Abstract: Polishing pads having a polishing surface with continuous protrusions are described. Methods of fabricating polishing pads having a polishing surface with continuous protrusions are also described.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising (a) silica particles, (b) a polymer comprising sulfonic acid monomeric units, (c) optionally, a buffering agent, and (d) water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 2 to about 5. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate comprises silicon carbide and silicon nitride.

Abstract: The present application relates to polishing pads for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of substrates, and methods of fabrication and use thereof. The pads described in this invention are customized to polishing specifications where specifications include (but not limited to) to the material being polished, chip design and architecture, chip density and pattern density, equipment platform and type of slurry used. These pads can be designed with a specialized polymeric nano-structure with a long or short range order which allows for molecular level tuning achieving superior thermo-mechanical characteristics. More particularly, the pads can be designed and fabricated so that there is both uniform and nonuniform spatial distribution of chemical and physical properties within the pads.

Abstract: Polishing pads having a polishing surface with continuous protrusions having tapered sidewalls are described. Methods of fabricating polishing pads having a polishing surface with continuous protrusions having tapered sidewalls are also described.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of inhibiting corrosion of a substrate containing metal. The substrate can be in any suitable form. In some embodiments, the metal is cobalt. The methods can be used with semiconductor wafers in some embodiments. The invention also provides chemical-mechanical polishing compositions and methods of polishing a substrate. A corrosion inhibitor can be used in the methods and compositions disclosed herein. The inhibitor comprises an amphoteric surfactant, a sulfonate, a phosphonate, a carboxylate, an amino acid derivative, a phosphate ester, an isethionate, a sulfate, a sulfosuccinate, a sulfocinnimate, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition for cleaning contaminants from semiconductor wafers following chemical-mechanical polishing. The cleaning composition contains a bulky protecting ligand, an organic amine, an organic inhibitor, and water. The invention also provides methods for using the cleaning composition.

Abstract: Described are compositions (e.g., slurries) useful in methods for chemical-mechanical processing (e.g. polishing or planarizing) a surface of a substrate that contains tungsten, the slurries containing abrasive particles, metal cation catalyst, phosphorus-containing zwitterionic compound, and optional ingredients such as oxidizer; also described are methods and substrates used or processed on combination with the compositions.

Abstract: Described are materials and methods for processing (polishing or planarizing) a substrate that contains pattern dielectric material using a polishing composition (aka “slurry”) and an abrasive pad, e.g., CMP processing.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing pad comprising a polymeric matrix and 0.1-15 wt. % of metal oxide particles. The polymeric matrix has pores, the metal oxide particles are uniformly distributed throughout the pores, and the metal oxide particles have a specific surface area of about 25 m2/g to about 450 m2/g. The invention further provides a method of polishing a substrate with the polishing pad.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition including (a) an abrasive comprising alumina particles, silica particles, or a combination thereof, (b) a rate accelerator comprising a phosphonic acid, an N-heterocyclic compound, or a combination thereof, (c) a corrosion inhibitor comprising an amphoteric surfactant, a sulfonate, a phosphonate, a carboxylate, a fatty acid amino acid, an amine, an amide, or a combination thereof, (d) an oxidizing agent, and (e) an aqueous carrier. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate, especially a substrate comprising a cobalt layer, with the polishing composition.

Abstract: Polishing pads with foundation layers and polishing surface layers are described. In an example, a polishing pad for polishing a substrate includes a foundation layer. A polishing surface layer is bonded to the foundation layer. Methods of fabricating polishing pads with a polishing surface layer bonded to a foundation layer are also described.

Abstract: Polishing pads with grooved foundation layers and polishing surface layers are described. In an example, a polishing pad for polishing a substrate includes a foundation layer having a pattern of grooves disposed therein. A continuous polishing surface layer is attached to the pattern of grooves of the foundation layer. In another example, a polishing pad for polishing a substrate includes a foundation layer with a surface having a pattern of protrusions disposed thereon. Each protrusion has a top surface and sidewalls. A non-continuous polishing surface layer is attached to the foundation layer and includes discrete portions. Each discrete portion is attached to the top surface of a corresponding one of the protrusions of the foundation layer. Methods of fabricating polishing pads with a polishing surface layer bonded to a grooved foundation layer are also described.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition containing aluminate-modified silica particles, a polyacrylamide, a heterocyclic film-forming agent, and water. The invention also provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate, especially a nickel-phosphorous substrate, by contacting a substrate with a polishing pad and the chemical-mechanical polishing composition, moving the polishing pad and the polishing composition relative to the substrate, and abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.

Abstract: Polishing pads having a foundation layer and a window attached to the foundation layer, and methods of fabricating such polishing pads, are described. In an example, a polishing pad for polishing a substrate includes a foundation layer having a first modulus. A polishing layer is attached to the foundation layer and has a second modulus less than the first modulus. A first opening is through the polishing layer and a second opening is through the foundation layer. The first opening exposes at least a portion of the second opening and exposes a portion of the foundation layer. A window is disposed in the first opening and is attached to the exposed portion of the foundation layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides chemical mechanical polishing compositions and methods for polishing a substrate comprising silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, which provide selective removal of SiN relative to silicon oxide (e.g., PETEOS) on patterned wafers. In one embodiment, a CMP method comprises abrading a surface of a substrate comprising SiN and silicon oxide with a CMP composition to remove at least some SiN therefrom. The CMP composition comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of a particulate abrasive (e.g., ceria) suspended in an aqueous carrier and containing a cationic polymer bearing pendant quaternized nitrogen-heteroaromatic moieties, wherein the composition has a pH of greater than about 3.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising (a) abrasive particles, (b) a cobalt accelerator selected from a compound having the formula: NR1R2R3 wherein R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen, carboxyalkyl, substituted carboxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, substituted hydroxyalkyl and aminocarbonylalkyl, wherein none or one of R1, R2, and R3 are hydrogen; dicarboxyheterocycles; heterocyclylalkyl-?-amino acids; N-(amidoalkyl)amino acids; unsubstituted heterocycles; alkyl-substituted heterocycles; substituted-alkyl-substituted heterocycles; N-aminoalkyl-?-amino acids; and combinations thereof, (c) a cobalt corrosion inhibitor, (d) an oxidizing agent that oxidizes a metal, and (e) water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 3 to about 8.5. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate contains cobalt.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising (a) abrasive particles, (b) a cobalt corrosion inhibitor, (c) a cobalt dishing control agent, wherein the cobalt dishing control agent comprises an anionic head group and a C13-C20 aliphatic tail group, (d) an oxidizing agent that oxidizes cobalt, and (e) water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 3 to about 8.5. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate contains cobalt.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition for cleaning contaminants from semiconductor wafers following chemical-mechanical polishing. The cleaning composition contains one or more quaternary ammonium hydroxides, one or more organic amines, one or more metal inhibitors, and water. The invention also provides methods for using the cleaning composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition including first abrasive particles, wherein the first abrasive particles are wet-process ceria particles, have a median particle size of about 40 nm to about 100 nm, are present in the polishing composition at a concentration of about 0.005 wt. % to about 2 wt. %, and have a particle size distribution of at least about 300 nm, a functionalized heterocycle, a pH-adjusting agent, and an aqueous carrier, and wherein the pH of the polishing composition is about 1 to about 6. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate, especially a substrate comprising a silicon oxide layer, with the polishing composition.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a multi-layer polishing pad for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer, wherein the top layer and bottom layer are joined together by the middle layer, and without the use of an adhesive. The invention is also directed to a multi-layer polishing pad comprising an optically transmissive region, wherein the layers of the multi-layer polishing pad are joined together without the use of an adhesive.