Abstract: A buried transistor particularly suitable for SOI technology, where the transistor is fabricated within a trench in a substrate and the resulting transistor incorporates completely isolated active areas. The resulting substrate has a decreased topography and there is no need for polysilicon (or other) plugs to connect to the transistor, unless desired. With this invention, better control is achieved in processing, particularly of gate length. The substrate having the buried transistor can be silicon oxide bonded to another substrate to form an SOI structure.

Abstract: A buried transistor particularly suitable for SOI technology, where the transistor is fabricated within a trench in a substrate and the resulting transistor incorporates completely isolated active areas. The resulting substrate has a decreased topography and there is no need for polysilicon (or other) plugs to connect to the transistor, unless desired. With this invention, better control is achieved in processing, particularly of gate length. The substrate having the buried transistor can be silicon oxide bonded to another substrate to form an SOI structure.

Abstract: A buried transistor particularly suitable for SOI technology, where the transistor is fabricated within a trench in a substrate and the resulting transistor incorporates completely isolated active areas. The resulting substrate has a decreased topography and there is no need for polysilicon (or other) plugs to connect to the transistor, unless desired. With this invention, better control is achieved in processing, particularly of gate length. The substrate having the buried transistor can be silicon oxide bonded to another substrate to form an SOI structure.

Abstract: An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing a substrate. In one embodiment, the abrasive polishing pad has a planarizing surface with a first planarizing region and a second planarizing region. The first planarizing region has a first abrasiveness and the second planarizing region has a second abrasiveness different than the first abrasiveness of the first region. The polishing pad preferably has a plurality of abrasive elements at the planarizing surface in at least one of the first or second planarizing regions. The abrasive elements may be abrasive particles fixedly suspended in a suspension medium, contact/non-contact regions on the pad, or other elements that mechanically remove material from the wafer.

Abstract: An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing a substrate. In one embodiment, the abrasive polishing pad has a planarizing surface with a first planarizing region and a second planarizing region. The first planarizing region has a first abrasiveness and the second planarizing region has a second abrasiveness different than the first abrasiveness of the first region. The polishing pad preferably has a plurality of abrasive elements at the planarizing surface in at least one of the first or second planarizing regions. The abrasive elements may be abrasive particles fixedly suspended in a suspension medium, contact/non-contact regions on the pad, or other elements that mechanically remove material from the wafer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to polishing pads useful in determining an end to the useful wear life thereof. In a simple embodiment of the present invention, a polishing pad that is used with slurries is dyed on one side in a manner that causes the dye to permeate the pad to a limited depth that does not cause total coloring. Another embodiment of the present invention involves a fixed abrasive pad that has fixed abrasives embedded into the pad to a selected depth where at least one color level is within the portion of the pad that contains the fixed abrasives. After dyeing the pad, the pad is attached to the polishing platen. During the polishing operation, a color change signals a time to stop the polishing operation and change the pad. With multiple colors in the pad, limited only by the ability to dye the pad with uniform depth levels, characteristic wear patterns can be observed and adjustments made accordingly to prolong and optimize pad life.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to polishing pads useful in determining an end to the useful wear life thereof. In a simple embodiment of the present invention, a polishing pad that is used with slurries is dyed on one side in a manner that causes the dye to permeate the pad to a limited depth that does not cause total coloring. Another embodiment of the present invention involves a fixed abrasive pad that has fixed abrasives embedded into the pad to a selected depth where at least one color level is within the portion of the pad that contains the fixed abrasives. After dyeing the pad, the pad is attached to the polishing platen. During the polishing operation, a color change signals a time to stop the polishing operation and change the pad. With multiple colors in the pad, limited only by the ability to dye the pad with uniform depth levels, characteristic wear patterns can be observed and adjustments made accordingly to prolong and optimize pad life.

Abstract: An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing a substrate. In one embodiment, the abrasive polishing pad has a planarizing surface with a first planarizing region and a second planarizing region. The first planarizing region has a first abrasiveness and the second planarizing region has a second abrasiveness different than the first abrasiveness of the first region. The polishing pad preferably has a plurality of abrasive elements at the planarizing surface in at least one of the first or second planarizing regions. The abrasive elements may be abrasive particles fixedly suspended in a suspension medium, contact/non-contact regions on the pad, or other elements that mechanically remove material from the wafer.