| US 7,578,923 B2 | ||
| Electropolishing system and process | ||
| Bulent M. Basol, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (US); and Homayoun Talieh, San Jose, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Novellus Systems, Inc., San Jose, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 18, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/391,924. | ||
| Application 09/877335 is a division of application No. 09/283024, filed on Mar. 30, 1999, granted, now 6,251,235. | ||
| Application 09/877335 is a division of application No. 10/391924. | ||
| Application 09/607567 is a division of application No. 09/201929, filed on Dec. 01, 1998, granted, now 6,176,992. | ||
| Application 10/391924 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/093185, filed on Mar. 05, 2002, granted, now 6,958,114. | ||
| Application 10/093185 is a continuation of application No. 09/877335, filed on Jun. 07, 2001, granted, now 6,471,847. | ||
| Application 10/391924 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/302213, filed on Nov. 22, 2002, abandoned. | ||
| Application 10/302213 is a continuation of application No. 09/685934, filed on Oct. 11, 2000, granted, now 6,497,800. | ||
| Application 10/302213 is a continuation of application No. 10/391924. | ||
| Application 10/391924 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/238665, filed on Sep. 09, 2002, granted, now 6,902,659. | ||
| Application 10/238665 is a continuation of application No. 09/607567, filed on Jun. 29, 2000, granted, now 6,676,822. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/425694, filed on Nov. 12, 2002. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/190023, filed on Mar. 17, 2000. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0007478 A1, Jan. 15, 2004 Prior Publication US 2008/0099344 A9, May 01, 2008 |
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| Int. Cl. C25F 3/02 (2006.01); B23H 5/06 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 205—663 [205/147] | 19 Claims |
| 1. A process for electropolishing a surface of a conductive layer of a workpiece, the process comprising:
immersing a plurality of contact electrodes in a contact solution;
contacting a portion of the surface of the conductive layer with the contact solution to define a plurality of contact regions
opposite to each of the contact electrodes;
immersing a process electrode in a process solution;
contacting a portion of the surface of the conductive layer with the process solution to define a plurality of process regions;
applying an electrical potential between the plurality of contact electrodes and the process electrode to electropolish the
surface of the conductive layer in the plurality of process regions, each of the plurality of contact electrodes and the process
electrode being spaced from the conductive layer while applying the electrical potential; and
touching the surface of the conductive layer with a top surface of a pad to planarize the surface of the conductive layer
while applying the electrical potential.
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