IP Library Granted Patent US 11,938,584
Granted Patent B2
US 11,938,584 · App. 16/868,755 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Chemical mechanical planarization pads with constant groove volume

Inventors: Paul Andre Lefevre (Portland, OR); Devin Schmitt (Portland, OR); Jaeseok Lee (Beaverton, OR); Eric S. Moyer (Aurora, IL); Holland Hodges (Sammamish, WA)
Assignee: CMC MATERIALS LLC
B24B37/26B24B37/22B24B37/24B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y80/00C08L75/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,938,584
App. No.
16/868,755
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A chemical mechanical polishing pad includes a surface portion of a first material. The surface portion includes a plurality of grooves. A first portion of the grooves are exposed grooves located at a surface of the chemical mechanical polishing pad. A second portion of the grooves are buried grooves embedded below the surface of the chemical mechanical polishing pad, such that, during use of the chemical mechanical polishing pad, one or more of the buried grooves are exposed at the surface.

Claims (20)

1. A chemical mechanical polishing pad, comprising:

a surface portion comprising a first material, the surface portion comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein:

a first portion of the plurality of grooves are exposed grooves located at a surface of the chemical mechanical polishing pad; and

a second portion of the plurality of grooves are buried grooves embedded below the surface of the chemical mechanical polishing pad; wherein the exposed grooves and the buried grooves are offset vertically, and the buried grooves are located directly below the exposed grooves, such that the plurality of grooves at the surface remains constant, and that during use of the chemical mechanical polishing pad, when a top layer of the surface portion of the polishing pad is removed through conditioning and general wear, one or more of the buried grooves are exposed at the surface;

wherein the polishing pad has a volume of exposed grooves and an initial volume (V 0 ) representing the volume of exposed grooves prior to use, and the volume of exposed grooves is maintained with less than an 80% variation from V 0 during use.

2. The chemical mechanical polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein, the volume of the exposed grooves is maintained less than a 25% variation from V 0 .

3. The chemical mechanical polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of grooves have a first width and a second subset of the plurality of grooves has a second width that is greater than the first width.

4. The chemical mechanical polishing pad of claim 1 , wherein the chemical mechanical polishing pad is prepared using a vat-based additive manufacturing process.

5. The chemical mechanical polishing pad of claim 1 , comprising at least three layers of buried grooves.

6. A method of chemical mechanical polishing a wafer, the method comprising:

providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad comprising:

a surface portion comprising a first material, the surface portion comprising a plurality of grooves, wherein:

a first portion of the plurality of grooves are exposed grooves located at a surface of the chemical mechanical polishing pad; and

a second portion of the plurality of grooves are buried grooves embedded below the surface of the chemical mechanical polishing pad; wherein the exposed grooves and the buried grooves are offset vertically, and the buried grooves are located directly below the exposed grooves, such that the plurality of grooves at the surface remains constant, and that during use of the chemical mechanical polishing pad, when a top layer of the surface portion of the polishing pad is removed through conditioning and general wear, one or more of the buried grooves are exposed at the surface; wherein the polishing pad has a volume of exposed grooves and an initial volume (V 0 ) representing the volume of exposed grooves prior to use, and the volume of exposed grooves is maintained with less than an 80% variation from V 0 during use;

rotating the chemical mechanical polishing pad; and

contacting the wafer to the rotating chemical mechanical polishing pad.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein, the volume of the exposed grooves is maintained with less than a 25% variation from V 0 during use.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of grooves have a first width and a second subset of the plurality of grooves has a second width that is greater than the first width.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the chemical mechanical polishing pad is prepared using a vat-based additive manufacturing process.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the chemical mechanical polishing pad comprises at least three layers of buried grooves.

Assignments (7)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 8, 2023
From: CMC MATERIALS, INC.
To: CMC MATERIALS LLC
Reel/Frame 065517/0783 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2022
From: ENTEGRIS, INC.; ENTEGRIS GP, INC.; POCO GRAPHITE, INC.; CMC MATERIALS, INC.; INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, LLC; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: TRUIST BANK, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060613/0072 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2022
From: CMC MATERIALS, INC.; INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, LLC; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060615/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION; QED TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.; FLOWCHEM LLC; KMG ELECTRONIC CHEMICALS, INC.; KMG-BERNUTH, INC.; MPOWER SPECIALTY CHEMICALS LLC; SEALWELD (USA), INC.; INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, LLC; CMC MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060592/0260 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 2, 2021
From: CMC MATERIALS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056752/0645 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 13, 2021
From: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: CMC MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054980/0681 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2020
From: LEFEVRE, PAUL ANDRE; SCHMITT, DEVIN; LEE, JAESEOK; MOYER, ERIC S.; HODGES, HOLLAND
To: CABOT MICROELECTRONICS
Reel/Frame 052599/0098 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62926192 · Oct 25, 2019
Provisional Application 62844196 · May 7, 2019
Related Publication 20200353588A1 · Nov 12, 2020