Patent · US Expired

Chemical-mechanical polishing processes of planarizing insulating layers

US5395801A · kind A · utility

97Cited by
12References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 29, 1993
Grant dateMar 7, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 29, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/76819
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor processing method of providing and planarizing an insulating layer on a semiconductor wafer includes the following sequential steps: a) providing a conformal layer of insulating material to a first thickness over a semiconductor wafer having non-planar topography; b) providing a CMP polishing protective layer over the conformal layer to a second thickness, the protective layer being of different composition than the conformal layer; and c) chemical-mechanical polishing the protective layer and conformal layer in a single CMP step using a single CMP slurry and under conditions which in combination with the slurry remove the conformal layer material at a faster rate than the protective layer material, the protective layer upon outward exposure of conformal layer material in high topographical areas restricting material removal from low topographical areas during such chemical-mechanical polishing. Alternately, the protective layer and conformal layer are CMPed in at least two steps using first and second respective CMP slurries. The first CMP step and slurry remove outermost portions of the protective layer in a manner which is substantially selective to the underlyin…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.