Patent ID: 8118644

Claim:
A method for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate selected from a magnetic substrate, an optical substrate and a semiconductor substrate; comprising: providing a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus having a platen; providing at least one substrate selected from a magnetic substrate, an optical substrate and a semiconductor substrate; providing at least two polishing operations; providing a plurality of types of chemical mechanical polishing pads, wherein each type of chemical mechanical polishing pad has different polishing properties and a unique integral identification feature to distinguish each type of chemical mechanical polishing pad from the other types of chemical mechanical polishing pads in the plurality of types, wherein the unique integral identification feature is non-polish active, wherein the unique integral identification feature comprises at least two visually distinct characteristics, wherein at least one of the at least two visually distinct characteristics is a non-color based indicia, wherein one of the at least two visually distinct characteristics is a color based indicia, and wherein the at least two visually distinct characteristics are selected to the observable and to uniquely identify each type of chemical mechanical polishing pad in the plurality of types; providing at least two polishing recipes, wherein each polishing recipe corresponds to one of the at least two polishing operations and wherein each polishing recipe includes an identification of the at least two visually distinct characteristics for the type of chemical mechanical polishing pad to be used; selecting a polishing operation to be performed from the at least two polishing operations (“the selected polishing operation”) and a corresponding polishing recipe (“the selected recipe”); installing onto the platen the type of chemical mechanical polishing pad identified in the selected recipe; observing the unique integral identification feature of the installed chemical mechanical polishing pad and verifying that the at least two visually distinct characteristics contained therein correspond with those identified in the selected recipe; and performing the selected polishing operation on the at least one substrate.