Abstract: A polishing pad has a polishing layer comprising a polymer matrix comprising the reaction product of an isocyanate terminated urethane prepolymer and a chlorine-free aromatic polyamine cure agent and chlorine-free microelements. The microelements can be expanded, hollow microelements. The microelements can have a specific gravity measured of 0.01 to 0.2. The microelements can have a volume averaged particle size of 1 to 120 or 15 to 30 micrometers. The polishing layer is chlorine free.

Abstract: A polishing pad for chemical mechanical polishing comprises a polishing layer that comprises a polymer matrix that is the reaction product of an isocyanate terminated prepolymer with a curative, wherein the polymer matrix has hard segments and soft segments wherein multi-lobed polymeric elements formed from pre-expanded polymeric microspheres are present in the polymer matrix. The polishing pad can be made by preparing a pre-blend of the isocyanate terminated prepolymer and the pre-expanded fluid filled polymeric microspheres in a stirred tank; pumping a portion of the pre-blend from a bottom of the stirred tank through a conduit and recycling to a top region of the stirred tank, mixing a portion of the pre-blend with the curative to form a mixture, casting the mixture in a mold, curing the mixture in the mold.

Abstract: A polishing pad suitable for polishing at least one of semiconductor, optical, magnetic or electromechanical substrates comprises: a polishing layer including a polyurea having a soft phase and a hard phase, the soft phase being a copolymer of aliphatic fluorine-free species and a fluorinated aliphatic species, the polyurea being cured with a curing agent where the hard phase comprises crystallinity where the polyurea is characterized by a melting point of at least 230° C.

Abstract: A polishing pad has a polishing layer comprising a polymer matrix comprising the reaction product of an isocyanate terminated urethane prepolymer and a chlorine-free aromatic polyamine cure agent and chlorine-free microelements. The microelements can be expanded, hollow microelements. The microelements can have a specific gravity measured of 0.01 to 0.2. The microelements can have a volume averaged particle size of 1 to 120 or 15 to 30 micrometers. The polishing layer is chlorine free.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. The polishing pad includes a polymeric matrix, the polymeric matrix having a polishing surface. In addition, polymeric microelements are distributed within the polymeric matrix and at the polishing surface of the polymeric matrix. The polymeric microelements have an outer surface and being fluid-filled for creating texture at the polishing surface. And alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing regions are distributed within each of the polymeric microelements and spaced to coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements.

Abstract: The invention provides a plurality of polymeric particles embedded with alkaline-earth metal oxide. The gas-filled polymeric microelements have a shell and a density of 5 g/liter to 200 g/liter. The shell has an outer surface and a diameter of 5 ?m to 200 ?m with the outer surface of the shell of the gas-filled polymeric particles having alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing particles embedded in the polymer. The alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing particles have an average particle size of 0.01 to 3 ?m distributed within each of the polymeric microelements to coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements.

Abstract: The invention involves a method of preparing an alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. The method includes introducing a feed stream of gas-filled polymeric microelements into a gas jet, the polymeric microelements having varied density, varied wall thickness and varied particle size. The method passes the polymeric microelements in the gas jet adjacent a Coanda block, the Coanda block having a curved wall for separating the polymeric microelements with Coanda effect, inertia and gas flow resistance. Then it separates various alkaline earth metal oxide constituents from the curved wall of the Coanda block to clean the polymeric microelements.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. The polishing pad includes a polymeric matrix, the polymeric matrix having a polishing surface. In addition, polymeric microelements are distributed within the polymeric matrix and at the polishing surface of the polymeric matrix. The polymeric microelements have an outer surface and being fluid-filled for creating texture at the polishing surface. And alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing regions are distributed within each of the polymeric microelements paced to coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements.

Abstract: The invention involves a method of preparing an alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. The method includes introducing a feed stream of gas-filled polymeric micro elements into a gas jet, the polymeric microelements having varied density, varied wall thickness and varied particle size. The method passes the polymeric microelements in the gas jet adjacent a Coanda block, the Coanda block having a curved wall for separating the polymeric microelements with Coanda effect, inertia and gas flow resistance. Then it separates various alkaline earth metal oxide constituents from the curved wall of the Coanda block to clean the polymeric microelements.

Abstract: The invention provides a plurality of polymeric particles embedded with alkaline-earth metal oxide. The gas-filled polymeric microelements have a shell and a density of 5 g/liter to 200 g/liter. The shell has an outer surface and a diameter of 5 ?m to 200 ?m with the outer surface of the shell of the gas-filled polymeric particles having alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing particles embedded in the polymer. The alkaline-earth metal oxide-containing particles have an average particle size of 0.01 to 3 ?m distributed within each of the polymeric microelements to coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements.

Abstract: The invention provides a plurality of polymeric particles embedded with silicate that include gas-filled polymeric microelements. The gas-filled polymeric microelements have a shell and a density of 5 g/liter to 200 g/liter. The shell having an outer surface and a diameter of 5 ?m to 200 ?m with silicate particles embedded in the polymer. The silicate particles have an average particle size of 0.01 to 3 ?m. The silicate-containing regions are spaced to coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements; and less than 0.1 weight percent total of the polymeric microelements is associated with i) silicate particles having a particle size of greater than 5 ?m; ii) silicate-containing regions covering greater than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements; and iii) polymeric micro elements agglomerated with silicate particles to an average cluster size of greater than 120 ?m.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. It includes a polymeric matrix having a polishing surface. Polymeric microelements are distributed within the polymeric matrix and at the polishing surface of the polymeric matrix. Silicate-containing regions distributed within each of the polymeric microelements coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements. Less than 0.1 weight percent total of the polymeric microelements are associated with i) silicate particles having a particle size of greater than 5 ?m; ii) silicate-containing regions covering greater than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements; and iii) polymeric microelements agglomerated with silicate particles to an average cluster size of greater than 120 ?m.

Abstract: The method provides a method of preparing a silicate-containing polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. The method includes introducing a feed stream of gas-filled polymeric microelements into a gas jet. The polymeric microelements have varied densities, varied wall thickness and varied particle size. Passing the gas-filled microelements in the gas jet adjacent a Coanda block, the Coanda block having a curved wall for separates the polymeric microelements with Coanda effect, inertia and gas flow resistance. The coarse polymeric microelements from the curved wall of the Coanda block to clean the polymeric microelements. The polymeric microelements collected contain less than 0.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. It includes a polymeric matrix having a polishing surface. Polymeric microelements are distributed within the polymeric matrix and at the polishing surface of the polymeric matrix. Silicate-containing regions distributed within each of the polymeric microelements coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements. Less than 0.1 weight percent total of the polymeric microelements are associated with i) silicate particles having a particle size of greater than 5 ?m; ii) silicate-containing regions covering greater than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements; and iii) polymeric microelements agglomerated with silicate particles to an average cluster size of greater than 120 ?m.

Abstract: The invention provides a plurality of polymeric particles embedded with silicate that include gas-filled polymeric microelements. The gas-filled polymeric microelements have a shell and a density of 5 g/liter to 200 g/liter. The shell having an outer surface and a diameter of 5 ?m to 200 ?m with silicate particles embedded in the polymer. The silicate particles have an average particle size of 0.01 to 3 ?m. The silicate-containing regions are spaced to coat less than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements; and less than 0.1 weight percent total of the polymeric microelements is associated with i) silicate particles having a particle size of greater than 5 ?m; ii) silicate-containing regions covering greater than 50 percent of the outer surface of the polymeric microelements; and iii) polymeric micro elements agglomerated with silicate particles to an average cluster size of greater than 120 ?m.

Abstract: The method provides a method of preparing a silicate-containing polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of semiconductor, magnetic and optical substrates. The method includes introducing a feed stream of gas-filled polymeric microelements into a gas jet. The polymeric microelements have varied densities, varied wall thickness and varied particle size. Passing the gas-filled microelements in the gas jet adjacent a Coanda block, the Coanda block having a curved wall for separates the polymeric microelements with Coanda effect, inertia and gas flow resistance. The coarse polymeric microelements from the curved wall of the Coanda block to clean the polymeric microelements. The polymeric microelements collected contain less than 0.