A copper plasma etching method according an exemplary embodiment includes: placing a substrate on a susceptor in a process chamber of a plasma etching apparatus; supplying an etching gas that include hydrogen chloride into the process chamber; plasma-etching a conductor layer that include copper in the substrate; and maintaining a temperature of the susceptor at 10 C. or less during the plasma-etching.

A method and a system for planarizing a membrane is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes providing a resilient membrane and planarizing the surface of the membrane with a conditioning tool. The planarized membrane may be used in chemical mechanical planarization of a wafer. The method further includes finishing the surface of a wafer with the planarized membrane.

A method of performing electroless electrochemical atomic layer deposition is provided and includes: providing a substrate including an exposed upper metal layer; exposing the substrate to a first precursor solution to create a sacrificial metal monolayer on the exposed upper metal layer via underpotential deposition, where the first precursor solution is an aqueous solution including a reducing agent; subsequent to the forming of the sacrificial metal monolayer, rinsing the substrate; subsequent to the rinsing of the substrate, exposing the substrate to a second precursor solution to replace the sacrificial metal monolayer with a first deposition layer; and subsequent to replacing the sacrificial metal monolayer with the first deposition layer, rinsing the substrate. The exposure of the substrate to the first precursor solution and the exposure of the substrate to the second precursor solution are electroless processes.

A method of performing electroless electrochemical atomic layer deposition is provided and includes: providing a substrate including an exposed upper metal layer; exposing the substrate to a first precursor solution to create a sacrificial metal monolayer on the exposed upper metal layer via underpotential deposition, where the first precursor solution is an aqueous solution including a reducing agent; subsequent to the forming of the sacrificial metal monolayer, rinsing the substrate; subsequent to the rinsing of the substrate, exposing the substrate to a second precursor solution to replace the sacrificial metal monolayer with a first deposition layer; and subsequent to replacing the sacrificial metal monolayer with the first deposition layer, rinsing the substrate. The exposure of the substrate to the first precursor solution and the exposure of the substrate to the second precursor solution are electroless processes.

A Low-VOC, water-based hard surface polish and protectant containing water, isoparaffinic hydrocarbon, white oil, D-Limonene Trisopropanolomine, and Span 80. The VOC content of this composition is less than or equal to 3.00%. Optionally, a proprietary repellancy treatment component can be added to this composition to increase the composition's hydrophobic and oleophobic capabilities after application to surfaces.

Disclosed herein is a CMP slurry composition for polishing copper. The CMP slurry composition includes: polishing particles; and deionized water, wherein the polishing particles include inorganic particles and organic particles, and both the inorganic particles and the organic particles have a positive zeta potential. A polishing method comprising polishing a copper wire using the CMP slurry composition also be provided.

Disclosed herein is a CMP slurry composition for polishing copper. The CMP slurry composition includes: polishing particles; and deionized water, wherein the polishing particles include inorganic particles and organic particles, and both the inorganic particles and the organic particles have a positive zeta potential. A polishing method comprising polishing a copper wire using the CMP slurry composition also be provided.

The invention provides methods of inhibiting corrosion of a substrate containing metal. The substrate can be in any suitable form. In some embodiments, the metal is cobalt. The methods can be used with semiconductor wafers in some embodiments. The invention also provides chemical-mechanical polishing compositions and methods of polishing a substrate. A corrosion inhibitor can be used in the methods and compositions disclosed herein. The inhibitor comprises an amphoteric surfactant, a sulfonate, a phosphonate, a carboxylate, an amino acid derivative, a phosphate ester, an isethionate, a sulfate, a sulfosuccinate, a sulfocinnimate, or any combination thereof.

The invention provides methods of inhibiting corrosion of a substrate containing metal. The substrate can be in any suitable form. In some embodiments, the metal is cobalt. The methods can be used with semiconductor wafers in some embodiments. The invention also provides chemical-mechanical polishing compositions and methods of polishing a substrate. A corrosion inhibitor can be used in the methods and compositions disclosed herein. The inhibitor comprises an amphoteric surfactant, a sulfonate, a phosphonate, a carboxylate, an amino acid derivative, a phosphate ester, an isethionate, a sulfate, a sulfosuccinate, a sulfocinnimate, or any combination thereof.

A CMP slurry composition for polishing a metal wire and a polishing method, the CMP slurry composition including polishing particles; an oxidant; a complexing agent; a corrosion inhibitor; and deionized water, wherein the corrosion inhibitor includes an inorganic nitrite or ammonium nitrate.