Method for improving mechanical properties of polymer particles and its applications
AssigneesImec, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
InventorSilvia Armini
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Abstract
A method for improving the mechanical hardness of polymer particles is provided, the method comprising subjecting the polymer particles to a thermal cycle of heating and subsequently cooling. The method is applicable for use with combinations of preferably three monomers, the monomers having hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups in their polymer chain in order to achieve preferential orientation of the polymer chains in a polar solvent after applying the heating cycles of the invention (for example, but not limited to, polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene based terpolymers and copolymers). Polymeric abrasives used in slurry compositions for polishing copper and their use in a chemical mechanical polishing method are also provided.
Claims22
A method for increasing a mechanical hardness of polymer particles, the polymer particles comprising hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic groups, the method comprising the step of:
- subjecting the polymer particles to a thermal cycle comprising at least one heating step followed by at least one cooling step, wherein the polymer particles are contained in a polar solvent, whereby a mechanical hardness of the polymer particles is increased.
A polymer particle having increased mechanical hardness resulting from subjecting the polymer particle, in a polar solvent, to a thermal cycle of at least one heating step followed by at least one cooling step, wherein the polymer particle is a copolymer particle or a terpolymer particle, and wherein the polymer particle has an elastic moduli higher than 4 GPa and a hardness higher than 0.25 GPa.
The method according to claim 19, wherein the particle is in a dry state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.