Variable abrasive polishing pad for mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization

An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• a polishing body having a planarizing surface facing the wafer with a first planarizing region and a second planarizing region;
• and
• a plurality of abrasive elements in at least the first planarizing region of the planarizing surface, the abrasive elements being capable of removing material from the substrate.

An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising a polishing body having a first volumetric region and a second volumetric region, the first volumetric region having a first planarizing surface with a first abrasiveness and the second volumetric region having a second planarizing with a, second abrasiveness, wherein the first abrasiveness is greater than the second abrasiveness.

An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing the surface of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• a body having a first planarizing section with a first planarizing surface and a second planarizing section with a second planarizing surface;
• and
• a plurality of abrasive particles fixedly suspended in at least the first planarizing section, the first planarizing section having a first abrasiveness and the second planarizing section having a second abrasiveness less than the first abrasiveness of the first section.

An abrasive polishing pad for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising a body having a planarizing surface including a first planarizing region and a second planarizing region, the first planarizing region having a first roughness and the second planarizing region having a second roughness less than the first roughness of the first planarizing region.

The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the polishing pad has a plurality of abrasive elements at the planarizing surface in at least the first region.

An apparatus for planarizing a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• an abrasive polishing pad attached to a support structure, the polishing pad having a planarizing surface with a first planarizing region and a second planarizing region, the first planarizing region having a first roughness and the second planarizing region having a second roughness less than the first roughness of the first planarizing region;
• and
• a substrate carrier to which the substrate may be attached, the substrate carrier being positionable over the planarizing surface and adapted to selectively engage a first section of the substrate with the first planarizing region and a second section of the substrate with the second planarizing region.

A method for planarizing a substrate, comprising the steps of:

• pressing the substrate against a first abrasive region of an abrasive polishing pad and a second abrasive region of the abrasive polishing pad, the first abrasive region having a first abrasiveness and the second abrasive region having a second abrasiveness different than the first abrasiveness;
• and
• moving at least one of the polishing pad and the substrate with respect to the other to impart relative motion therebetween and abrade material from the substrate with the first and second abrasive regions.