Patent ID: 7097535

Claim:
A method for conditioning a polishing pad surface of a polishing pad used for chemical mechanical polishing of semiconductor wafers, which comprises the steps of: setting a limit to an electrical power input of a motor rotating a rotation table supporting the polishing pad; applying a rotating conditioning head having a conditioning pad to the polishing pad surface with a pressure force, the rotating conditioning head oscillating in a cycle across the polishing pad surface from a center position of the polishing pad to an edge of the polishing pad and back to the center position; rotating the rotation table with the polishing pad surface using the motor having the electrical power input for abrading the polishing pad against the conditioning pad; measuring the electrical power input to the motor for each oscillation cycle resulting in a measured electrical power input; comparing the measured electrical power input with the limit of the electrical power input; and issuing a warning signal if, upon comparing a motor current to the limit, the measured electrical power input exceeds the limit.