Conditioner and conditioning methods for smooth pads

A method of conditioning a resin impregnated fiber pad comprising the step of conditioning the surface of the pad with abrasive particles bonded to a substantially solid surface wherein the particles have an average nearest neighbor spacing less than about 4 times the average size of the particles and the particles having a size of less than 50 micrometers.

The method of 7 wherein the particles have an average size less than about 30 micrometers.

The method of 7 wherein the particles have an average size less than about 15 micrometers.

The method of 7 wherein the particles have a size in the range of about 1 micrometer to less than 50 micrometers.

A pad conditioner for conditioning the polishing surface of CMP pads, the conditioner comprising a conditioner body, a carrier, and abrasive particles bonded to a carrier, the carrier being coupled to the conditioner body so as to provide a conditioning surface comprising the particles, and the particles having a grit greater than or equal to about 400.

A pad conditioner for at least one of CMP pads and polishing pads, the conditioner comprising abrasive particles bonded to a carrier, the particles having a size less than 50 micrometers and the particles having an average nearest neighbor spacing less than about 4 times the size of the particles.

An apparatus for conditioning a pad for at least one of chemical mechanical planarization and polishing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a pad conditioner comprising an abrasive surface capable of producing the minimum surface roughness for the pad surface for a size of abrasive particles, the abrasive particles being less than 50 micrometers in size, and
• a pad support for supporting the pad, the pad conditioner and pad support being coupled so as to allow the pad conditioner to condition the pad.

A method of conditioning a pad for at least one of chemical mechanical planarization and polishing a substrate, the method comprising the step of generating a surface on the pad having a surface roughness less than the minimum surface roughness achievable using abrasive particles less than 50 micrometers in size.

A method of conditioning a resin impregnated fiber pad for at least one of chemical mechanical planarization and polishing a substrate comprising the step of abrading the surface of the pad with particles having an average size less than 2 times the average diameter of the fibers.