Barc-assisted process for planar recessing or removing of variable-height layers

1. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:

processing a semiconductor substrate through a series of operations to form a topographically variable surface including a layer of a material on the surface, wherein the layer varies in height across the semiconductor substrate;

spin coating a polymeric bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) over the surface;

inducing cross-linking in the BARC by baking;

chemically mechanically polishing (CMP) to remove a first portion of the BARC; and

etching to effectuate a top-down recessing of the BARC.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching to effectuate a top-down recessing of the BARC is etching with a low selectivity between the BARC and the material and effectuates a top-down recessing of the layer of the material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical mechanical polishing stops on the layer of the material.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the etching recesses the BARC and the layer of the material within a dielectric layer on the surface.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the spin coating, the chemical mechanical polishing, and the etching with a low selectivity take place within and form part of a replacement gate process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of the material is a layer of a hard mask.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of the material is a work function metal that forms part of a metal gate electrode.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metal gate electrode is formed over one or more finFET fins.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical mechanical polishing comprises polishing with a slurry comprising abrasive particles comprising a material selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and CeO 2 .

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the abrasive particles form chemical bonds with the BARC during the chemical mechanical polishing process.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the abrasive particles bond to hydroxyl groups of the BARC.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after the etching to effectuate a top-down recessing of the BARC, etching with a high selectivity between the material and the BARC to recess the layer of the material.

13. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:

forming a dummy gate stack over a semiconductor substrate;

forming a hard mask over the dummy gate stack;

patterning the dummy gate stack using the hard mask to form dummy gates;

forming spacers adjacent the dummy gates;

forming sources and drains aligned to the spacers;

forming a polymeric bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) over the dummy gates, wherein the BARC fills gaps between the dummy gates;

baking the BARC;

chemically mechanically polishing (CMP) to form a planar upper surface comprising the BARC;

plasma etching the chemically-mechanically polished surface, wherein the plasma etching recesses the BARC to approximately the height of the dummy gates; and

removing the hard mask before removing the BARC.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the chemical-mechanical polishing stops on the hard mask.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plasma etching of the chemically-mechanically polished surface removes the hard mask.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plasma etching of the chemically-mechanically polished surface has a low selectivity between the bottom anti-reflective coating and the hard mask.

17. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:

forming finFETs having dummy gates having a height and wrapping fins on a semiconductor substrate;

forming a first dielectric layer that covers the semiconductor substrate and has a height at least equal to the height of the dummy gates;

removing the dummy gates to form trenches that are within the first dielectric layer;

forming a layer of a work function metal over a channel region of some of the fins, wherein the layer of the work function metal lines at least a portion of the length of at least some of the trenches, whereby the layer of the work function metal rises to the tops of the trenches at some locations;

forming a polymeric bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC), wherein the BARC lies above the layer of the work function metal and fills the trenches;

baking the BARC;

chemically mechanically polishing (CMP) to form a planar upper surface comprising the BARC; and

after the chemical-mechanical polishing, plasma etching, wherein the plasma etching causes the BARC to become recessed within the trenches.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

removing the BARC;

filling the trenches with metal;

recessing the metal within the trenches;

filling the trenches with additional dielectric; and

chemically mechanically polishing to make the additional dielectric approximately the same height as the first dielectric layer.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plasma etching has a low selectivity between the BARC and the work function metal, reduces the height reached by the layer of the work function metal, and causes the layer of the work function metal to become recessed within the trenches.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

forming a mask over the recessed BARC;

etching to remove the BARC where it is exposed through the mask, wherein the etching removes the BARC from over some of the fins;

plasma etching to remove the layer of the work function metal from over the fins from which the BARC was removed; and

removing a remaining portion of the BARC.