Conditioning element for electrochemical mechanical processing

Abstract

Embodiments of a conditioning element for conditioning a processing pad are provided herein. In one embodiment, a conditioning element for conditioning a processing pad includes a body having a face. A plurality of diamond particles are disposed on the face and define a conditioning surface. The diamond particles are of a type selected from the group consisting of very blocky ( 4 D), blocky ( 3 D), and irregular ( 2 D), and have a shape ratio less than or equal to 1.2. In one embodiment, the diamond particles have an average size of between about 85 and about 115 μm. In one embodiment, the size of the diamond particles may have a standard of deviation that is less than about 5 μm. In one embodiment, the diamond particles may have a spacing of greater than 400 μm.

1 . A conditioning element for conditioning a processing pad, comprising: 
 a body having a back adapted to be coupled to a conditioning head assembly and an opposing face; and    a plurality of diamond particles disposed on the face and defining a conditioning surface;    wherein the plurality of diamond particles are of a type selected from the group consisting of very blocky ( 4 D), blocky ( 3 D), and irregular ( 2 D), and have a shape ratio from 1 to 1.2.    
   
   
       2 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles have an average size of between about 85 and about 115 μm.  
   
   
       3 . The conditioning element of  claim 2 , wherein the standard of deviation of the size of the diamond particles is less than about 5 μm.  
   
   
       4 . The conditioning element of  claim 2 , wherein the diamond particles have a spacing of greater than 400 μm.  
   
   
       5 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the standard of deviation of the size of the diamond particles is less than or equal to about 5 μm.  
   
   
       6 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles have a spacing of greater than 400 μm.  
   
   
       7 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles have a distribution of between about 251 and about 261 particles per square cm.  
   
   
       8 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles protrude between about 35 and about 65 μm from the face of the body.  
   
   
       9 . The conditioning element of  claim 8 , wherein an uppermost portion of each of the diamond particles are leveled to have a height of tips of the diamond particles to be within a range of between about 30 and about 50 μm.  
   
   
       10 . The conditioning element of  claim 8 , wherein the conditioning surface has a flatness of between about −30 and about 30 μm.  
   
   
       11 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein an uppermost portion of each of the diamond particles are leveled to have a height of tips of the diamond particles to be within a range of between about 30 and about 50 μm.  
   
   
       12 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioning surface has a flatness of between about −30 and about 30 μm.  
   
   
       13 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the edges of the conditioning surface are relieved.  
   
   
       14 . The conditioning element of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a back adapted to be coupled to a conditioning head assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The conditioning element of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of holes formed in the back of the body for alignment with a locating pin protruding from the conditioning head assembly.    
   
   
       16 . The conditioning element of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 one or more threaded holes formed in the back of the body for coupling the conditioning element to the conditioning head assembly.    
   
   
       17 . A conditioning element for conditioning a processing pad, comprising: 
 a circular body having a face; and    a plurality of diamond particles disposed in an annular pattern on the face and defining an annular conditioning surface;    wherein the diamond particles are of a type selected from the group consisting of very blocky ( 4 D), blocky ( 3 D), and irregular ( 2 D), and have a shape ratio from 1 to 1.2, wherein the diamond particles have an average size of between about 85 and about 115 μm, and wherein the standard of deviation of the size of the diamond particles is less than about 5 μm.    
   
   
       18 . The conditioning element of  claim 17 , wherein the diamond particles have a spacing of greater than 400 μm.  
   
   
       19 . The conditioning element of  claim 17 , wherein the diamond particles have a distribution of between about 251 and about 261 particles per square cm.  
   
   
       20 . The conditioning element of  claim 17 , wherein the diamond particles protrude between about 35 and about 65 μm from the face of the body.  
   
   
       21 . The conditioning element of  claim 17 , wherein an uppermost portion of each of the diamond particles are leveled to have a height of tips of the diamond particles to be within a range of between about 30 and about 50 μm.  
   
   
       22 . The conditioning element of  claim 17 , wherein the conditioning surface has a flatness of between about −30 and about 30 μm.  
   
   
       23 . The conditioning element of  claim 17 , wherein the body further comprises a back adapted to be coupled to a conditioning head assembly.  
   
   
       24 . A conditioning element for conditioning a processing pad, comprising: 
 a disk-shaped body having a face; and    a plurality of diamond particles disposed on the face and defining a conditioning surface having a flatness of between about −30 and about 30 μm;    wherein the diamond particles are of a type selected from the group consisting of very blocky ( 4 D), blocky ( 3 D), and irregular ( 2 D), and have a shape ratio from 1 to 1.2, wherein the diamond particles have an average size of between about 85 and about 115 μm and wherein the standard of deviation of the size of the diamond particles is less than about 5 μm, wherein the diamond particles have a spacing of greater than 400 μm and a distribution of between about 251 and about 261 particles per square cm, and wherein the diamond particles protrude between about 35 and about 65 μm from the face of the body and an uppermost portion of each of the diamond particles are leveled to have a height of tips of the diamond particles to be within a range of between about 30 and about 50 μm.    
   
   
       25 . The conditioning element of  claim 24 , wherein the body further comprises a back adapted to be coupled to a conditioning head assembly.  
   
   
       26 . A method of conditioning a processing pad, comprising: 
 providing a conditioning element having a plurality of diamond particles disposed on a face of the conditioning element and defining a conditioning surface, wherein the diamond particles are of a type selected from the group consisting of very blocky ( 4 D), blocky ( 3 D), and irregular ( 2 D), and have a shape ratio from 1 to 1.2; and    pressing the conditioning element against a processing surface of the processing pad with a force of less than about 2 pounds per square inch while rotating the conditioning element and the processing pad.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising 
 cutting the surface of the processing pad at a rate of less than about 0.5 mil/hour.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising. 
 flowing electrolyte over the surface of the processing pad during at least a portion of the pressing step.