Method and system to provide electroplanarization of a workpiece with a conducting material layer
Systems and methods to operate upon a nonplanar top surface of a conductive surface layer of a workpiece, so as to, for example, preserve the structural integrity of a dielectric film layer disposed below the conductive surface layer, are presented. According to an exemplary method, a layer of conducting material such as a conducting paste is applied over the nonplanar top surface of the conductive surface layer to obtain a planar top surface. At least a portion of the conducting material layer and at least a portion of the conductive surface layer are removed in a planar manner to at least partially planarize the nonplanar top surface. The conducting material layer may be annealed so that the conducting material layer diffuses with the conductive surface layer prior to removal of at least the portions of conducting material layer and the conductive surface layer.
1 . A workpiece comprising:
a substrate;
an insulating layer formed over the substrate and having features defined within the insulating layer;
a conductive layer disposed within the features, and at least a portion of the conductive layer within the features having a diffused solute disposed therein; and
wherein the workpiece is formed by:
applying a conducting material layer including the solute disposed therein onto a top surface of the conductive layer of the workpiece;
annealing the conducting material layer so that the solute within the conducting material layer diffuses into the conductive layer within the features; and
removing portions of the conductive layer not disposed within the features and the conducting material layer.
2 . The structure according to claim 1 wherein the removing is performed by electropolishing in a planar manner.
3 . The structure according to claim 2 wherein the electropolishing in the planar manner is assisted by using conducting material in the conducting material layer that will electropolish at substantially the same rate as the conductive layer will electropolish.