Polishing pads and methods relating thereto

A polishing pad for use in chemical mechanical polishing, comprising:

• a polishing layer with a polishing surface having an incorporated macro-texture that is continuous or discontinuous consisting essentially of a hydrophilic polishing layer, said polishing layer further comprising a polishing material having:
• i. a density greater than 0.5 g/cm3;
• ii. a critical surface tension greater than or equal to 34 milliNewtons per meter;
• iii. a tensile modulus of 0.02 to 5 GigaPascals;
• iv. a ratio of tensile modulus at 30° C. to tensile modulus at 60° C. of 1.0 to 2.5;
• v. a hardness of 25 to 80 Shore D;
• vi. a yield stress of 300-6000 psi;
• vii. a tensile strength of 1000 to 15,000 psi;
• and
• viii. an elongation to break less than or equal to 500%,
• said polishing material comprising a polymer reacted from at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of:
• 1. a urethane;
• 2. a carbonate;
• 3. an amide;
• 4. an ester;
• 5. an ether;
• 6. an acrylate;
• 7. a methacrylate;
• 8. an acrylic acid;
• 9. a methacrylic acid;
• 10. a sulphone;
• 11. an acrylamide;
• 12. a halide;
• and 13. a hydroxide;
• wherein the polishing layer is formed by sintering;
• with said macro-texture being provided by one or more grooves;
• said groove having:
• i. a width of at least 0.01 millimeters
• ii. a depth of at least 0.01 millimeters, and
• iii. a length of at least 0.1 millimeters;
• wherein any horizontal portion of the polishing layer has less than 10 macro-defects per millimeter of horizontal length;
• said macro-defects being equal to or greater than 25 microns in any dimension wherein said dimension refers to either width, height or length of the macro-defect.

A method of planarizing a silicon, silicon dioxide or metal substrate, comprising:

• a) providing a polishing pad comprising a hydrophilic polishing layer with a polishing surface, said polishing layer comprising a polishing material having:
• i. a density greater than 0.5 gm/cm3;
• ii. a critical surface tension greater than or equal to 34 milliNewtons per meter;
• iii. a tensile modulus of 0.02 to 5 GigaPascals;
• iv. a ratio of tensile modulus at 30° C. to tensile modulus at 60° C. of 1.0 to 2.5;
• v. a hardness of 25 to 80 Shore D;
• vi. a yield stress of 300-6000 psi;
• vii. a tensile strength of 1000 to 15,000 psi;
• and
• viii. an elongation to break less than or equal to 500%,
• said polishing material comprising a polymer formed from at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of:
• 1. a urethane;
• 2. a carbonate;
• 3. an amide;
• 4. an ester;
• 5. an ether;
• 6. an acrylate;
• 7. a methacrylate;
• 8. an acrylic acid;
• 9. a methacrylic acid;
• 10. a sulphone;
• 11. an acrylamide;
• 12. a halide;
• and 13. a hydroxide;
• wherein the polishing layer is formed by sintering;
• and
• b) using a pressure greater than 0.1 kilograms per square meter between the substrate and said polishing surface of said polishing pad.