Patent ID: 7220362

Claim:
A method of forming a planarized layer on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of: cleaning the substrate, forming the layer having a surface with relatively high portions and relatively low portions, forming a resistive mask over the relatively high portions of the layer and not over the relatively low portions of the layer, treating the surface of the layer to make it more resistive to planarization, where the relatively low portions of the layer are exposed to the treatment and the relatively high portions of the layer underlying the resistive mask are not exposed to the treatment, removing the resistive mask from the surface of the layer, and planarizing the surface of the layer, where the relatively high portions of the layer are eroded at a first rate and the relatively low portions of the layer are eroded at a second rate that is less than the first rate due to the treatment received by the relatively low portions of the layer, to provide a planarized layer.