Method for conditioning a polishing pad

Abstract

A method of conditioning processing pads increases the removal rate of conductive material from a substrate surface during polishing. In this method, the direction of rotation of the processing pad relative to the conditioning disc during conditioning is opposite the direction of rotation of the processing pad relative to the substrate during polishing.

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising: 
 rotating the substrate in a first direction;    contacting the substrate with a conductive polishing surface of a processing pad that is rotating in the first direction to perform a polishing process;    incrementally increasing a voltage applied to the processing pad;    removing the substrate from the conductive polishing surface;    reversing the direction of the processing pad to rotate in a second direction; and    contacting the conductive polishing surface of the processing pad with a conditioning element that is rotating in the second direction to perform a conditioning process.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein a first region of the processing pad is used to remove a conductive material from the substrate at a first removal rate and a second region of the processing pad is used to remove a conductive material from the substrate at a second removal rate, each of the first region and second region being conditioned differently.  
   
   
       26  The method of  claim 24 , wherein the voltage is increased in 0.2 volt increments.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first direction is a clockwise direction and the second direction is a counter clockwise direction.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first direction is a counter clockwise direction and the second direction is a clockwise direction.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 supplying a polishing composition to the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       30 . A method of processing a substrate in a polishing apparatus, wherein the polishing apparatus has a conditioning element, a processing pad, and a substrate holder, the method comprising: 
 (a) rotating the conditioning element and the processing pad to condition a conductive surface of the processing pad;    (b) positioning a substrate in the substrate holder; and    (c) rotating the substrate and the processing pad to polish the surface of the substrate while applying an increasing voltage to the conductive surface, wherein the rotational direction in (a) and (c) are opposite.    
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein: 
 (a) comprises rotating the processing pad and the conditioning element in a clockwise direction; and    (c) comprises rotating the processing pad the substrate in a counter clockwise direction.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein: 
 (a) comprises rotating the conditioning element in a counter clockwise direction; and    (c) comprises rotating the substrate in a clockwise direction.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein a first region of the processing pad is used to remove a conductive material from the substrate at a first removal rate and a second region of the processing pad is used to remove a conductive material from the substrate at a second removal rate, each of the first region and second region being conditioned differently.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the surface of the substrate contains a copper-containing material.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein polishing the surface of a substrate comprises applying a bias between a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is in electrical contact with the substrate.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 supplying a polishing composition to the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       37 . A method of processing a substrate in a polishing apparatus, wherein the polishing apparatus has a conditioning element, a processing pad, and a substrate holder, the method comprising: 
 conditioning a conductive surface of the processing pad by rotating the conditioning element and the processing pad a first direction;    positioning a substrate in the substrate holder; and    polishing the surface of the substrate by applying an increasing voltage to the processing pad and rotating the substrate and the processing pad in a second rotational direction.    
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein: 
 the conditioning of the conductive surface of the processing pad comprises rotating the processing pad and the conditioning element in a clockwise direction; and    the polishing of the surface of the substrate comprises rotating the processing pad the substrate in a counter clockwise direction.    
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein: 
 the conditioning of the conductive surface of the processing pad comprises rotating the processing pad in a counter clockwise direction and rotating the conditioning element in a counter clockwise direction; and    the polishing of the surface of the substrate comprises rotating the processing pad in a clockwise rotational direction and rotating the substrate in the clockwise direction.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the polishing of the surface of the substrate further comprises applying a bias between a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is in electrical contact with the substrate.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising: 
 supplying a polishing composition to the surface of the substrate.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the voltage is increased at about 0.2 volt increments.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the polishing of the surface of the substrate further comprises removing a copper-containing material.