Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a smoothing pad for bare semiconductor wafers the smoothing pad for bare semiconductor wafers. The smoothing pad comprises a smoothing body having a closed-cell thermoplastic foam comprising an ethylene vinyl acetate block copolymer comprising a vinyl acetate content ranging from about 1 to about 18 wt %. The smoothing body is substantially free of particles having an average size of greater than about 1 micron. Other aspects of the invention comprise a method of preparing a bare semiconductor wafer and a method of manufacturing a pad for smoothing bare semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a chemical mechanical polishing pad comprising a closed-cell thermoplastic foam polishing body. The polishing body comprises an ethylene vinyl acetate block copolymer. The ethylene vinyl acetate block copolymer comprises a vinyl acetate content ranging from about 1 to about 18 wt %. The closed-cell thermoplastic foam polishing body also comprises filler particles comprising an average size ranging from about 1 to about 20 microns. Other aspects of the invention comprise a method for manufacturing the above-described chemical mechanical polishing pad and chemical mechanical polishing apparatus comprising the chemical mechanical polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a chemical mechanical polishing pad comprising a polishing body and a backing material coupled to the polishing body. The polishing body comprising a compacted thermoplastic foam substrate, wherein the compacted thermoplastic foam substrate has a density that is as at least about 1.1 times greater than an uncompacted thermoplastic foam substrate density. Other aspects of the invention comprise a method for manufacturing the above-described chemical mechanical polishing pad and chemical mechanical polishing apparatus comprising the chemical mechanical polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a polishing pad comprising a polishing body. The polishing body comprises a thermoplastic foam substrate having a surface comprising concave cells. The thermoplastic foam substrate comprises a blend of cross-linked ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and polyethylene. The thermoplastic foam substrate has a hardness ranging from about 24 Shore A to about 100 Shore A. Other embodiments include a method for preparing the polishing pad, a polishing apparatus that includes the polishing pad, and a method of polishing a semiconductor substrate using the polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for predicting a performance characteristic of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pad. The method comprises providing a CMP pad having a polishing surface and measuring a frictional property of the polishing surface. The method further includes estimating a performance characteristic of the CMP pad based on the frictional property. Other aspects of the present invention include a quality control system for monitoring chemical mechanical polishing pad performance.

Abstract: The present invention provides in one embodiment, a polishing pad 100 for chemical mechanical polishing. The polishing pad comprises a polishing body 110. The polishing body comprises a thermoplastic foam substrate 115 having a surface 120 comprising concave cells 125. A polishing agent 130 coats an interior surface 135 of the concave cells. The polishing agent comprises an inorganic metal oxide that includes carbides or nitrides. Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method for preparing a polishing pad 200.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a method for making high yields of functionalized cyclic or acyclic tertiary amine-containing compounds, termed active esters, the functionalized compounds themselves, and diagnostic or therapeutic systems incorporating such compounds. Ester groups are attached to all but one of its Nitrogen atoms of the tertiary amine-containing compound. Therefore, an active agent, in the presence of coupling agent, attaches to the remaining amine via a carboxylate group attached to the amine, to produce high yields of the active ester. The active ester is then combined with a biomolecule, to produce high yields of a bioconjugated product. A metal ion may be chelated to the bioconjugated product to produce a chelating agent for use in either diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a method of polishing a surface on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers and, more specifically, to a polishing pad suitable for this purpose. The polishing pad comprises a polishing body that includes a cross-linked polymer material, and may be incorporated into a polishing apparatus. Polishing includes positioning the substrate containing at least one layer against the polishing body and polishing the layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides, chemical mechanical polishing pad with improved polishing properties and longevity for polishing semiconductor wafers. The polishing pad comprises a thermoplastic backing film and a pressure sensitive adhesive coupled to the thermoplastic backing film. The pressure sensitive adhesive is configured to couple a chemical mechanical polishing pad to a polishing platen. The pressure sensitive adhesive is further configured to provide an interface capable of substantially preventing delamination of the polishing pad from the polishing platen for at least about 4 days exposure to a polishing slurry medium having a pH of about 4 or higher.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for preparing a polymer for chemical mechanical polishing of a semiconductor substrate. The method comprises providing a thermoplastic foam substrate and exposing the substrate to an initial plasma reactant to produce a modified surface thereon. The method also includes exposing the modified surface to a secondary plasma reactant to create a grafted surface on the modified surface. An electrode temperature is maintained between about 20° C. and about 100° C. during the exposures of the substrate and the modified surface.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a method of planarizing a surface on a semiconductor wafer and, more specifically, to a method of altering the properties of polishing pads to improve thermal management during chemical-mechanical planarization, the resulting heat conductive pad and a polishing apparatus that includes the pad. The pad includes a polishing body composed of a thermoconductive polymer comprising an substrate and filler particle containing a Group II salt and within the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides, chemical mechanical polishing pad with improved polishing properties and longevity for polishing semiconductor wafers. The polishing pad comprises a thermoplastic backing film and a pressure sensitive adhesive coupled to the thermoplastic backing film. The pressure sensitive adhesive is configured to couple a chemical mechanical polishing pad to a polishing platen. The pressure sensitive adhesive is further configured to provide an interface capable of substantially preventing delamination of the polishing pad from the polishing platen for at least about 4 days exposure to a polishing slurry medium having a pH of about 4 or higher.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to packaged polishing pads for chemical mechanical polishing of semiconductor wafers and integrated circuits. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method of preparing and packing the pad and the packaging therefor. Prior to placing the pad on a platen and polishing with the pad, a polishing pad having an hygroscopic absorbency is soaked with an aqueous media for a time sufficient to equilibrate the pad. The pad maybe packaged by placement in a sealable moisture tight package after soaking or before soaking along with a sufficient quantity of aqueous media to allow the pad to equilibrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a slurry for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) a metal surface of a semiconductor substrate with a polyurethane-free thermoplastic foam polishing body. The slurry includes an abrasive particle stabilizer and an acid buffer that maintains the slurry at a pH between about 2.5 and about 4.0 during polishing of a metal surface on a semiconductor substrate. In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a CMP polishing system. The polishing system comprises a slurry that maintains a pH between about 1 and about 6 during polishing of a metal surface on a semiconductor substrate. The system further includes a polishing pad that includes a polishing body having a polyurethane-free thermoplastic foam substrate that cooperates with the slurry to remove portions of the metal surface during said polishing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for measuring the surface properties of polishing pads using non-contact ultrasonic reflectance. An ultrasonic probe is located over the polishing surface and configured to both transmit an ultrasonic signal to the polishing surface and receive a modified ultrasonic signal from the polishing surface without contacting the polishing surface. A subsystem coupled to the ultrasonic probe is configured to determine a surface property of the polishing pad from the modified signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides, polishing pad with improved polishing properties and longevity. The pad is comprised of a thermoplastic foam substrate having a surface comprised of concave cells. A polishing agent coats an interior surface of the concave cells. The invention includes a method for preparing the polishing pad, and a polishing apparatus comprising the polishing pad.

Abstract: To address the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a polishing pad comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a method of manufacturing therefor. More specifically, the present invention polishing pad fabricated from an extruded amorphous thermoplastic and free of a gate vestige. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing a polishing pad that is free from a gate vestige pad from an extruded amorphous thermoplastic.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for measuring the surface properties of polishing pads using noncontact ultrasonic reflectance. An ultrasonic probe is located over the polishing surface and configured to both transmit an ultrasonic signal to the polishing surface and receive a modified ultrasonic signal from the polishing surface without contacting the polishing surface. A subsystem coupled to the ultrasonic probe is configured to determine a surface property of the polishing pad from the modified signal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to a polymer with altered properties to make the pad more suitable for use in customized semiconductor, in particular, shallow trench isolation chemical mechanical polishing applications. A method of preparing such polymers comprises exposing a plastic substrate to a supercritical fluid containing a precursor. By virtue of the reactive environment provided by the supercritical fluid, the precursor is grafted throughout the plastic, thereby changing its bulk properties. A wide variety of grafted compounds, including inorganic, wetability and inorganic-organic compounds, may thus be incorporated into the plastic to form a new polymer endowed with new set of favorable polishing properties.

Abstract: The present invention is directed, in general, to an improved material and method of planarizing a surface on a semiconductor wafer and, more specifically, to a method of altering the properties of polymers, preferably thermoplastic foam polymers, used in polishing applications. The chemical and mechanical properties thermoplastic foam substrates can be transformed by inorganic, inorganic-organic, and or organic—organic grafting techniques, such that the polymer foam is endowed with new set of properties that more desirable and suitable for polishing.