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Aurora, IL, United States of America

Sriram Anjur