Method and apparatus for accelerated wear testing of aggressive diamonds on diamond conditioning discs in cmp

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc wherein aggressive diamonds of known position are pulled or fractured by contacting the diamond conditioner disc to a plate or sheet of a hard material or a plate or sheet containing discrete structures of hard material relative to which the diamond disc is in motion at a determinable and reproducible rate for a determinable and reproducible period of time and the number and position of the pulled or fractured aggressive diamonds are determined following the completion of said contact.

1 . A method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc wherein aggressive diamonds of known position are pulled or fractured by contacting the diamond conditioner disc to a plate or sheet of a hard material or a plate or sheet containing discrete structures of hard material relative to which the diamond conditioner disc is held and contacted under a load and moved by a motion means at a determinable and reproducible rate for a determinable and reproducible period of time and the number and position of the pulled or fractured aggressive diamonds are determined following the completion of said contact. 
   
   
       2 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the hard material is a metal. 
   
   
       3 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 2  wherein the metal is aluminum. 
   
   
       4 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the plate or sheet containing hard materials is made of a softer matrix such as plastic and the hard materials are incorporated as or in structures. 
   
   
       5 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 4  wherein the structures comprise grooves, holes, recessed areas, ridges, bumps, brushes, studs, pegs, raised areas or blades. 
   
   
       6 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 5  wherein a combination of any of the structures may be used 
   
   
       7 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the the pulled or fractured aggressive diamonds are observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) or optical microscopy. 
   
   
       8 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the plate or sheet is a disc 
   
   
       9 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 8  wherein the said disc is rotated. 
   
   
       10 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 9  wherein the rotational speed is between 0 and 400 rpm. 
   
   
       11 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the diamond conditioner disc is rotated. 
   
   
       12 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 11  wherein the rotational speed of the diamond conditioner disc is between 0 and 150 RPM. 
   
   
       13 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 8  wherein the diameter of the said disc is between 25 mm and 1500 mm. 
   
   
       14 . The method for determining the number of diamonds that will be pulled from or fractured in a CMP diamond conditioner disc and determining the conditions of that pulling or displacement according to  claim 1  wherein the diamond conditioner disc is maintained stationary and the plate or sheet is moved or rotated. 
   
   
       15 . The method for determining the number of diamonds that will be pulled from or fractured in a CMP diamond conditioner disc and determining the conditions of that pulling or displacement according to  claim 1  wherein the diamond conditioner disc moves laterally in a periodic pattern across the sheet or plate of hard material. 
   
   
       16 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the diamond conditioner disc is under a load. 
   
   
       17 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the fixed load is between 1 and 20 lbs. 
   
   
       18 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein a liquid is used when the diamond conditioner disc is contacted with the disc of hard material or the disc containing hard material. 
   
   
       19 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 18  wherein the liquid is water. 
   
   
       20 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 1  wherein the hard material used in the disc is aluminum, the matrix of the disc is polyurethane resin, the aluminum is placed in the polyurethane matrix of the disc in the form of studs embedded securely in the surface of the disc, water is applied between the disc and the diamond conditioner disc, the diameter of the said disc is between 500 and 1000 mm, the said disc remains stationary, and the diamond conditioner disc rotates and oscillates across the surface of the said disc under a load of 10 lbs. 
   
   
       21 . The method for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 20  wherein the said disc rotates at between 0 and 400 RPM. 
   
   
       22 . An apparatus for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc wherein aggressive diamonds of known position are pulled or fractured by contacting the diamond conditioner disc to a plate or sheet of a hard material or a plate or sheet containing discrete structures of hard material relative to which the diamond conditioner disc is held and contacted under a load and moved by a motion means at a determinable and reproducible rate for a determinable and reproducible period of time and the number and position of the pulled or fractured aggressive diamonds are determined following the completion of said contact. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 22  wherein the plate or sheet is a disc, the hard material used in the disc is aluminum, the matrix of the disc is polyurethane resin, the aluminum is placed in the polyurethane matrix of the disc in the form of studs embedded securely in the surface of the disc, water is applied between the disc and the diamond conditioner disc, and the diameter of the said disc is between 500 and 1000 mm. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus for accelerated pulling and fracturing of aggressive diamonds on a CMP diamond conditioner disc according to  claim 23  where the disc is mounted in the position of a polishing pad on a CMP polisher and made to contact the diamond conditioner disc that has been attached to the CMP polisher and the CMP polisher comprises the motion means and the means for applying load to the surface contact between the diamond conditioner disc and the said disc.