Abstract: The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate containing a low-k dielectric layer comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising (a) an abrasive, a polishing pad, or a combination thereof, (b) an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, and (c) a liquid carrier, and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of polishing a substrate comprising (i) contacting a substrate comprising at least one metal layer comprising copper with a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) system and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the metal layer comprising copper to polish the substrate. The CMP system comprises (a) an abrasive, (b) an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, (c) a means for oxidizing the metal layer, (d) an organic acid, (e) a corrosion inhibitor, and (f) a liquid carrier. The invention further provides a two-step method of polishing a substrate comprising a first metal layer and a second, different metal layer. The first metal layer is polishing with a first CMP system comprising an abrasive and a liquid carrier, and the second metal layer is polished with a second CMP system comprising (a) an abrasive, (b) an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, and (c) a liquid carrier.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of polishing a substrate comprising (i) contacting a substrate comprising at least one metal layer comprising copper with a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) system and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the metal layer comprising copper to polish the substrate. The CMP system comprises (a) an abrasive, (b) an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, (c) a means for oxidizing the metal layer, (d) an organic acid, (e) a corrosion inhibitor, and (f) a liquid carrier. The invention further provides a two-step method of polishing a substrate comprising a first metal layer and a second, different metal layer. The first metal layer is polishing with a first CMP system comprising an abrasive and a liquid carrier, and the second metal layer is polished with a second CMP system comprising (a) an abrasive, (b) an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, and (c) a liquid carrier.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate containing a low-k dielectric layer comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising (a) an abrasive, a polishing pad, or a combination thereof, (b) an amphiphilic nonionic surfactant, and (c) a liquid carrier, and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing system and method for polishing or planarizing a substrate. The polishing system comprises (i) a liquid carrier, (ii) ammonium oxalate, (iii) a hydroxy coupling agent, and (iv) a polishing pad and/or an abrasive. The polishing method comprises contacting at least a portion of a substrate with the polishing system and polishing the portion of the substrate therewith.

Abstract: A low cost, high quality converter for generating an amplitude modulated signal in response to a sequence of digital words representing a modulation signal, such as a video image. The converter receives the sequence of digital words at an input rate. The input sequence of digital words is combined with a sequence of factors at a sample rate to generate a second sequence of digital words at the sample rate representing the amplitude modulated signal. The second sequence of digital words is then converted to the amplitude modulated signal. The sequence of factors is a sequence of cosines of the carrier frequency at the carrier phase angle of 45, 135, 225 and 315 degrees. The value of these cosines are +0.707, -0.707, -0.707, +0.707 respectively. These values are normalized to 1 so that they become a sequence of +1, -1, -1, and +1. Multiplication by the sequence of factors is thus carried out by alternately inverting the input sequence of digital words at one-half the sample rate.