Tool with Sintered Body Polishing Surface and Method of Manufacturing the Same

Abstract

An efficiently processible polishing tool, particularly used for a CMP pad conditioner, capable solving problems in a fixing strength for fixing abrasive grains to a base plate and problems in nonuniform polished surface and a method of effectively manufacturing the polishing tool. The polishing tool ( 1 ) comprises a polishing part formed of a super abrasive grain sintered body sintered integrally with the lining material of a cemented carbide. The polishing part comprises a plurality of polishing units ( 2 ) with top parts. The top parts are positioned on an approximately same plane. The polishing units ( 2 ) are formed by forming a linear groove ( 3 ) group in the polishing part.

1 . An abrasive tool comprising an abrasive part that comprises a layer of sintered superabrasive particles, wherein said abrasive part comprises a plurality of abrasive units that have upper ends arranged on an equal level. 
   
   
       2 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive part is composed of a layer of sintered superabrasive particles that are joined integrally and to a backing of cemented carbide, and said abrasive units are arranged in said abrasive part along groups of linear grooves. 
   
   
       3 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said upper ends have sharpened edges. 
   
   
       4 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive units are in a shape of truncated or non-truncated rectangular pyramid. 
   
   
       5 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said abrasive units are in a shape of truncated rectangular pyramid that has a sharpened edge on an upper end thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive units are in a shape of truncated or non-truncated triangular pyramid. 
   
   
       7 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said abrasive units are in a shape of truncated triangular pyramid that has a sharpened edge on an upper end thereof. 
   
   
       8 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive units comprise a linear ridge on the top thereof. 
   
   
       9 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive units are in a shape of non-truncated, rectangular or triangular pyramid arranged at a pitch of 200 μm or more but not exceeding 1,500 μm. 
   
   
       10 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said abrasive units are in a shape of non-truncated, rectangular or triangular pyramid and has a height of 30 μm or more but not exceeding 200 μm. 
   
   
       11 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the superabrasive is diamond. 
   
   
       12 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said superabrasive being diamond has a nominal particle size of 40 to 60 μm or less. 
   
   
       13 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said sintered superabrasive has a layer thickness of 0.1 mm or more. 
   
   
       14 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said tool is in a circular or annular shape. 
   
   
       15 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said abrasive part is in a circular or annular shape. 
   
   
       16 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said abrasive part has an outer diameter of 90 mm or more. 
   
   
       17 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said abrasive part has a height of 1 mm or less over a bottom of the grooves. 
   
   
       18 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said abrasive part consists of 2 or 4 equally divided segments that are in a shape of sector with an identical central angle. 
   
   
       19 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said segments each comprise two groups of grooves, a first group is parallel to a radial border of the segment and a second group is arranged to cross perpendicular to said first group. 
   
   
       20 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said abrasive part consists of 3 or 6 equally divided segments that are in a shape of sector with an identical central angle. 
   
   
       21 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein said segments each comprise three groups of grooves, a first group is arranged parallel to a radial border of the segment and second and third groups are arranged to cross said first group at an angle of 60 degrees and 120 degrees, respectively. 
   
   
       22 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said grooves are formed by wire electrical discharge machining (W-EDM). 
   
   
       23 . The abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive tool is a CMP pad conditioner. 
   
   
       24 . A method for the manufacture of an abrasive tool having an abrasive part that comprises a layer of sintered superabrasive particles, wherein said abrasive part comprises a plurality of abrasive units that have upper ends arranged on an equal level, comprising:
 1) providing a composite that comprises sintered superabrasive particles that are as a whole joined to a backing material of cemented carbide,   2) leveling said composite surface, and   3) cutting in said composite surface to form groups of linear grooves and an array of abrasive units along said grooves.   
   
   
       25 . A method for the manufacture of an abrasive tool having an abrasive part that comprises a layer of sintered superabrasive particles, comprising:
 1) providing a sintered composite composed of a layer of sintered superabrasive particles that are joined integrally to a backing of cemented carbide,   2) cutting said composite to yield a segment in a shape of sector,   3) collecting a plurality of segments, which are identical in geometry to the one obtained in 2) with an equal central angle,   4) arranging said segments closely to each other, so as to form a composite surface in entire circular or annular shape, fixing said segments to a base plate on a flat surface thereof, and   5) cutting in said segments to produce an array of abrasive units on said composite, whereby group of grooves are formed parallel to a radial border of each segment as obtained in 4).   
   
   
       26 . A method of regenerating an abrasive tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said abrasive part, as worn to have a decreased abrasive unit height, is cut in along said grooves by wire-EDM to regenerate the grooves and the upper ends of abrasive units.