Patent ID: 6935933

Claim:
A method for planarizing a surface of an electrically conductive layer on a substrate, where the surface of the electrically conductive layer has relatively high features and relatively low features, the method comprising the steps of: applying a viscous material to the surface of the electrically conductive layer, whereby at least the relatively low features are covered by the viscous material, immersing the substrate in an electrically conductive solution that does not contain appreciable amounts of the viscous material, which immersing occurs after the viscous material has been applied to the surface of the electrically conductive layer, applying an electrical potential between the electrically conductive layer and an electrode within the electrically conductive solution, whereby reaction kinetics favor erosion of the electrically conductive layer, and agitating the electrically conductive solution to a degree known to selectively uncover features that are relatively high to a desired degree, and thereby preferentially planarizing at least the features that are relatively high.