Patent ID: 7446041

Claim:
A method for electroprocessing a substrate, comprising: establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between an exposed layer of barrier material on the substrate and an electrode; pressing the substrate against a processing pad assembly; providing motion between the substrate and pad assembly in contact therewith; detecting an endpoint of a first electrochemical processing step at or just prior to breakthrough of the exposed layer of barrier material; electrochemically processing the exposed layer of barrier material in a second electrochemical processing step in the barrier processing station; detecting an endpoint of the second electrochemical processing step; and electrochemically removing a portion of the exposed layer during the electrochemical processing steps in a barrier processing station, wherein the electrochemical processing steps of removing the exposed layer further comprises: detecting a first endpoint; electroprocessing the substrate at a slower rate; detecting a second endpoint indicative of residual barrier material being cleared from the substrate; and overpolishing the substrate after detection of the second endpoint.