Patent ID: 6036579
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: B24B,B24D

Abstract:
A method of polishing a substrate comprising a silicon, silicon dioxide, metal or combinations thereof:applying a photomask to at least one surface of a liquid precursor having photoreactive moieties and curing said photoreactivc moieties of said liquid precursor, using a beam of electromagnetic radiation which penetrates through only a portion of said photomask to cause a major portion of said liquid precursor to solidify into a flexible pad having a surface pattern, a minor portion of said liquid precursor remaining unsolidified due to said photomask acting as a barrier to electromagnetic radiation penetration,removing at least a portion of said unsolidified precursor to provide a three dimensional pattern on the front surface of said flexible pad, wherein the ratio of surface area of said front surface of said flexible pad after the creation of said three dimensional pattern divided by the surface area of said front surface of said flexible pad prior to creation of said three dimensional pattern is in the range of 1.1-50:placing said front surface of said flexible pad in contact with a substrate having a surface comprising a member of the group consisting of silicon, silicon dioxide, copper, tungsten, aluminum or a combination thereof;pumping a water based particulate slurry into contact with said front surface of said flexible pad; andforcing the slurry between said front surface of said flexible pad and said substrate as said front surface of said flexible pad is moved over said substrate, said slurry flowing through a pathway of said three dimensional pattern of said front surface of said flexible pad which lies in a close proximity to said substrate.