Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising (a) a first polishing layer comprising a polishing surface and a first aperture having a first length and first width, (b) a second layer comprising a body and a second aperture having a second length and second width, wherein the second layer is substantially coextensive with the first polishing layer and at least one of the first length and first width is smaller than the second length and second width, and (c) a substantially transparent window portion, wherein the transparent window portion is disposed within the second aperture of the second layer so as to be aligned with the first aperture of the first polishing layer and the transparent window portion is separated from the body of the second layer by a gap. The invention further provides a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus and method of polishing a workpiece.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a noble metal comprising (i) contacting the substrate with a CMP system and (ii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate. The CMP system comprises an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a liquid carrier, and a sulfonic acid compound.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of polishing a silicon-containing dielectric layer involving the use of a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising (a) an inorganic abrasive, (b) a polishing additive, and (c) a liquid carrier, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 4 to about 6. The polishing additive comprises a functional group having a pKa of about 4 to about 9 and is selected from the group consisting of arylamines, aminoalcohols, aliphatic amines, heterocyclic amines, hydroxamic acids, aminocarboxylic acids, cyclic monocarboxylic acids, unsaturated monocarboxylic acids, substituted phenols, sulfonamides, thiols, salts thereof, and combinations thereof. The invention is further directed to the chemical-mechanical polishing system, wherein the inorganic abrasive is ceria.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing system and method comprising a liquid carrier, a polishing pad and/or an abrasive, and at least one amine-containing polymer, wherein the amine-containing polymer has about 5 or more sequential atoms separating the nitrogen atoms of the amino functional groups or is a block copolymer with at least one polymer block comprising one or more amine functional groups and at least one polymer block not comprising any amine functional groups.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising an abrasive, a carrier, and either boric acid, or a conjugate base thereof, wherein the boric acid and conjugate base are not present together in the polishing system in a sufficient amount to act as a pH buffer, or a water-soluble boron-containing compound, or salt thereof, that is not boric acid, and a method of polishing a substrate using the chemical-mechanical polishing system.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a body, a polishing surface, and a plurality of elongated pores, wherein about 10% or more of the elongated pores have an aspect ratio of about 3:1 or greater and are substantially oriented in a direction that is coplanar with the polishing surface. The invention further provides a method of polishing a substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a chemical-mechanical polishing pad having at least one optically transmissive region comprising (i) providing a polishing pad comprising an aperture, (ii) inserting an optically transmissive window into the aperture of the polishing pad, and (iii) bonding the optically transmissive window to the polishing pad by ultrasonic welding.

Abstract: The invention is directed to chemical-mechanical polishing pads comprising a transparent window. In one embodiment, the transparent window comprises an inorganic material and an organic material, wherein the inorganic material comprises about 20 wt. % or more of the transparent window. In another embodiment, the transparent window comprises an inorganic material and an organic material, wherein the inorganic material is dispersed throughout the organic material and has a dimension of about 5 to 1000 nm, and wherein the transparent window has a total light transmittance of about 30% or more at at least one wavelength in the range of about 200 to 10,000 nm. In yet another embodiment, the transparent window comprises an inorganic/organic hybrid sol-gel material. In an additional embodiment, the transparent window comprises a polymer resin and a clarifying material, wherein the transparent window has a total light transmittance that is substantially higher than a window comprising only the polymeric resin.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of polishing a substrate comprising a lanthanide-containing metal oxide material. The method comprises the steps of (i) providing a polishing system comprising (a) an abrasive, a polishing pad, or a combination thereof, (b) an acid, and (c) a liquid carrier, (ii) providing a substrate comprising a metal oxide layer, wherein the metal oxide layer comprises at least one lanthanide series element, and (iii) abrading at least a portion of the metal oxide layer with the polishing system to polish the substrate. The lanthanide-containing metal oxide material can be a lanthanide oxide, a doped lanthanide oxide, a lanthanide-doped metal oxide, a lanthanide perovskite, or any other suitable lanthanide-containing mixed metal oxide material, in particular those used as solid electrode and solid electrolyte materials in gas sensor and fuel cell devices.

Abstract: The invention provides polishing pads for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a porous foam and a method for their production. In one embodiment, the porous foam has an average pore size of about 50 ?m or less, wherein about 75% or more of the pores have a pore size within about 20 ?m or less of the average pore size. In another embodiment, porous foam has an average pore size of about 20 ?m or less. In yet another embodiment, the porous foam has a multi-modal pore size distribution. The method of production comprises (a) combining a polymer resin with a supercritical gas to produce a single-phase solution and (b) forming a polishing pad from the single-phase solution, wherein the supercritical gas is generated by subjecting a gas to an elevated temperature and pressure.

Abstract: The invention provides polishing pads for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a porous foam and a method for their production. In one embodiment, the porous foam has an average pore size of about 50 ?m or less, wherein about 75% or more of the pores have a pore size within about 20 ?m or less of the average pore size. In another embodiment, porous foam has an average pore size of about 20 ?m or less. In yet another embodiment, the porous foam has a multi-modal pore size distribution. The method of production comprises (a) combining a polymer resin with a supercritical gas to produce a single-phase solution and (b) forming a polishing pad from the single-phase solution, wherein the supercritical gas is generated by subjecting a gas to an elevated temperature and pressure.

Abstract: The invention provides polishing pads for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a porous foam and a method for their production. In one embodiment, the porous foam has an average pore size of about 50 ?m or less, wherein about 75% or more of the pores have a pore size within about 20 ?m or less of the average pore size. In another embodiment, porous foam has an average pore size of about 20 ?m or less. In yet another embodiment, the porous foam has a multi-modal pore size distribution. The method of production comprises (a) combining a polymer resin with a supercritical gas to produce a single-phase solution and (b) forming a polishing pad from the single-phase solution, wherein the supercritical gas is generated by subjecting a gas to an elevated temperature and pressure.

Abstract: The invention provides polishing pads for chemical-mechanical polishing comprising a porous foam and a method for their production. In one embodiment, the porous foam has an average pore size of about 50 ?m or less, wherein about 75% or more of the pores have a pore size within about 20 ?m of less of the average pore size. In another embodiment, porous foam has an average pore size of about 20 ?m or less. In yet another embodiment, the porous foam has a multi-modal pore size distribution. The method of production comprises (a) combining a polymer resin with a supercritical gas to produce a single-phase solution and (b) forming a polishing pad from the single-phase solution, wherein the supercritical gas is generated by subjecting a gas to an elevated temperature and pressure.

Abstract: A method of polishing or planarizing a substrate comprising abrading at least a portion of the surface of a substrate comprising a metal, metal oxide, metal composite, or mixture thereof, with a composition comprising a metal oxide abrasive and a liquid carrier, wherein the composition has a pH of about 7 or less and the metal oxide abrasive has a total surface hydroxyl group density no greater than about 3 hydroxyl groups per nm2.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of polishing a substrate comprising (i) providing a substrate comprising an organic polymer film, (ii) contacting the substrate with a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising a liquid carrier, an abrasive and/or polishing pad, a peroxy-type oxidizer, and a metal compound with two or more oxidation states, wherein the metal compound is soluble in the liquid carrier, and (iii) abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.