Abstract: An innovative method of manufacturing polishing pads using photocuring polymers and photolithography. The photolithography enables the creation of useful surface patterns not possible with conventional machining techniques and enables the use of pad materials otherwise too soft to pattern by conventional machining techniques.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polishing the surface of a semiconductor wafer is provided in which the polishing pad has on its surface a multiplicity of nanoasperities which contact the wafer surface in combination with a reactive liquid solution free from particulate matter.

Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing system which is particularly well suited for use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices or the like. The invention is directed to a self-dressing, hydrophilic polishing pad capable of releasing particles during polishing. Such a pad design is very efficient in providing polishing particles over the entire polishing surface interface. Since the polishing pad produces polishing particles, the polishing fluid can comprise very low loadings of polishing particles, if any.

Abstract: Polymer-based pads useful for polishing objects, particularly integrated circuits, having interconnected porosity which is uniform in all directions, and where the solid portion of said pad consists of a uniform continuously interconnected polymer material of greater than 50% of the gross volume of the article, are produced directly to final shape and dimension by pressure sintering powder compacts of thermoplastic polymer at a temperature above the glass transition temperature but not exceeding the melting point of the polymer and at a pressure in excess of 100 psi in a mold having the desired final pad dimensions. In a preferred version, a mixture of two polymer powders is used, where one polymer has a lower melting point than the other. When pressure sintered at a temperature not to exceed the melting point of the lower melting powder, the increased stiffness afforded by incorporation of the higher melting polymer component gives improved mechanical strength to the sintered product.

Abstract: A process is provided for polishing a composite comprised of an insulating layer, a metal and titanium in which the composite is polished in a standard polishing machine using an aqueous slurry comprising submicron abrasive particles, an iodate, and a peroxide. Another process is provided in which peroxide is added to the aqueous slurry only when a titanium or titanium nitride layer is being polished. Further the invention also comprises the addition of a base to the slurry stream exiting the polishing machine to bring the pH of the used slurry to about 7 or higher.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polishing the surface of a semiconductor wafer is provided in which the polishing pad has on its surface a multiplicity of nanoasperities which contact the wafer surface in combination with a reactive liquid solution essentially free from particulate matter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an article of manufacture or polishing pad for altering a surface of a workpiece, such as polishing or planarizing a semiconductor device. The article includes a polymeric matrix impregnated with a plurality of polymeric microelements, each polymeric microelement having a void space therein. The article has a work surface and a subsurface proximate to the work surface. When the article is in contact with a working environment, polymeric microelements at the work surface of the article are less rigid than polymeric elements embedded in the subsurface. As the work surface of the article is abraded during use, the work surface of the pad may be continuously regenerated. In alternative preferred embodiments, the work surface may further include a minitexture and/or a macrotexture. Preferably, the minitexture is formed by fractal patterning at least a portion of the work surface.

Abstract: An improved slurry composition and methods of using it are provided for final polishing of silicon wafers. The composition comprises water, submicron silica particles at about 0.02 to about 0.5 percent by weight of this composition, a salt at a concentration of about 100 to about 1000 ppm, an amine compound at a concentration sufficient to effect a composition pH of about 8 to about 11, and a polyelectrolyte dispersion agent at a concentration of about 20 to about 500 ppm, wherein the composition has a total sodium and potassium content below about 1 ppm and an iron, nickel and copper content each below about 0.1 ppm, all ppm being parts per million by weight of the composition.

Abstract: Aqueous slurries are provided, which are useful for the chemical-mechanical polishing of substrates comprising titanium, comprising: water, submicron abrasive particles, an oxidizing agent, and a mono-, di-, or tri-substituted phenol wherein at least one of the substituted functional groups is polar. Optionally the compositions may also comprise a compound to suppress the rate of removal of silica. The slurries are useful on substrates which also comprise tungsten, aluminum or copper.

Abstract: A composition is provided, which is suitable for polishing SiO.sub.2, silicates, and silicon nitride, comprising an aquesous slurry of submicron SiO.sub.2 particles and a soluble inorganic salt or combination of soluble inorganic salts of total solution concentration below the critical coagulation concentration for the slurry, wherein the slurry pH is adjusted to within the range of about 9 to 10 by addition of a soluble amine or mixture of soluble amines. Optionally, the compositions of this invention may also comprise a polyhydric alcohol.

Abstract: An aqueous slurry is provided which is useful for the chemical-mechanical polishing of substrates containing titanium comprising: water, submicron abrasive particles, an oxidizing agent, and a combination of complexing agents comprising a phthalate compound and a compound which is a di- or tri-carboxylic acid with at least one hydroxyl group in an alpha position relative to one of the carboxyl groups.

Abstract: A composition is provided for polishing a composite comprised of silica and silicon nitride comprising: an aqueous medium, abrasive particles, a surfactant, and a compound which complexes with the silica and silicon nitride wherein the complexing agent has has two or more functional groups each having a dissociable proton, the functional groups being the same or different.

Abstract: An aqueous slurry is provided for polishing or planarizing a work piece which contains a metal, the solids portion of said slurry being comprised of 1 to 50 percent by weight of submicron alpha-alumina, the remainder of the solids being of a substantially less abrasive composition chosen from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxides, gamma-alumina, delta-alumina, amorphous alumina, and amorphous silica. Also provided is a method for polishing the surface of a work piece which contains a metal wherein said aqueous slurry is used as the polishing composition during chemical-mechanical polishing.

Abstract: A pad is provided for use on a machine for the polishing of silicon wafers which allows the use of optical detection of the wafer surface condition as the wafer is being polished. This accomplished by constructing the entire pad or a portion thereof out of a solid uniform polymer sheet with no intrinsic ability to absorb or transport slurry particles and which is transparent to the light beam being used to detect the wafer surface condition by optical methods. Polymers which are transparent to light having a wavelength within the range of 190 to 3500 nanometers are suitable for the construction of these pads.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an article of manufacture or polishing pad for altering a surface of a workpiece, such as polishing or planarizing a semiconductor device. The article includes a polymeric matrix impregnated with a plurality of polymeric microelements, each polymeric microelement having a void space therein. The article has a work surface and a subsurface proximate to the work surface. When the article is in contact with a working environment, polymeric microelements at the work surface of the article are less rigid than polymeric elements embedded in the subsurface. As the work surface of the article is abraded during use, the work surface of the pad may be continuously regenerated. In alternative preferred embodiments, the work surface may further include a minitexture and/or a macrotexture. Preferably, the minitexture is formed by fractal patterning at least a portion of the work surface.

Abstract: Antistatically modified fixturing cements useful in the polishing of silicon wafers are disclosed. The fixturing adhesives disclosed generally comprise:(a) a solvent carrier having a boiling point no greater than 200.degree. F. under a vacuum of 25 inches of mercury;(b) a fixturing adhesive soluble in the solvent carrier; and,(c) an antistatic agent.

Abstract: An improved polishing pad is provided comprising a solid uniform polymer sheet having no intrinsic ability to absorb or transport slurry particles having during use a surface texture or pattern which has both large and small flow channels present simultaneously which permit the transport of slurry across the surface of the polishing pad, where said channels are not part of the material structure but are mechanically produced upon the pad surface. In a preferred version of the invention, the pad texture consists of a macrotexture produced prior to use and a microtexture which is produced by abrasion by a multiplicity of small abrasive points at a regular selected interval during the use of the pad.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers and, in particular, one in which the polishing pads are linear, that is, the polishing pads have a long linear dimension relative to their width and have a uniform cross-section along this linear dimension. In addition, the wafer holder travels in a straight line parallel to the long linear dimension of the polishing pads.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for preparing activated compositions and the compositions derived therefrom which are suitable for polishing surfaces, particularly integrated circuits, wherein a base abrasive is activated by addition of a second cation whose oxide exhibits a higher polishing rate than the base abrasive alone. The activation is effected by chemical adsorption of the activating cation onto the base abrasive during cyclic impact in an aqueous medium whose pH is at a level which is favorable for adsorption of the activating cation onto the base abrasive surface.

Abstract: Improved compositions for polishing silicon, silica or silicon-containing articles is provided which consists of an aqueous medium, abrasive particles and an anion which controls the rate of removal of silica. The anion is derived from a class of compounds which contain at least two acid groups and where the pKa of the first dissociable acid is not substantially larger than the pH of the polishing composition. Methods using the composition to polish or planarize the surfaces of work pieces, as well as products produced by such methods, are also provided.