Method of polishing a substrate with a polishing system containing conducting polymer
View Patent ↗The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising (i) contacting a substrate with a polishing system comprising (a) an abrasive, a polishing pad, a means for oxidizing a substrate, or any combination thereof, (b) a conducting polymer having an electrical conductivity of about 10 −10 S/cm to about 10 6 S/cm, and (c) a liquid carrier, and (ii) abrading or removing at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.
1. A method of polishing a substrate comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a polishing system comprising:
(a) an abrasive, a polishing pad, a means for oxidizing the substrate, or any combination thereof,
(b) a conducting polymer, and
(c) a liquid carrier,
wherein the conducting polymer has an electrical conductivity of about 10 −10 S/cm to about 10 6 S/cm, and (ii) removing at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing the substrate.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polishing system is a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising an abrasive, a polishing pad, or both an abrasive and a polishing pad.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyanilinesulfonic acid, polythiophene, poly(phenylene), poly(phenylene-vinylene), poly(p-pyridine), poly(p-pyridyl-vinylene), poly(1,6-heptadiyne), polyacetylene, polyisothianaphthene, poly-3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene, poly(N-vinylcarbazole), copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the conducting polymer is polypyrrole or polyaniline.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the conducting polymer is undoped.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the conducting polymer is doped.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the conducting polymer is doped with an n-type or p-type dopant.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the conducting polymer is doped with an n-type dopant selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Li, Ca, an organic acid, and tetraalkylammonium.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the conducting polymer is doped with a p-type dopant selected from the group consisting of I 2 , PF 6 , BF 6 , Cl, and AsF 6 .
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liquid carrier comprises water.
12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system comprises an abrasive, and the abrasive is suspended in the liquid carrier.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the abrasive is selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, ceria, germania, titania, zirconia, magnesia, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, diamond, and combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system comprises an abrasive and a polishing pad, and wherein the abrasive is fixed on the polishing pad.
15. The method of claim 3 , wherein the conducting polymer is present in an amount of about 0.01 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based on the weight of the liquid carrier and any components suspended therein.
16. The method of claim 3 , wherein the abrasive is present in an amount of about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % based on the weight of the liquid carrier and any components suspended therein.
17. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system has a pH of about 9 or lower.
18. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system further comprises a means for oxidizing a substrate.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the means for oxidizing a substrate is an oxidizing agent.
20. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system further comprises a complexing agent.
21. The method of claim 3 , wherein the substrate comprises a metal layer.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the metal layer comprises tungsten, copper, tantalum, aluminum, nickel, platinum, ruthenium, iridium, or rhodium.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises electrochemically polishing the substrate.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the polishing system is an electrochemical polishing system comprising a means for oxidizing a substrate.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the means for oxidizing a substrate comprises a device for applying a time-varying anodic potential to a substrate.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the substrate comprises a metal layer.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the metal layer comprises tungsten, copper, tantalum, aluminum, nickel, platinum, ruthenium, iridium, or rhodium.