Polymeric polishing pad containing hollow polymeric microelements
First Claim
1. A polishing pad for polishing or planarizing a surface of an electronic substrate, said pad comprising a polymeric matrix impregnated with a plurality of hollow, flexible, organic polymeric microelements, said pad having a work surface and a subsurface proximate to said work surface, one portion of said polymeric microelements being at said work surface and exposed to a working environment including a polishing slurry, another portion of said polymeric microelements being embedded within said subsurface of said pad that is not exposed to said working environment, said work surface of said pad is relatively softer than said subsurface as a result of said exposure of said one portion of said polymeric microelements at said work surface to said working environment, and said subsurface becomes said relatively softer work surface during wear of said pad when said polymeric microelements are exposed to said working environment.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an article of manufacture or polishing pad for altering a surface of a workpiece, such as polishing or planarizing a semiconductor device. The article includes a polymeric matrix impregnated with a plurality of polymeric microelements, each polymeric microelement having a void space therein. The article has a work surface and a subsurface proximate to the work surface. When the article is in contact with a working environment, polymeric microelements at the work surface of the article are less rigid than polymeric elements embedded in the subsurface. As the work surface of the article is abraded during use, the work surface of the pad may be continuously regenerated. In alternative preferred embodiments, the work surface may further include a minitexture and/or a macrotexture. Preferably, the minitexture is formed by fractal patterning at least a portion of the work surface. The present invention also includes methods for decreasing the effective rigidity of polymeric microelements at the work surface of the article, regenerating the work surface of the article and planarizing a surface of a semiconductor device utilizing the article.
-
Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A polishing pad for polishing or planarizing a surface of an electronic substrate, said pad comprising a polymeric matrix impregnated with a plurality of hollow, flexible, organic polymeric microelements, said pad having a work surface and a subsurface proximate to said work surface, one portion of said polymeric microelements being at said work surface and exposed to a working environment including a polishing slurry, another portion of said polymeric microelements being embedded within said subsurface of said pad that is not exposed to said working environment, said work surface of said pad is relatively softer than said subsurface as a result of said exposure of said one portion of said polymeric microelements at said work surface to said working environment, and said subsurface becomes said relatively softer work surface during wear of said pad when said polymeric microelements are exposed to said working environment.
-
21. A polishing pad for polishing or planarizing a surface of an electronic substrate, said pad comprising a polymeric matrix impregnated with a plurality of hollow, flexible, organic polymeric microelements, said pad having a texturized work surface and a subsurface proximate to said work surface, one portion of said polymeric microelements being at said work surface and exposed to a working environment including a polishing slurry, another portion of said polymeric microelements being embedded within said subsurface of said pad that is not exposed to said working environment, said texturized work surface of said pad is relatively softer than said subsurface as a result of said exposure of said one portion of said polymeric microelements at said work surface to said working environment, and said subsurface becomes said relatively softer work surface during wear of said pad when said polymeric microelements are exposed to said working environment.
Specification