Chemical mechanical polish (cmp) planarizing method employing topographic mark preservation

Abstract

Within a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarizing method for forming a planarized layer there is first provided a microelectronic substrate having a topographic mark formed therein. There is then formed over the microelectronic substrate and covering the topographic mark a blanket conformal layer which forms a replicated topographic mark at the location of the topographic mark. There is then formed over the blanket conformal layer and the replicated topographic mark a patterned negative photoresist layer of areal dimensions minimally sufficient to encapsulate the replicated topographic mark. There is then chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized the patterned negative photoresist layer and the blanket conformal layer to form a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized patterned negative photoresist layer and a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized blanket conformal microelectronic layer. Finally, there is then stripped from over the microelectronic substrate the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized patterned negative photoresist layer. By employing the patterned negative photoresist layer of areal dimensions minimally sufficient to encapsulate the alignment mark, the chemical mechanical polish (CMP) planarized blanket conformal microelectronic layer is optimally planarized while preserving the integrity of the alignment mark.