Method for forming uniform layers of material

Claim 1

A process of providing a uniform and/or planarized layer of material, comprising the steps of: applying a layer of material to a support structure; patterning said layer of material to form apertures therein; forming in each of said apertures a polishing stop layer of uniform thickness which is thinner than said layer of material; polishing said layer of material to a point where its surfaces are substantially coplanar with the surfaces of said polishing stop layer and optionally removing the remaining portions of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 3

A method of providing a layer of material of uniform thickness, comprising the steps of: providing a layer of material on a support structure, said material having at least a first surface and a second surface, said second surface extending above the level of said first surface; providing a polishing stop layer of uniform thickness having an upper surface which is substantially coplanar with said first surface of said layer of semiconductor material; polishing said second surface of said thicker layer of material until said upper surface of said polishing stop layer is encountered, such that the uniform thickness of said polishing stop layer is used to define said layer of material to a layer of uniform thickness and optionally removing the remaining portions of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 4

A method of providing a layer of material of uniform thickness, comprising the steps of: providing a layer of material on a support structure, said material having at least a first surface and a second surface, said second surface extending above the level of said first surface; providing a polishing stop layer of uniform thickness having an upper surface which is substantially coplanar with said first surface of said layer of semiconductor material; polishing said second surface of said thicker layer of material until said upper surface of said polishing stop layer is encountered, such that the uniform thickness of said polishing stop layer is used to define said layer of material to a layer of uniform thickness and optionally removing the remaining portions of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 5

A method of providing a layer of material of uniform thickness, comprising the steps of: providing a support structure; providing a layer of material on portions of said support structure, providing a polishing stop layer of substantially uniform thickness on different portions of the surface of said support structure such that a first surface of said layer of material and a first surface of said polishing stop layer are substantially coplanar, said polishing stop layer being thinner than said layer of semiconductor material; polishing the second surface of said layer of material in a planar mode to a point where a second surface of said polishing stop layer is encountered, such that the substantially uniform thickness of said polishing stop layer is used to define said layer of material to a layer of uniform thickness and optionally removing the remaining portion of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 6

A method of providing a layer of material of uniform thickness, comprising the steps of: providing a support structure; providing a layer of material on portions of said support structure, providing a polishing stop layer of substantially uniform thickness on different portions of the surface of said support structure such that a first surface of said layer of material and a first surface of said polishing stop layer are substantially coplanar, said polishing stop layer being thinner than said layer of semiconductor material; polishing the second surface of said layer of material in a planar mode to a point where a second surface of said polishing stop layer is encountered, such that the substantially uniform thickness of said polishing stop layer is used to define said layer of material to a layer of uniform thickness and optionally removing the remaining portion of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 7

A method of providing a layer of material of uniform thickness, comprising the steps of: providing a layer of material on portions of the surface of a support structure, leaving other portions of said surface exposed; applying a conformal polishing stop layer of a substantially uniform thickness upon said material and said exposed portions of said surface, such that a first surface of said layer of material and a first surface of said conformal polishing stop layer on said exposed portions of said surface are substantially coplanar, said conformal polishing stop layer being thinner than said material; removing portions of said conformal polishing stop layer from a second surface of said layer of semiconductor material; polishing said second surface of said layer of material to a point where a second surface of said conformal polishing stop layer on said exposed portions of said surface is encountered, such that the substantially uniform thickness of said conformal polishing stop layer on said exposed portions of said surface are used to define said material to a layer of uniform thickness and optionally removing the remaining portions of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 8

A method of providing a layer of material of uniform thickness, comprising the steps of: providing a layer of material on portions of the surface of a support structure, leaving other portions of said surface exposed; applying a conformal polishing stop layer of a substantially uniform thickness upon said material and said exposed portions of said surface, such that a first surface of said layer of material and a first surface of said conformal polishing stop layer on said exposed portions of said surface are substantially coplanar, said conformal polishing stop layer being thinner than said material; removing portions of said conformal polishing stop layer from a second surface of said layer of semiconductor material; polishing said second surface of said layer of material to a point where a second surface of said conformal polishing stop layer on said exposed portions of said surface is encountered, such that the substantially uniform thickness of said conformal polishing stop layer on said exposed portions of said surface are used to define said material to a layer of uniform thickness and optionally removing the remaining portions of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 9

A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said material is a semiconductor material, preferably silicon.

Claim 10

A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said support structure has a substantially planar surface being used as a reference plane, said reference plane preferably being the surface of an insulator layer, consisting e.g. of silicon dioxide.

Claim 13

A method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, comprising the step of providing an insulator film on exposed portions of said semiconductor material before said applying step, to prevent chemical reaction between said semiconductor material and material of said polishing stop layer.

Claim 14

A method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein said layer of semiconductor material are provided in the form of semiconductor bodies separated by isolation regions.

Claim 15

A method according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein said polishing process comprises a physical abrasion process carried out in the presence of a slurry having preferably a p H value of greater than 7 and also preferably silicon particulates.