Patent ID: 7390748

Claim:
A method for polishing a wafer, the method comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor wafer having a topography including a first topography location and a different second topography location; applying a slurry that includes an additive for forming a polishing inhibiting layer in situ across the topography, wherein the additive and a surface of the topography have opposite electrostatic charges to ensure adhesion of the polishing inhibiting layer to the surface of the topography, the polishing inhibiting layer creating a polishing rate for the topography that is non-linear with polishing pressure; wherein the additive includes one of: an anionic surfactant and a cationic surfactant and wherein the cationic surfactant includes a chemical structure selected from the group consisting of: a) [CH 3 (CH 2 ) x N(R)]M, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of: Cl, Br and I, x equals an integer between 2 and 24, and the R includes three carbon-based functional groups, each having less than eight carbon atoms; and b) C p H q QN, where Q is selected from the group consisting of: Cl, Br and I, and p>8 and q>20; and; chemical mechanical polishing the topography.