Patent ID: 6896596

Claim:
An ironing assembly for use in a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) apparatus, the ironing assembly designed for use over a polishing pad having a post-conditioned surface, the post-conditioned surface being configured to include a plurality of asperities, comprising: an ironing disk having a contact surface, the ironing disk being oriented over the polishing pad such that the contact surface of the ironing disk is configured to be applied onto the post-conditioned surface of the polishing pad; an ironing head having a base and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the ironing head being coupled to a non-contact surface of the ironing disk; and an ironing track bar being coupled to the base of the ironing head, wherein the ironing disk is to be applied onto the post-conditioned surface of the polishing pad as the ironing base moves along the ironing track bar and the polishing pad moves along a direction of rotation, the application of the contact surface of the ironing disk onto the post-conditioned surface acts to at least partially flatten the plurality of asperities.