Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus includes a polishing head that is composed of a carrier and a membrane, and is positioned on a polishing pad of a supporting part. The polishing head has a supporter installed at an internal center of the carrier, a chucking ring positioned between the carrier and the supporter, and means for moving the chucking ring up and down in a vertical direction. The supporter forms a sealed space together with the membrane, and the chucking ring chucks the wafer in vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a wafer comprises a supporting portion having an abrasive pad disposed thereon, and a polishing head disposed over the abrasive pad. The polishing head comprises a carrier having at least two fluid passages, a retainer ring disposed on a lower edge of the carrier, forming a space for receiving the wafer, a supporter disposed in the carrier, and a flexible membrane disposed to be in contact with the wafer. The supporter has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a plurality of first holes, a plurality of second holes, and a first chamber. The upper surface portion of the supporter forms a second chamber along with an inner surface of the carrier. The second chamber is in communication with one of the two fluid passages of the carrier and the second holes are formed in a lower surface portion of the supporter to communicate with the second chamber.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a MOS transistor using a selective silicide process wherein a gate insulating layer and a gate polysilicon layer are sequentially formed on a silicon substrate, and a gate spacer is formed on a side wall of the gate insulating layer and the gate polysilicon layer. Impurity ions are implanted and diffused using the gate spacer and the gate polysilicon layer as a mask layer to form a source/drain region in the substrate. An etching blocking layer is formed to cover the source/drain region, the gate spacer, and the gate polysilicon layer, and then, a dielectric layer to cover the etching blocking layer is formed. The dielectric layer is planarized, and the etching blocking layer on the gate polysilicon layer is exposed. The exposed etching blocking layer and a part of the gate spacer are etched, and a top surface and a top side of the gate polysilicon layer are exposed. A silicide layer is formed over the exposed part of the gate polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A slurry composition useful for chemical mechanical polishing of the surface of a material layer, e.g., a silicon oxide layer, is disclosed. A first material surface which is exposed to the slurry exhibits hydrophilicity, while a second material layer, e.g., a polysilicon layer, the surface of which is also exposed to the slurry, exhibits hydrophobicity, and accordingly acts as a polishing stopping layer. The slurry composition consists essentially of water, abrasive grains, and a polymer additive having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a MOS transistor using a selective silicide process wherein a gate insulating layer and a gate polysilicon layer are sequentially formed on a silicon substrate, and a gate spacer is formed on a side wall of the gate insulating layer and the gate polysilicon layer. Impurity ions are implanted and diffused using the gate spacer and the gate polysilicon layer as a mask layer to form a source/drain region in the substrate. An etching blocking layer is formed to cover the source/drain region, the gate spacer, and the gate polysilicon layer, and then, a dielectric layer to cover the etching blocking layer is formed. The dielectric layer is planarized, and the etching blocking layer on the gate polysilicon layer is exposed. The exposed etching blocking layer and a part of the gate spacer are etched, and a top surface and a top side of the gate polysilicon layer are exposed. A silicide layer is formed over the exposed part of the gate polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, which has a tunnel insulating layer consisting of two or more portions of different thickness, cell transistors, and auxiliary transistors for applying external voltage and for interfacing with peripheral circuits is described. According to the method, the tunnel insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a first insulating layer are sequentially deposited over a semiconductor substrate. The resultant structure is selectively etched to a given depth to form trenches. A second insulating layer is deposited over the substrate including the trenches, and the second insulating layer is selectively removed so as to form element isolation regions consisting of the trenches filled with the second insulating layer. The first insulating layer is selectively removed, and the second insulating layer is selectively removed by a CMP process to expose the conductive layer. The conductive layer is used as the stopping layer during the CMP process.