Abstract: The present invention provides a self-cleaning wiresaw cutting apparatus including a cleaning mechanism adapted to clean the components of the wiresaw before, during, or after a cutting process or to humidify the cutting region of the apparatus. The apparatus contains at least one dispenser adapted to dispense an aqueous fluid onto various components of the wiresaw.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing composition containing a pyrrolidone polymer, an aminophosphonic acid, a tetraalkylammonium salt, and water, wherein the composition has a pH of about 7 to about 11.7. The invention further provides a method of using such a polishing composition to polish a substrate, especially a substrate containing silicon.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing composition comprising (a) silica, (b) one or more compounds that increase the removal rate of silicon, (c) one or more tetraalkylammonium salts, and (d) water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 7 to about 11. The invention further provides a method of polishing a substrate with the polishing composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acidic aqueous polishing composition suitable for polishing a silicon nitride-containing substrate in a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The composition, at point of use, comprises about 0.01 to about 2 percent by weight of a particulate calcined ceria abrasive, about 10 to about 1000 ppm of at least one cationic polymer, optionally, about 10 to about 2000 ppm of a polyoxyalkylene polymer; and an aqueous carrier therefor. The at least one cationic polymer is selected from a poly(vinylpyridine) polymer and a combination of a poly(vinylpyridine) polymer and a quaternary ammonium-substituted polymer. Methods of polishing substrates and of selectively removing silicon nitride from a substrate in preference to removal of polysilicon using the compositions are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition containing zirconia particles, a modifying agent that adheres to the zirconia particles, an organic acid, and water, as well as a method of using such a polishing composition to polish substrates and a method of using a polishing composition comprising zirconia particles, an organic acid, an oxidizing agent, and water to polishing substrates containing metal and oxide-based dielectric materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) compositions suitable for polishing a substrate comprising a germanium-antimony-tellurium (GST) alloy. The CMP compositions of the present invention are aqueous slurries comprising a particulate abrasive, a water-soluble surface active agent, a complexing agent, and a corrosion inhibitor. The ionic character of the surface active material (e.g., cationic, anionic, or nonionic) is selected based on the zeta potential of the particulate abrasive. A CMP method for polishing a GST alloy-containing substrate utilizing the composition is also disclosed.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing composition comprising silica, an aminophosphonic acid, a polysaccharide, a tetraalkylammonium salt, a bicarbonate salt, an azole ring, and water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 7 to about 11. The invention further provides a method of polishing a substrate with the polishing composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) composition suitable for polishing a silicon nitride-containing substrate while suppressing polysilicon removal from the substrate. The composition comprises abrasive particles suspended in an acidic aqueous carrier containing a surfactant comprising an alkyne-diol, an alkyne diol ethoxylate, or a combination thereof. Methods of polishing a semiconductor substrate therewith are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for planarizing or polishing a metal surface. The method comprises a composition comprising an abrasive, cesium ions, and a liquid carrier comprising water.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for removing magnetic or magnetized contaminants from a wiresaw cutting slurry during a wiresaw cutting process. The apparatus comprises a recirculating slurry dispensing system that defines the slurry flow pathway. The recirculating dispensing slurry system comprises a magnetic separator for removing magnetic or magnetizable contaminants from the slurry, wherein the purified slurry is discharged back into recirculation within the recirculating slurry dispensing system.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising coated ?-alumina particles, an organic carboxylic acid, and water. The invention also provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising an abrasive having a negative zeta potential in the polishing composition, an organic carboxylic acid, at least one alkyldiphenyloxide disulfonate surfactant, and water, wherein the polishing composition does not further comprise a heterocyclic compound. The abrasive is colloidally stable in the polishing composition. The invention further provides methods of polishing a substrate with the aforesaid polishing compositions.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for planarizing or polishing a substrate. The composition comprises an abrasive consisting of alumina particles optionally treated with a polymer, an ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid, an oxidizing agent that oxidizes at least one metal, polyacrylic acid, optionally, a calcium-containing compound, optionally, a biocide, optionally, a pH adjusting agent, and water. The method uses the composition to chemically-mechanically polish a substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition for slicing a substrate using a wire saw wherein the composition comprises a liquid carrier and an abrasive. The invention further provides methods of slicing a substrate using a wire saw and a composition.

Abstract: The invention provides chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) compositions and methods for polishing a silicon-containing substrate. A method of the invention comprises the steps of contacting a silicon-containing substrate with a polishing pad and an aqueous CMP composition, and causing relative motion between the polishing pad and the substrate while maintaining a portion of the CMP composition in contact with the surface of the substrate to abrade at least a portion of the substrate. The CMP composition comprises a ceria abrasive, a polishing additive bearing a functional group with a pKa of about 4 to about 9, a nonionic surfactant with an hydrophilic portion and a lipophilic portion wherein the hydrophilic portion has a number average molecular weight of about 500 g/mol or higher, and an aqueous carrier, wherein the pH of the composition is 7 or less. The method reduces defects on the wafers, particularly local areas of high removal.

Abstract: The inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprises a liquid carrier, hydrogen peroxide, benzotriazole, and a halogen anion. The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the polishing composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising alpha alumina, fumed alumina, silica, an oxidizing agent that oxidizes nickel-phosphorous, oxalic acid, optionally, tartaric acid, optionally, a nonionic surfactant, optionally, a biocide, and water. The invention also provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate comprising 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: The invention provides compositions and methods for planarizing or polishing a substrate. The composition comprises an abrasive, iodate ion, a nitrogen-containing compound selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen-containing C4-20 heterocycle and a C1-20 alkylamine, and a liquid carrier comprising water.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) composition for polishing a ruthenium-containing substrate in the presence of hydrogen peroxide without forming a toxic level of ruthenium tetroxide during the polishing process. The composition comprises (a) a catalytic oxidant comprising a water-soluble peroxometalate complex, an oxidizable precursor of a peroxometalate complex, or a combination thereof, (b) a particulate abrasive; and (c) an aqueous carrier. The peroxometalate complex and the precursor thereof each have a reduced form that is oxidizable by hydrogen peroxide to regenerate the peroxometalate complex during chemical-mechanical polishing. CMP methods for polishing ruthenium-containing surfaces with the CMP composition are also provided.