CMP PAD Conditioning Tool

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a CMP pad conditioning tool with at least one integral abrasive protrusion. The present disclosure further provides a method for preparing this CMP pad conditioning tool, along with a method for using said tool to condition a CMP pad.

1 . A chemical mechanical polishing (“CMP”) pad conditioning tool for conditioning a surface of a CMP pad, said tool comprising
 a tool body having a tool face, said tool body and tool face comprising a material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof; 
 said tool face having at least one integral abrasive protrusion extending from said tool face 
 said at least one integral abrasive protrusion having at least one side angled at greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the CMP pad to be conditioned. 
 
     
     
         2 . The CMP pad conditioning tool of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one integral abrasive protrusion comprises an array of integral abrasive protrusions. 
     
     
         3 . The CMP pad conditioning tool of  claim 2 , wherein the array of integral abrasive protrusions comprises an array of pyramids, tetrahedra, cones, or other polygons, provided that said pyramids, tetrahedral, cones, or other polygons have at least one side angled at greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the CMP pad to be conditioned. 
     
     
         4 . The CMP pad conditioning tool of  claim 1 , wherein the material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof is a SiC-diamond composite. 
     
     
         5 . A method for conditioning a surface of a CMP pad, said process comprising
 a) contacting the surface of said CMP pad with a CMP pad conditioning tool comprising:
 a tool body having a tool face, said tool body and tool face comprising a material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof; 
 said tool face having at least one integral abrasive protrusion extending from said tool face; 
 said at least one integral abrasive protrusion having at least one side angled at greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the CMP pad contacted by said CMP pad conditioning tool; and 
   b) conditioning the surface of said CMP pad, optionally in the presence of one or more conditioning fluids.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one integral abrasive protrusion comprises an array of integral abrasive protrusions. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the array of integral abrasive protrusions comprises an array of pyramids, tetrahedra, cones, or other polygons, provided that said pyramids, tetrahedra, cones, or other polygons have at least one side angled at greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the CMP pad contacted by said CMP pad conditioning tool. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof is a SiC-diamond composite. 
     
     
         9 . A system for conditioning a surface of a CMP pad, said system comprising
 at least one CMP pad conditioning system, adapted to receive at least one CMP pad; and   at least one CMP pad conditioning tool, said tool comprising
 a tool body having a tool face, said tool body and tool face comprising a material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof; 
 said tool face having at least one integral abrasive protrusion extending from said tool face; and 
 said at least one integral abrasive protrusion having at least one side angled at greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the CMP pad to be conditioned. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one integral abrasive protrusion comprises an array of integral abrasive protrusions. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the array of integral abrasive protrusions comprises an array of pyramids, tetrahedra, cones, or other polygons, provided that said pyramids, tetrahedra, cones, or other polygons have at least one side angled at greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the CMP pad contacted by said CMP pad conditioning tool. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof is a SiC-diamond composite. 
     
     
         13 . A method for preparing a CMP pad conditioning tool for conditioning a surface of a CMP pad, said method comprising
 machining a surface of a blank comprising a material selected from the group of polycrystalline diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof to produce a CMP pad conditioning tool according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said machining results in a plurality of integral abrasive protrusions. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said plurality of protrusions are a regular array of integral abrasive protrusions. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the machining method is wire EDM. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the machining method is plunge EDM. 
     
     
         18 . A method for preparing a CMP pad conditioning tool according to  claim 1 , said method comprising:
 pressing a powder mixture comprising about 90% diamond powder by weight, about 9.5% silicon powder by weight, and about 0.5% Si 3 N 4  by weight, into a negative form, said negative form comprising a silicon mass, and   heating said powder and said mass under pressure, to produce the CMP pad conditioning tool according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         19 . A method for preparing the CMP pad conditioning tool according to  claim 1 , said method comprising:
 mixing a powder comprising about 90% diamond powder by weight, about 9.5% silicon powder by weight, and about 0.5% Si 3 N 4  by weight, with a binder to form a powder/binder mixture;   pressing said powder/binder mixture to form a preform, said preform having a preform face, said preform face comprising at least one integral abrasive protrusion extending from said preform face;   heating said preform to a temperature and in an atmosphere suitable for removing all of the binder from the preform by incineration; and   firing said preform at a temperature of at least about 1000° C. for at least about 5 minutes to partially react the powder particles and form a porous rigid preform.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the binder is polyethyleneglycol or polyvinylalcohol. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the preform is fired at a temperature of at least about 1450° C. for at least about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein said preform is fired at a temperature of about 1300° C. for about 5 minutes. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising
 heating said porous rigid preform in an inert gas or under vacuum at a second temperature; and   contacting the rigid porous preform heated to said second temperature with liquid silicon, so that said liquid silicon infiltrates the preform and reacts with the diamond in the preform to form SiC.