Patent ID: 7399516

Claim:
An electrochemical mechanical processing pad having a top layer, the top layer comprising: a flexible support, wherein the flexible support comprises a plurality of channels adapted to allow a solution to flow therethrough; and a plurality of hard elements permanently fixed in a binder, the binder shaped to have a plurality of protrusions each having a top surface, the hard elements fixed in the top surfaces of the plurality of protrusions and, as manufactured, forming a substantially planar contact surface adapted to contact a conductive layer of a wafer, the binder disposed below the contact surface, the hard elements substantially uniformly distributed across the flexible support, the plurality of protrusions positioned and spaced apart from one another such that only the hard elements are configured to contact a conductive layer of a wafer during relative movement and physical contact between the top layer and the conductive layer, wherein the binder comprises a plurality of channels disposed between the protrusions and adapted to allow the solution to flow therethrough.