Patents by Inventor Vlasta A. Brusic

Vlasta A. Brusic has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6632377
    Abstract: Copper or a copper alloy is removed by chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) in a slurry of an oxidizer, an oxidation inhibitor, and an additive that appreciably regulates copper complexing with the oxidation inhibitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic, Daniel C. Edelstein, Paul M. Feeney, William Guthrie, Mark Jaso, Frank B. Kaufman, Naftali Lustig, Peter Roper, Kenneth Rodbell, David B. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20030189025
    Abstract: A process for fabricating micro-acousto-optic modulators using microelectronics fabrication technology. First, a set of trenches is etched into a substrate. Then, a transducer material is deposited into these trenches, followed by removal of any transducer material located above the surface of the substrate. Next, a second set of trenches is etched on both sides of the transducer material, between the transducer material and the substrate. Then, an electrode material is deposited into the second set of trenches. Finally, any electrode material located above the surface of the substrate is removed such that the surface of the substrate is co-planar with the electrode and transducer materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Chris C. Yu, Vlasta Brusic
  • Publication number: 20030181142
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a noble metal comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a CMP system and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate. The CMP system comprises an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a liquid carrier, and a sulfonic acid compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Francesco De Rege Thesauro, Vlasta Brusic, Benjamin P. Bayer
  • Patent number: 6620037
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride containing layers from a substrate. The slurry does not include a separate film-forming agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Slumin Wang
  • Publication number: 20030170991
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for polishing one or more layers of a multi-layer substrate that includes a first metal layer and a second layer comprising (i) a liquid carrier, (ii) at least one oxidizing agent, (iii) at least one polishing additive that increases the rate at which the system polishes at least one layer of the substrate, wherein the polishing additive is selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, condensed phosphates, phosphonic acids and salts thereof, amines, amino alcohols, amides, imines, imino acids, nitrites, nitros, thiols, thioesters, thioethers, carbothiolic acids, carbothionic acids, thiocarboxylic acids, thiosalicylic acids, and mixtures thereof, and (iv) a polishing pad and/or an abrasive. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising contacting a surface of a substrate with the system and polishing at least a portion of the substrate therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shumin Wang, Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Steven K. Grumbine, Isaac K. Cherian, Renjie Zhou
  • Publication number: 20030166337
    Abstract: Alpha-amino acid containing chemical mechanical polishing compositions and slurries that are useful for polishing substrates including multiple layers of metals, or metals and dielectrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics, Corp.
    Inventors: Shumin Wang, Vlasta Brusic Kaufman
  • Publication number: 20030153184
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for polishing one or more layers of a multi-layer substrate that includes a first metal layer and a second layer comprising (i) a liquid carrier, (ii) at least one oxidizing agent, (iii) at least one polishing additive that increases the rate at which the system polishes at least one layer of the substrate, (iv) at least one stopping compound with a polishing selectivity of the first metal layer:second layer of at least about 30:1, wherein the stopping compound is a cationically charged nitrogen containing compound selected from compounds comprising amines, imines, amides, imides, and mixtures thereof, and (v) a polishing pad and/or an abrasive. The invention also provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising contacting a surface of a substrate with the system and polishing at least a portion of the substrate therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shumin Wang, Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Steven K. Grumbine, Isaac K. Cherian
  • Publication number: 20030139116
    Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing system and method comprising a liquid carrier, a polishing pad and/or an abrasive, and at least one amine-containing polymer, wherein the amine-containing polymer has about 5 or more sequential atoms separating the nitrogen atoms of the amino functional groups or is a block copolymer with at least one polymer block comprising one or more amine functional groups and at least one polymer block not comprising any amine functional groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Moeggenborg, Isaac K. Cherian, Vlasta Brusic
  • Patent number: 6593239
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising a film forming agent, an oxidizer, a complexing agent and an abrasive, and a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, and titanium nitride containing layers from a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler
  • Patent number: 6589100
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for polishing a substrate comprising a metal layer using a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a rare earth salt, an oxidizer that is a stronger oxidant than the rare earth salt, and a liquid carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Moeggenborg, Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Isaac K. Cherian
  • Patent number: 6569350
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising a film forming agent, urea hydrogen peroxide, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, and titanium nitride containing layers from a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Shumin Wang
  • Publication number: 20030060135
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for polishing a substrate comprising a metal layer using a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a rare earth salt, an oxidizer that is a stronger oxidant than the rare earth salt, and a liquid carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Moeggenborg, Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Isaac K. Cherian
  • Patent number: 6527622
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a noble metal comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a CMP system and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate. The CMP systems each comprise an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a liquid carrier, and optionally one or more polishing additives. In a first embodiment, the polishing additives are selected from the group consisting of diketones, diketonates, heterocyclic nitrogen-containing compounds, heterocyclic oxygen-containing compounds, heterocyclic phosphorus-containing compounds, urea compounds, nitrogen-containing compounds that can be zwitterionic compounds, salts thereof, and combinations thereof. In a second embodiment, the polishing additive is a metal compound with two or more oxidation states and is used in conjunction with a peroxy-type oxidizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic, Francesco M. De Rege, Kevin J. Moeggenborg, Isaac K. Cherian, Renjie Zhou
  • Publication number: 20020168923
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride containing layers from a substrate. The slurry does not include a separate film-forming agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Shumin Wang
  • Publication number: 20020145127
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising a film forming agent, urea hydrogen peroxide, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, and titanium nitride containing layers from a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: Cabot Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Shumin Wang
  • Patent number: 6447371
    Abstract: The present invention is a first CMP slurry including an abrasive, an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent, a film forming agent and an organic amino compound, a second polishing slurry including an abrasive, an oxidizing agent, and acetic acid wherein the weight ratio of the oxidizing agent to acetic acid is at least 10 and a method for using the first and second polishing slurries sequentially to polish a substrate containing copper and containing tantalum or tantalum nitride or both tantalum and tantalum nitride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Shumin Wang
  • Patent number: 6432828
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride containing layers from a substrate. The slurry does not include a separate film-forming agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Shumin Wang
  • Patent number: 6362106
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising a film forming agent, urea hydrogen peroxide, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, and titanium nitride containing layers from a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Vlasta Brusic Kaufman, Rodney C. Kistler, Shumin Wang
  • Publication number: 20020033382
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising a film forming agent, an oxidizer, a complexing agent and an abrasive, and a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, and titanium nitride containing layers from a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: VLASTA BRUSIC KAUFMAN, RODNEY C. KISTLER
  • Publication number: 20010049910
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry comprising an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent, an abrasive, and an optional surfactant, as well as a method for using the chemical mechanical polishing slurry to remove copper alloy, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride containing layers from a substrate. The slurry does not include a separate film-forming agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Inventors: VLASTA BRUSIC KAUFMAN, RODNEY C. KISTLER, SHUMIN WANG