Abstract: A process and apparatus for locally removing any material, such as a refractory metal, in particular tungsten, from any desired area of a wafer, such as an alignment mark area of a silicon wafer in process during the formation of integrated circuits thereon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the method can include planarizing the microelectronic substrate with a planarizing liquid and rinsing the substrate with a rinsing liquid having a pH approximately the same as a pH of the planarizing liquid. The rinsing step can be completed while the substrate remains on a polishing pad of the apparatus, or, alternatively, the substrate can be removed to a rinsing chamber for rinsing. In another embodiment, the method can include conditioning the polishing pad by removing polishing pad material from the polishing pad and then cleaning the microelectronic substrate by engaging the substrate with the same polishing pad and moving at least one of the polishing pad and the substrate relative to the other of the polishing pad and the substrate after conditioning the polishing pad.

Abstract: Parameters of an improved planarization process for a semiconductor structure surface are optimized to cause a height reduction rate of the surface that adjusts downward by a factor of at least three once the surface becomes substantially planarized. Localized over-polishing is substantially eliminated by the acquired selectivity of the planarization process to planarized surfaces. One embodiment of the improved planarization process comprises the use of a polishing slurry including a plurality of abrasive particles of a size selected that the polishing of a surface having a height causes a surface height reduction rate that drops once the surface becomes planarized. Preferred abrasive particle sizes are about 50 nm in mean diameter or less.

Abstract: Parameters of an improved planarization process for a semiconductor structure surface are optimized to cause a height reduction rate of the surface that adjusts downward by a factor of at least three once the surface becomes substantially planarized. Localized over-polishing is substantially eliminated by the acquired relative rate of removal for non-planar surfaces over planar surfaces. One embodiment of the improved planarization process comprises the use of a polishing slurry including a plurality of abrasive particles of a size selected that the polishing of a surface having a height causes a surface height reduction rate that drops once the surface becomes planarized. Preferred abrasive particle sizes are about 50 nm in mean diameter or less.

Abstract: A method for monitoring surface roughness by applying a controlled amount of liquid onto a specimen surface to form a liquid protrusion. The diameter or area of the a liquid protrusion is measured and correlated to surface roughness. In an alternative embodiment, the contact angle between the specimen surface and the liquid protrusion is measured. Surface roughness is computed from the contact angle measurement and several known physical constants of the liquid and specimen surface.