Apparatus and methods for conditioning polishing pads in mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies

A conditioning system for conditioning polishing pads used in mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies, comprising:

• an arm having a length from a first end to a second end;
• an actuator coupled to the first end of the arm, the actuator moving the arm to position the second end of the arm with respect to a polishing pad of a planarizing machine during a conditioning cycle;
• a condition element attached to the arm, the conditioning element including plate having a conditioning face configured to engage a polishing pad, and the conditioning face including a bonding medium and a plurality of conditioning particles attached to the bonding medium;
• and
• a corrosion-inhibiting unit coupled to the conditioning element and a liquid on the polishing pad, the corrosion-inhibiting unit imparting an electrical potential between the conditioning element and the liquid on the polishing pad that retards corrosion of the conditioning element.

A planarizing machine for mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies, comprising:

• a table having a support surface:
• a polishing pad positioned on the support surface;
• a carrier assembly having a carrier head configured to hold a substrate assembly and a drive assembly coupled to the carrier head to selectively press the substrate assembly against the polishing pad, at least one of the carrier head or the polishing pad being moveable with respect to the other to impart relative motion therebetween;
• and
• a condition system including a conditioning element and a corrosion-inhibiting unit, the condition element having a conditioning face including a bonding medium and a plurality of conditioning particles attached to the bonding medium, the conditioning face being configured to engage the polishing pad, and the corrosion-inhibiting unit being coupled to the conditioning element and a liquid on the polishing pad to impart an electrical potential between the conditioning element and the liquid on the polishing pad.

A planarizing machine for mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies, comprising:

• a table having a support surface:
• a polishing pad positioned on the support surface;
• a carrier assembly having a carrier head configured to hold a substrate assembly and a drive assembly coupled to the carrier head to selectively press the substrate assembly against the polishing pad, at least one of the carrier head or the polishing pad being moveable with respect to the other to impart relative motion therebetween;
• a condition member positionable over the polishing pad, the conditioning member including a body having a backside configured to face away from a polishing pad and a frontside configured to face the polishing pad, a layer of bonding material covering at least a portion of the frontside, and a plurality of conditioning particles attached to the layer of bonding material;
• and
• a corrosion retarder coupled to the conditioning member, the corrosion retarder at least substantially preventing corrosion of the layer of bonding material in the presence of chemicals on the polishing pad that would otherwise corrode the layer of bonding material.