Web-format polishing pads and methods for manufacturing and using web-format polishing pads in mechanical and chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrates

Abstract

A web-format polishing pad for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrate assemblies, and methods for making and using such a web-format pad. In one aspect of the invention, a web-format polishing pad for planarizing a microelectronic substrate is made by slicing a cylindrical body of pad material along a cutting line that is at least substantially parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the body and at a radial depth inward from an exterior surface of the body. For example, a web of pad material can be sliced from the body by rotating the cylindrical body about the longitudinal centerline and pressing a cutting element against the rotating cylindrical body along the cutting line. The cutting element can be a knife with a sharp edge positioned at the cutting line and a face extending along a tangent of the cylindrical body. The cutting element can be moved radially inwardly as the body rotates to continuously peel a seamless web of pad material having a desired thickness from the cylindrical pad body. The web of pad material accordingly may be used on a web-format planarizing machine for planarizing microelectronic substrate assemblies.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.