Patent ID: 6945856
Filing Date: 2005-09-20
Classification: B24B,B24D

Abstract:
1. A method for polishing an object, the method comprising: placing a contact portion of a polishing pad in contact with a target surface of the object to be planarized over a contact area which is smaller in area than the target surface; conditioning with a conditioning plate a noncontact portion of the polishing pad which is not in contact with the target surface of the object; and moving the polishing pad relative to the target surface of the object in translation across the target surface of the object to move the noncontact portion in contact with the target surface of the object and move the contact portion out of contact with the target surface of the object; wherein the conditioning plate moves in translation with the polishing pad, and wherein the polishing pad comprises a planar polishing surface including the contact portion and the noncontact portion which lie on a plane, and wherein the polishing pad has a continuous polishing surface extending from center to edge of the polishing pad.