Annealing of CMP polishing pads

Abstract

A manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad is annealed after manufacture to improve its operating characteristics. Annealing can stabilize the operational properties of the pad, such as coefficient of thermal expansion and compressibility. In one embodiment, annealing partially or fully completes a curing process that was incomplete after the pad was manufactured.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An article, comprising a chemical mechanical polishing pad which has been annealed after manufacture of the chemical mechanical polishing pad.  
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical mechanical polishing pad includes a polymer-based material.  
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical mechanical polishing pad includes polyurethane filled with at least one of solid fibers and solid fillers.  
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical mechanical polishing pad has been annealed at a temperature within a range of about 100-120 degrees Celsius.  
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical mechanical polishing pad has been annealed for a time within a range of about 7 to 9 hours.  
     
     
         6 . A system, comprising: 
 an oven; and    a controller coupled to the oven and including one or more parameters to control at least one of temperature and time in the oven to anneal a manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the oven is to anneal the manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature to further cure a material in the manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the controller is to control the oven to anneal the manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad at a temperature between about  100  and  120  degrees Celsius.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the controller is to control the oven to anneal the manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad for a time of between about 7 to 9 hours.    
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising annealing a manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad to further cure a material in the manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing includes annealing for a predetermined time.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing includes annealing for about 7 to 9 hours  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing includes annealing at a predetermined temperature.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing includes annealing within a temperature range of about 100-120 degrees Celsius.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing includes annealing a polymer-based chemical mechanical polishing pad.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing includes annealing a chemical mechanical polishing pad having polyurethane filled with at least one of solid fibers and solid fillers.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing takes place after preparing a polishing surface on the chemical mechanical polishing pad.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said annealing takes place before preparing a polishing surface on the chemical mechanical polishing pad.  
     
     
         19 . A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of one or more processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising: 
 selecting a predetermined temperature and predetermined time to heat a previously-manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad; and    heating the previously-manufactured chemical mechanical polishing pad to the predetermined temperature for the predetermined time to further cure a material in the chemical mechanical polishing pad.    
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said selecting includes selecting the predetermined temperature and predetermined time to further cure a polymer-based chemical mechanical polishing pad.    
     
     
         21 . The medium of  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said selecting includes selecting the predetermined temperature and predetermined time to further cure a polyurethane chemical mechanical polishing pad having at least one of solid fibers and solid fillers.    
     
     
         22 . The medium of  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said selecting the predetermined temperature includes selecting the predetermined temperature within a temperature range of about 100-120 degrees Celsius.    
     
     
         23 . The medium of  claim 19 , wherein: 
 said selecting the predetermined time includes selecting the predetermined time within a time range of about 7 to 9 hours.    
     
     
         24 . An article produced by a process of: 
 annealing a chemical mechanical polishing pad after manufacture of the chemical mechanical polishing pad.    
     
     
         25 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein said annealing includes annealing for a predetermined time.  
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein said annealing includes annealing for about 7 to 9 hours  
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein said annealing includes annealing at a predetermined temperature.  
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein said annealing includes annealing within a temperature range of about 100-120 degrees Celsius.  
     
     
         29 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein said annealing includes annealing a polymer-based chemical mechanical polishing pad.  
     
     
         30 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein said annealing includes annealing a chemical mechanical polishing pad having polyurethane filled with at least one of solid fibers and solid fillers.