Patent ID: 7375014
Filing Date: 2008-05-20
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of electrochemically treating a semiconductor substrate, comprising: forming a mask over the substrate; the mask having openings extending therethrough and accordingly defining two regions of the substrate; a first of the two regions being the regions under the openings and thus not covered by the mask, and a second of the two regions being portions of the substrate covered by the mask; extending the openings from the mask into the first region of the substrate and subsequently removing the mask; forming a first electrically conductive material over the first region of the semiconductor substrate and forming a second electrically conductive material over the second region of the semiconductor substrate, the first electrically conductive material extending into the openings in the substrate, and wherein the first electrically conductive material is compositionally different from the second electrically conductive material; flowing an electrical current through the first and second electrically conductive materials while exposing at least the first of the electrically conductive materials to an electrolytic solution; and selectively treating the first electrically conductive material relative to the second electrically conductive material during the flowing of the electrical current through the first and second electrically conductive materials.