Method and apparatus for forming porous advanced polishing pads using an additive manufacturing process

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to advanced polishing pads with tunable chemical, material, and structural properties, and new methods of manufacturing the same. In one or more embodiments, polishing pads with improved properties may be produced by an additive manufacturing process, such as a three-dimensional (3D) printing process. Some embodiments may provide an advanced polishing pad that has discrete features and geometries, formed from at least two different materials that include functional polymers, functional oligomers, reactive diluents, addition polymer precursor compounds, catalysts, and curing agents. For example, advanced polishing pads may be formed from a plurality of polymeric layers, by the automated sequential deposition of at least one polymer precursor composition followed by at least one curing step, where each layer may represent at least one polymer composition, and/or regions of different compositions. Embodiments can also provide polishing pads with polymeric layers that may be interpenetrating polymer networks.

1 . A polishing article, comprising:
 a first polishing element formed of a plurality of sequentially formed layers, wherein the plurality of sequentially formed layers comprises:
 a first layer, comprising:
 a first pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions that are disposed on a surface on which the first layer is formed; and 
 a first structural material containing region, wherein the first structural material containing region is disposed on the surface and between adjacently positioned porosity-forming agent containing regions of the first pattern; and 
 
 a second layer disposed on a surface of the first layer, the second layer comprising:
 a second pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions that are disposed on the surface of the first layer; and 
 a second structural material containing region, wherein the second structural material containing region is disposed on the surface of the first layer and between adjacently positioned porosity-forming agent containing regions of the second pattern, and wherein the first or second structural material containing region comprises a material formed by partially curing a first precursor formulation comprising a polyester. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural material containing region comprises the material formed by partially curing the first precursor formulation comprising the polyester. 
     
     
         3 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein the second structural material containing region comprises the material formed by partially curing the first precursor formulation comprising the polyester. 
     
     
         4 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , the polyester is a polyester monomer or a polyester acrylate oligomer. 
     
     
         5 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second structural material containing regions comprises a material that is formed from a first resin precursor component, a second resin precursor component, and a first curing agent. 
     
     
         6 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first pattern and the second pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions comprises a porosity-forming agent material that degrades when exposed to an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         7 . The polishing article of  claim 6 , wherein the porosity-forming agent material further comprises an acrylate. 
     
     
         8 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and the second structural material containing regions comprises a material that comprises an acrylate. 
     
     
         9 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein a structural material formed within the first structural material containing region has a gradient in material composition in at least one direction parallel to the surface on which the first layer is formed. 
     
     
         10 . The polishing article of  claim 9 , wherein a structural material formed within the second structural material containing region has a gradient in material composition in at least one direction parallel to the surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         11 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein the first pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions is staggered a distance from the second pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions in a direction parallel to the surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         12 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first structural material containing region is formed by dispensing and curing a plurality of droplets that are disposed on the surface on which the first layer is formed,   the cured droplets have a contact angle relative to the surface that is greater than or equal to 50 degrees,   the second structural material containing region is formed by dispensing and curing a plurality of droplets that are disposed on the surface of the first layer, and   wherein the cured droplets have a contact angle relative to the surface that is greater than or equal to 50 degrees.   
     
     
         13 . The polishing article of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more second polishing elements which each comprises a plurality of polymer layers that have a material composition that is different from the first and the second layers, wherein at least a region of each of the one or more second polishing elements is disposed between the first polishing element and a supporting surface of the polishing article. 
     
     
         14 . A polishing article, comprising:
 a first polishing element formed of a plurality of sequentially formed layers, wherein the plurality of sequentially formed layers comprises:
 a first layer, comprising:
 a first pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions that are disposed on a surface on which the first layer is formed; and 
 a first structural material containing region, wherein the first structural material containing region is disposed on the surface and between adjacently positioned porosity-forming agent containing regions of the first pattern, and wherein the first structural material containing region comprises a first material formed by partially curing a first precursor formulation comprising a first polyester; and 
 
 a second layer disposed on a surface of the first layer, the second layer comprising:
 a second pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions that are disposed on the surface of the first layer; and 
 a second structural material containing region, wherein the second structural material containing region is disposed on the surface of the first layer and between adjacently positioned porosity-forming agent containing regions of the second pattern, and wherein the second structural material containing region comprises a second material formed by partially curing a second precursor formulation comprising a second polyester. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The polishing article of  claim 14 , the first polyester is a polyester monomer or a polyester acrylate oligomer. 
     
     
         16 . The polishing article of  claim 14 , the second polyester is a polyester monomer or a polyester acrylate oligomer. 
     
     
         17 . The polishing article of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first pattern and the second pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions comprises a porosity-forming agent material that degrades when exposed to an aqueous solution, and wherein the porosity-forming agent material further comprises an acrylate. 
     
     
         18 . The polishing article of  claim 14 , wherein a structural material formed within the first structural material containing region has a gradient in material composition in at least one direction parallel to the surface on which the first layer is formed. 
     
     
         19 . The polishing article of  claim 18 , wherein a structural material formed within the second structural material containing region has a gradient in material composition in at least one direction parallel to the surface of the first layer. 
     
     
         20 . A polishing article, comprising:
 a first polishing element formed of a plurality of sequentially formed layers, wherein the plurality of sequentially formed layers comprises:
 a first layer, comprising:
 a first pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions that are disposed on a surface on which the first layer is formed; and 
 a first structural material containing region, wherein the first structural material containing region is disposed on the surface and between adjacently positioned porosity-forming agent containing regions of the first pattern; and 
 
 a second layer disposed on a surface of the first layer, the second layer comprising:
 a second pattern of porosity-forming agent containing regions that are disposed on the surface of the first layer; and 
 a second structural material containing region, wherein the second structural material containing region is disposed on the surface of the first layer and between adjacently positioned porosity-forming agent containing regions of the second pattern, and wherein each of the first and second structural material containing regions comprises a material formed by partially curing a first precursor formulation comprising a polyester monomer or a polyester acrylate oligomer.