Abstract: A polishing pad for use in chemical mechanical polishing of a semiconductor substrate is described. The polishing pad comprises a substantially flat disk having a polishing surface for contacting the substrate. The polishing surface, which has a central region and a peripheral region, is segmented by a set of substantially parallel linear grooves. The grooves include central grooves which traverse the central region of the polishing surface, and peripheral grooves which traverse the peripheral region of the polishing surface. The central grooves have central groove dimensions, including a central groove width and pitch. The peripheral grooves have peripheral groove dimensions, including a peripheral groove width and pitch. At least one of the central groove dimensions, i.e. the width or the pitch, is different from the corresponding peripheral groove dimension.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of making a three-dimensional fixed abrasive article, and a three dimensional fixed abrasive made thereby. The method comprises providing an abrasive composition comprising a plurality of abrasive particles and a binder precursor. The binder precursor comprises a polymerizable material consisting essentially of an ethylenically unsaturated material having one or more terminal functional groups of the same type of reactive functionality, a photoinitiator, and a thermal initiator. The abrasive composition is then applied onto a backing. The method then comprises at least partially curing the binder precursor by activating the photoinitiator, and further curing the binder precursor by activating the thermal initiator to provide a three-dimensional fixed abrasive.

Abstract: An abrasive pad removably attachable to a driven rotatable shaft and including a plurality of angularly offset abrasive members. Each abrasive member includes an outwardly facing surface having an abrasive disposed thereon. A first abrasive member is partially received within a loop formed by a second abrasive member. Likewise the second abrasive member is partially received within a loop formed by a third abrasive member. Finally, the third abrasive member is partially received within a loop formed by a fourth abrasive member. Each abrasive member is angularly offset from a radially adjacent abrasive member by approximately 45° with each abrasive member lying substantially in a single plane. Also disclosed is a method for forming such an abrasive pad.

Abstract: A liquid suspension for planarizing an outer surface of a material comprises a liquid suspension medium of a specific liquid density; and a plurality of solid, contact-sensitive abrasive particles of a constant solid density and suspended in the liquid suspension medium. The liquid and solid densities are approximately the same so that the abrasive particles freely and stably suspend in the liquid suspension medium, without gravitational separation by settling down or floating up. In this way, damaging contacts of the solid abrasive particles with one another are minimized.

Abstract: The present invention gives a method of fabricating a composite polishing pad. A first polishing pad has a glue layer on a surface of the first polishing pad and a number of hard polishing materials positioned on the glue layer. Then portions of the first polishing pad are punched off to remove portions of the hard polishing material positioned on the surface of the first polishing pad so as to form holes penetrating the first polishing pad. A second polishing pad has a glue layer on a surface of the second polishing pad, and soft polishing materials adhere to the glue layer. Then portions of the soft polishing material positioned on the surface of the second polishing pad are removed while retaining the glue layer, and the portions of the soft polishing material retained on the surface of the second polishing pad completely match the holes formed in the first polishing pad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite polishing pad, comprising. In an advantageous embodiment, the composite polishing pad includes a polishing pad member comprising a material having a predetermined hardness and an annular support member underlying a periphery of the polishing pad member, the annular support member having a hardness less than the predetermined hardness of the polishing pad member.

Abstract: A hardened skin care instrument having a file tooth portion formed by an electroplating process is disclosed. The instrument including a handle part with a recessed portion formed thereon, and a head part comprises an abrasive piece attached to the head part. The abrasive piece includes a plurality of release grooves that are produced by corroding a selected portion of a copper film laid on one surface of a base made of synthetic resin, and a plurality of file tooth portions that are formed by adhering abrasive powder to the remaining portion of the copper film by an electroplating. The release grooves and file tooth portions are arranged to cross over each other.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of making a three-dimensional fixed abrasive article, and a three dimensional fixed abrasive made thereby. The method comprises providing an abrasive composition comprising a plurality of abrasive particles and a binder precursor. The binder precursor comprises a polymerizable material consisting essentially of an ethylenically unsaturated material having one or more terminal functional groups of the same type of reactive functionality, a photoinitiator, and a thermal initiator. The abrasive composition is then applied onto a backing. The method then comprises at least partially curing the binder precursor by activating the photoinitiator, and further curing the binder precursor by activating the thermal initiator to provide a three-dimensional fixed abrasive.

Abstract: A polishing pad apparatus includes, a polishing pad, an optically transmissive window framed by an opening through the polishing pad, the window being part of an underlay, and the underlay having a perimeter that extends substantially beyond the perimeter of the window to form a fluid impermeable layer that isolates a rear surface of the window from obstruction by polishing fluid.

Abstract: Polishing pads used in the manufacturing of microelectronic devices, and apparatuses and methods for making and using such polishing pads. In one aspect of the invention, a polishing pad for planarizing microelectronic-device substrate assemblies has a backing member including a first surface and a second surface, a plurality of pattern elements distributed over the first surface of the backing member, and a hard cover layer over the pattern elements. The pattern elements define a plurality of contour surfaces projecting away from the first surface of the backing member. The cover layer at least substantially conforms to the contour surfaces of the pattern elements to form a plurality of hard nodules projecting away from the first surface of the backing member. The hard nodules define abrasive elements to contact and abrade material from a microelectronic-device substrate assembly. As such, the cover layer defines at least a portion of a planarizing surface of the polishing pad.

Abstract: Polishing pads are provided having a polishing surface formed from a material. The polishing surface has a topography produced by a thermoforming process. The topography consists of large and small features that facilitate the flow of polishing fluid and facilitate smoothing and planarizing.

Abstract: A polishing pad is provided comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, substantially parallel to one another, wherein the pad has enhanced flexibility produced by scoring of either or both surfaces. The pad thickness is generally greater than 500 &mgr;. The scoring creates slits having a depth of less than 90% of the thickness.

Abstract: An improved polishing pad, starting from a traditional sintered pad core or similar, is designed with a feature that controls the pore depth of the polishing pad. The pad interstitials are impregnated with a chosen material. This material is then liberated from the surface of the pad, by a variety of methods, leaving the remaining void space to form the desired surface texture for polishing. The invention allows for the bulk properties of the pad to remain more solid-like with a higher modules for improved planarization. At the same time a surface porosity depth is limited to both create an ideal surface texture and to allow for the polishing pad surface to remain clean and free of polishing by products and debris that tend to build-up with in the depths of a traditional sintered pad. This invention yields a polishing pad that is better suited for applications such as semiconductor wafer polishing, and the like.

Abstract: A flexible, open-pored cleaning body having at least one scouring surface (2) provided in at least one subregion with continuously formed, raised projecting ridges (3), wherein the ridges (3) have regions C,D of different heights in the direction of their extension.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible abrasive product comprised of an open cell foam backing, a foraminous barrier coating and a shaped foraminous abrasive coating.

Abstract: A rotary surface finishing tool includes a generally circular body of a finishing material, such as polymeric foam, the peripheral edge of which is wrapped around the outer edge of a circular cup-shaped backing plate. The plate is subsequently crimped over the edge of a locking ring to capture the edge of the foam material therebetween. Other types of finishing material, such as tufted wool, including a backing with a flexible peripheral edge can also be mounted to a backing plate using the crimping techniques described herein.

Abstract: A polishing pad is provided comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, substantially parallel to one another, wherein the pad has enhanced flexibility produced by scoring of either or both surfaces. The pad thickness is generally greater than 500 &mgr;. The scoring creates slits having a depth of less than 90% of the thickness.

Abstract: An abrasive molding comprising at least 90% by weight, based on the abrasive molding, of an inorganic material having a stock hardness of 50-400 kg/mm2, and said abrasive molding having a relative density of 20-70% and an average particle diameter of 0.001-50 &mgr;m. The abrasive molding preferably has pores having a pore size distribution such that the integrated pore volume of pores having a diameter of 0.01-1 &mgr;m is at least 20% of the integrated total pore volume of the entire pores, and the integrated pore volume of pores having a diameter of 1-360 &mgr;m is in the range of 10% to 70% of the integrated total pore volume of the entire pores. The abrasive molding is suitable for polishing a material having a Vickers hardness not larger than 300 kg/mm2.

Abstract: A polishing pad having a cross-sectional open area which varies with depth from the pad surface is provided. The cross-sectional open area of the pad may increase and/or decrease moving away from the outer pad surface. In some cases, the cross-sectional open area of the pad varies uniformly with depth over the entire pad. In other cases, certain regions of the pad may define local cross-sectional open areas which vary differently. This can, for example, allow the open area of the pad to vary with pad life and improve or tailor the polishing uniformity of the pad and/or extend the useful life of the pad.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed using a fixed abrasive polishing pad to perform mechanical polishing of a surface. The apparatus includes a polishing pad positioned opposing a wafer support to provide for polishing of a surface of a wafer placed on the support. The polishing pad includes a first member having a first polishing surface formed from an abrasive first material that is structurally degradable during polishing. The polishing pad also includes a second member having a second polishing surface formed from a second material that is less degradable and less abrasive relative to said first material. The first and second polishing surfaces define a polishing face that is brought into contact with the surface to be polished.

Abstract: A polymeric foam finishing pad is made by attaching an array of foam fingers to a suitable support substrate. The foam fingers are attached to the substrate in a continuous strip of interconnected fingers or may be individually inserted into a support substrate and attached to the substrate by an adhesive layer. Each of the foam members is preferably formed in and cut from an advancing foam strip and folded and inserted into a preformed opening contained in the support substrate, such that each foam member forms a pair of fingers that extend from the front face of the support substrate. The outer tip of each foam finger may include a pair of slits extending into the foam member from the outer tip to divide each outer tip into a plurality of contact tips, thereby increasing the amount of surface contact between the finishing pad and the surface being finished. The tips of the fingers may also be provided with abrasive particles to provide a more aggressive pad finishing surface.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of chemical-mechanical polishing of a surface on a semiconductor substrate by providing a fixed-abrasive polishing pad; providing a surface to be polished; and providing a chemical polishing solution containing a surface tension-lowering agent that lowers the surface tension of the solution from the nominal surface tension of water to a surface tension that sufficiently wets a hydrophobic surface to be polished such that chemical-mechanical polishing is accomplished. The present invention also comprises pad improvements that mechanically sweep the polishing solution under the pad or that receive polishing solution from the back of the pad such that a tangential and radial shear is placed on the polishing solution as it flows away from the pad.

Abstract: A polishing pad surface having a surface designed for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate surface is described. The polishing pad surface includes a first area on the surface exposed to and capable of contacting a first amount of the substrate surface during chemical-mechanical polishing and a second area on the surface exposed to and capable of contacting a second amount of the substrate surface during chemical-mechanical polishing, wherein the second amount is larger than the first amount of the substrate surface to produce a more uniformly polished substrate surface.

Abstract: Formable spreader and/or sanding apparatus for repairing damaged automobile body lines. The apparatus includes a body having a work surface. A mechanism is coupled to the body work surface for shaping the body to conform to a desired automobile body line. A sanding member may be coupled to the body. The apparatus may further include a handle removably coupled to the body.

Abstract: A flexible abrasive member comprises a porous sheet carrying deposits which consist of a metal containing abrasive particles. The deposits have been applied to the porous sheet by electroplating and the sheet has been impregnated with a coating for stabilizing the deposits, The deposits comprise at least one hollow space through which the sheet extends, which hollow space is filled with coating material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a polishing pad including a pad structure having at least first and second polishing regions defined along a polishing surface of the pad structure. The first polishing region of the pad structure is less compressible than the second polishing region of the pad structure. The present disclosure also relates to a polish platen including a platen structure having at least first and second regions adapted for supporting a polishing pad. The first region of the platen structure is less compressible than the second region of the platen structure.

Abstract: A plurality of polishing pads and methods for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of substrate assemblies with the polishing pads in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. In one embodiment, a polishing pad has a suspension medium with an exposed surface configured to face toward a substrate holder of a planarizing machine, and a plurality of reaction control elements in the suspension medium. The reaction control elements are bonded to the suspension medium in a fixed distribution across at least a portion of the exposed surface of the suspension medium to define at least a portion of a planarizing surface of the polishing pad. The reaction control elements are preferably soluble in the planarizing fluid to impart a chemical to the planarizing fluid that interacts with the substrate assembly for controlling removal of material from the substrate assembly.

Abstract: This invention provides polishing pad tiles which, by virtue of their geometry and surface features, can be arranged to form mosaic pads having channels at the seams which facilitate the flow of polishing fluid during polishing of a workpiece.

Abstract: A polymeric foam finishing pad is made by attaching a dense array of individual foam fingers to a suitable backing substrate. The fingers may be individually attached to the substrate or attached to the substrate by an intermediate foam strip to which the fingers are integrally joined. When making a circular rotary buffing pad, the foam strip is preferably attached to the substrate in a spiral pattern.

Abstract: Provided is a chemical mechanical polishing pad having grooves in its polishing surface which have a sub-surface cross-sectional span greater than the grooves' surface opening span. In this way, the edges of the groove are undercut. This provides both increased groove volume for a given pad surface area and groove depth, and variable flexibility in the polishing pad's surface. Grooves in pads of the invention also typically include a neck region at the top of the groove, where the groove side walls are substantially parallel. This provides a margin for the pad to wear during polishing without affecting the pad's surface area. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for cutting grooves in a chemical mechanical polishing pad.

Abstract: A planarizing system which significantly reduces the problems associated with non-uniform removal of surface material across the face of a semiconductor wafer or other comparable workpiece. The invention involves a planarizing apparatus that takes the leading edge of a wafer out of contact with the polishing pad while concomitantly enhancing slurry penetration and distribution at the polishing pad-wafer interface. This result is accomplished by combining: means for deflecting upward a portion of a flexible polishing pad as it passes in rotation beneath a wafer to form a raised polishing pad area, and means for positioning the wafer such that the wafer's leading edge overhangs the front edge of the raised polishing pad area during the planarization procedure. The invention also encompasses a method of using the planarizing apparatus to uniformly remove surface material across the face of a wafer.

Abstract: The present invention includes a polishing pad to improve polishing uniformity across a semiconductor substrate and a method using the polishing pad. The polishing pad has a first region that is closer to the edge of the polishing pad and a second region adjacent to the first region and further from the edge of the polishing pad. The polishing pad is configured, so that the second region is thicker or less compressible compared to the first region. The polishing pad should not require significantly changing any of the equipment. Oscillating range and possibly polishing pressure may need to be changed when one of the polishing pads of the present invention is used. Other operational parameters are not expected to be substantially different from a conventional polishing pad, although slight optimization of the other operating parameters may be needed.

Abstract: An abrasive article having sheet-like structure including a major surface extending within an imaginary plane with a plurality of individual three-dimensional abrasive composites deployed in fixed positions thereto in an array, each of the composites has abrasive particles dispersed in a binder and has a substantially precise shape and a distal end, where another imaginary plane extends parallel to and is spaced from the first imaginary plane and intersects the lowest distal end among the composites, wherein any imaginary line drawn within the latter-mentioned imaginary plane in the direction(s) of intended use intersect at least one cross-section among the abrasive composites in the array. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing such an abrasive article and its usage to refine a work surface.

Abstract: A rotatable foam buff for more efficient application of a finishing liquid to the surface of a workpiece. Excess finishing liquid is precluded from being thrown out from the perimeter of the rotating buff pad, due to centrifugal force, by the configuration of the finishing surface of the pad which includes one or more grooves located wholly within the perimeter of the pad, or, recessed regions that form a groove when pressure is applied to the back of the pad. The groove(s) captures potentially escaping finishing liquid which is then absorbed by the foam pad.

Abstract: An abrasive article having a sheet-like structure having a major surface and having deployed in a fixed position thereon a plurality of abutting abrasive composites in an area spacing of at least 1,200 composites/cm.sup.2, each of the composites comprising a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed in a binder. The invention also relates to a method for reducing a surface finish of a workpiece surface using the abrasive article and a process for making the abrasive article of the invention.

Abstract: A flexible honeycomb panel containing wire or other abrasive material for abrading a workpiece, including a honeycomb core embedded with a quantity of abrasive material, and a facing sheet. The honeycomb core is formed of undulating strips of resilient thermoplastic material that are thermal compression bonded together to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells. The abrasive material is contained within the strips. The facing sheet, formed of resilient thermoplastic material, is thermal compression bonded to a face of the core. The bonding is accomplished by simultaneously applying heat and pressure to the joinder of the facing sheet and the core. The opposite face of the core remains uncovered. In use, the uncovered face of the core is brought into rubbing contact with the workpiece.