Compositions and methods for rapidly removing overfilled substrates

1. A method for etching and/or chemically mechanically polishing an overfilled substrate having at least a first relatively conductive, metal-containing layer material disposed over a relatively non-conductive layer, which method comprises the steps of:

providing a polishing or etching composition capable of polishing, etching, and/or removing the metal-containing layer material at a removal rate of about 10 microns/minute to about 45 microns/minute wherein the composition comprises:

from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of a peroxide, periodic acid, peracetic acid, ammonium persulfate, hydroxylantine, a hydroxylamine derivative, a hydroxylamine salt, a hydroxylamine derivative salt, or a combination thereof;

a majority of a diluent; and

optionally from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of an abrasive; and

movably contacting the polishing or etching composition with the substrate under conditions where at least a portion of the first metal-containing layer is removed to form first regions of material having substantially the same composition as said metal-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, and optionally form second regions of material having substantially the same composition as said relatively non-conductive layer on a surface of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least portions of the relatively conductive material are interconnected with other portions of relatively conductive material from the same first metal-containing layer or from a second metal containing layer disposed over the non-conductive layer on the opposite side from the first relatively conductive layer, such that a relatively conductive interconnection is formed therebetween.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a removal rate for the metal-containing layer material from about 15 microns/minute to about 40 microns/minute.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises:

from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of a peroxide, periodic acid, peracetic acid, or a combination thereof;

a majority of a diluent; and

optionally from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of an abrasive.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditions include one or more of the following:

a temperature from about 15°C. to about 90°C.;

a composition flow rate from about 20 mL/min to about 500 mL/min;

where a polishing pad is used in conjunction with the composition and the substrate, a polishing pressure from about 0.2 to about 15 psi; and

where a rotating platen is used in conjunction with the composition, the substrate, and a polishing pad, a rotation rate from about 10 rpm to about 400 rpm.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the composition of the polishing composition during the step of movably contacting movably contacting the polishing or etching composition with the substrate, in order to facilitate a more controllable end-point, to form a relatively planar surface, to form a relatively low-defect surface, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of changing the composition comprises transitioning between two separate polishing compositions, a first polishing composition and a second polishing composition, each having different compositions.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second polishing compositions are different in one or more of the following ways:

the first polishing composition has a greater abrasive particle size than the second polishing composition;

the first polishing composition has a greater amount of abrasive particles than the second polishing composition;

the first polishing composition has a greater amount of oxidizer than the second polishing composition;

the first polishing composition has a lower pH than the second polishing composition; and

the second polishing composition has a greater amount of free radical quenchers, chelators, corrosion inhibitors, and/or film-forming agents than the first polishing composition.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein changing the composition comprises one or more of the following:

adjusting the pH of the composition by adding one or more pH controlling agents;

adjusting the dilution level of the composition by adding diluent; and

adjusting the effectiveness of the oxidizer, the composition, or both by:

removing at least some of any catalysts and accelerators present,

adding a free radical quencher, a complexing agent, a film-forming agent, a hydroxyl-containing amine, a non-hydroxyl-containing amine, a polymeric stabilizer, a rheological control agent; or a combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing layer comprises copper and wherein the composition consists essentially of:

from about 2% to about 14% by weight of an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of a peroxide, periodic acid, peracetic acid, ammonium persulfate, hydroxylamine, a hydroxylamine derivative, a hydroxylamine salt, a hydroxylamine derivative salt, or a combination thereof;

from about 80% to about 97% by weight of water;

from about 1% to about 15% by weight of silica, alumina, a metal-coated version thereof, or a combination thereof;

optionally a chelating agent in an amount less than about 3% by weight; and

optionally, a pH controlling agent to adjust the pH value within a range from about 1 to about 10.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing layer comprises copper and wherein the composition consists essentially of:

from about 2% to about 4% by weight of periodic acid;

from about 1.5% to about 5% by weight of alumina abrasive;

from about 0.3% to about 2% by weight of ammonium nitrate;

nitric acid in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH to from about 1.6 to about 2.5;

optionally a chelating agent in an amount less than about 3% by weight; and

the balance water.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing layer comprises copper and wherein the composition consists essentially of:

hydrogen peroxide;

a monofunctional carboxylic acid such as acetic acid;

optionally a pH controlling agent;

optionally a chelating agent in an amount less than about 3% by weight;

optionally an abrasive; and

the balance water.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the optional abrasive comprises an iron-coated silica abrasive present in an amount from about 0.1% to about 35% by weight, and wherein there is no additional pH controlling agent.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the optional abrasive comprises an iron-coated silica abrasive present in an amount such that the iron content in the composition is from about 0.001% to about 1%.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition consists essentially of:

peracetic acid;

optionally a pH controlling agent;

optionally a chelating agent in an amount less than about 3% by weight;

an iron-coated silica abrasive; and

the balance water.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the iron-coated silica abrasive is present in an amount from about 0.1% to about 35% by weight, and wherein there is no optional pH controlling agent.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the iron-coated silica abrasive is present in an amount such that the iron content in the composition is from about 0.001% to about 1%.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition consists essentially of:

ammonium persulfate;

optionally a pH controlling agent;

optionally a chelating agent in an amount less than about 3% by weight;

an iron-coated silica abrasive; and

the balance water.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the iron-coated silica abrasive is present in an amount from about 0.1% to about 35% by weight, and wherein there is no optional pH controlling agent.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the iron-coated silica abrasive is present in an amount such that the iron content in the composition is from about 0.001% to about 1%.

21. The method of claim 4 , wherein the composition comprises an abrasive having an average particle size from about 10 nm to about 2 microns.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises copper.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the metal-containing layer is a copper-containing layer.

24. A method for etching and/or chemically mechanically polishing a substrate having at least a first relatively conductive, metal-containing layer material disposed over a relatively non-conductive layer, which method comprises the steps of:

providing a polishing or etching composition capable of polishing, etching, and/or removing the metal-containing layer material at a removal rate of at least about 1 micron/minute; and

movably contacting the polishing or etching composition with the substrate under conditions where at least a portion of the first metal-containing layer is removed wherein the composition consists essentially of:

from about 1% to about 4% by weight of periodic acid;

from about 1% to about 5% by weight of alumina abrasive;

from about 0.3% to about 2% by weight of ammonium nitrate;

nitric acid in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH to from about 1.5 to about 5;

optionally a chelating agent in an amount less than about 3% by weight; and

the balance water.