Chemical-mechanical polishing pad conditioner
US6500054B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 8, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 31, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 8, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB24B53/12
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) pad conditioner. The conditioner has a non-uniform conditioning surface with a plurality of conditioning elements. The non-uniform surface comprises a first section having a first cutting volume per unit width and a second section having a second cutting volume per unit width that is different from the first cutting volume per unit width. The difference in cutting volume may be provided by different projected widths of the individual conditioning elements, by a difference in the linear density between the two sections, or by a difference in the cutting depth. A CMP tool comprising a polishing pad, a conditioning pad having the disclosed structure, and a mechanism for moving the polishing pad relative to the pad conditioner is also provided. A method is further provided for uniformly conditioning a CMP pad using a conditioner having the structure described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.