Abstract: This invention relates to polishing pads and a method for making the polishing pad surface readily machineable thereby facilitating permanent alteration of the polishing pad surface to create an advantageous micro-texture. The advantageous micro-texture is statistically uniform and provides a polishing pad with improved break-in preconditioning time. Polishing pads of this invention find application to the polishing/planarization of substrates such as glass, dielectric/metal composites and substrates containing copper, silicon, silicon dioxide, platinum, and tungsten typically encountered in integrated circuit fabrication.

Abstract: A statistically uniform micro-texture on a polishing pad surface improves break-in preconditioning time, and is measured by: Land Surface Roughness, Ra, from about 0.01 &mgr;m to about 25 &mgr;m; Average Peak to Valley Roughness, Rtm, from about 2 &mgr;m to about 40 &mgr;m; Core roughness depth, Rk, from about 1 to about 10; Reduced Peak Height, Rpk, from about 0.1 to about 5; Reduced Valley Height, Rvk, from about 0.1 to about 10; and Peak density expressed as a surface area ratio, RSA, ([Surf.Area/(Area−1)]), 0.001 to 2.0.

Abstract: This invention relates to polishing pads and a method for making the polishing pad surface readily machineable thereby facilitating permanent alteration of the polishing pad surface to create an advantageous micro-texture. The advantageous micro-texture is statistically uniform and provides a polishing pad with improved break-in preconditioning time. Polishing pads of this invention find application to the polishing/planarization of substrates such as glass, dielectric/metal composites and substrates containing copper, silicon, silicon dioxide, platinum, and tungsten typically encountered in integrated circuit fabrication.

Abstract: A polishing pad is formed by solidifying a flowable polymeric material at different rates of cooling to provide a polishing pad with a transparent region and an adjacent opaque region. Types of polymeric material suitable for making the polishing pad include a single thermoplastic material, a blend of thermoplastic materials, and a reactive thermosetting polymer.

Abstract: A polishing pad is formed as a one-piece article having a region which is transparent and an adjacent region which is opaque. The article is formed by solidifying a flowable polymeric material which at least initially has a uniform composition. The flowable polymeric material is processed during a molding operation to provide the transparent region and the adjacent opaque region. Types of polymeric material suitable for making the polishing pad include a single thermoplastic material, a blend of thermoplastic materials, and a reactive thermosetting polymer.