Patent ID: 7223154

Claim:
A method for planarizing a microelectronic substrate, the method comprising: selecting a substrate material to transmit a first selected radiation; attaching the substrate material to a second surface of the planarizing pad material to support the planarizing pad material, the second surface facing opposite a first surface of the planarizing pad material; exposing the second surface to the first selected radiation to cure the planarizing pad material to a selected depth from the second surface by irradiating the substrate material with the first selected radiation; selectively irradiating a first portion of the first surface of the planarizing pad material with a second selected radiation without irradiating a second portion of the first surface of the planarizing pad material adjacent to the first portion; forming a plurality of recesses and contact surfaces at the first surface of the planarizing pad material configured to support a planarizing liquid proximate to the surface of the planarizing pad material by exposing the planarizing pad material to a solvent to remove material from one of the first and second portions of the planarizing pad material at a greater rate than removing material from the other of the first and second portions; and engaging the first surface of the planarizing pad material with the microelectronic substrate and moving at least one of the planarizing pad material and the microelectronic substrate relative to the other to remove material from the microelectronic substrate.