Method of forming open-network polishing pads

A method of forming an open-network polishing pad useful for polishing at least one of magnetic, semiconductor and optical substrates comprising:

• a) providing a polymer sheet or film of a curable polymer, the polymer sheet or film having a thickness and a peelable backing layer attached to the polymer sheet or film;
• b) exposing the polymer sheet or film to an energy source with a pattern generating device to create an exposure pattern in the polymer sheet or film and create an intermediate structure, the exposure pattern having elongated sections exposed to the energy source;
• c) attaching an open-network substrate to the intermediate structure of the exposed polymer sheet or film containing the peelable backing layer of the intermediate structure;
• and
• d) removing polymer from the polymer sheet or film, the removed polymer being adjacent from the exposure pattern of the exposed polymer sheet or film of the intermediate structure with a solvent by either i) peeling away the peelable backing layer of the polymer sheet or film with the intermediate structure of the exposed polymer sheet or film attached to the open-network substrate and sending solvent and the polymer from the polymer sheet or film adjacent the exposure pattern of the polymer sheet or film through the open-network substrate or ii) removing the polymer from the polymer sheet or film, the removed polymer being adjacent the exposure pattern of the polymer sheet or film with the peelable backing layer attached to the polymer sheet with the solvent before attaching the polymer sheet or film to the open-network substrate, then peeling away the peelable backing layer after attaching the intermediate structure of the exposed polymer sheet or film to the open-network structure, each having elongated channels through the polymer sheet or film in a texture pattern that corresponds to the exposure pattern with the open-network supporting the exposure pattern of the polymer sheet or film, the elongated channels extending through the thickness of the polymer sheet or film;
• e) curing the polymer sheet or film to attach the polymer sheet or film to the open-network substrate to form the open-network polishing pad.