Patent ID: 6841479

Claim:
A method of polishing a substrate comprising the following sequential steps: (a) providing a substrate comprising (i) a first layer comprising an insulating material, (ii) a second layer comprising a filling material that differs from the insulating material, and (iii) a plurality of field and trench regions; (b) infiltrating a polymeric material over the substrate, wherein the polymeric material fills the trench regions and covers the field regions; (c) removing the polymeric material from the field regions to expose the filling material in the field regions; (d) subjecting the substrate to a temperature of about 100° C. or more for about 30 minutes or longer to bake the substrate, such that the polymeric material in the trench regions becomes recessed below the insulating material of the field regions (e) depositing a layer of additional material with a higher modulus than the polymeric material over the polymeric material in the trench regions and the filling material in the field regions; and (f) polishing or etching the substrate to remove the additional material and filling material from the field regions of the substrate and to make the additional material in the trench regions substantially planar with or recessed below the insulating material of the field regions.