Chemical-Mechanical Planarization Pad Conditioner

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner includes an article having a contact surface configured to contact a chemical-mechanical planarization pad during conditioning of the chemical-mechanical planarization pad; the article includes a matrix having a plurality of diamond particles distributed throughout the volume of the matrix, wherein the matrix includes silicon carbide, the matrix at the contact surface is recessed relative to the diamond particles so that some of the diamond particles partially protrude from the matrix, and wherein the matrix contains no more than 10 volume percent of in-situ formed silicon carbide.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 201780030883.2, application date April 6, 2017, and invention name “Diamond Composite CMP Pad Conditioner”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to diamond-containing disks machined to very high flatness for use in reconditioning chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pads which are in turn used to polish semiconductor wafers. Background Art

[0003] Modern electronics rely on microscopic chips made in a single crystal silicon (Si) substrate. First, a single crystal Si ingot is grown. The ingot is then cut into thin Si wafers (now 300mm in diameter and 450mm in diameter in the near future) using a diamond wire saw. At this stage, the Si wafers are thick and rough. The next processing step involves polishing these wafers to very high flatness (overall flatness at the nm level) and finish; and small thickness (<1mm). The Si wafers produced in this way are used to build microscopic chips by depositing micron and nanometer-sized circuits using processes such as photolithography, metal deposition, etching, diffusion, ion implantation, etc. An exemplary application of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is to polish unprocessed Si wafers to extremely high finish and flatness.

[0004] Reference now Figure 1A and Figure 1B , which are respectively a top view and a side view of an apparatus for wafer planarization, which includes a machine for conditioning a CMP pad. During the CMP process, both mechanical friction and chemical reactions are used for material removal. This is done on a polishing pad 101 (made of, for example, porous closed-cell polyurethane) using a slurry 103 of different abrasive / reactive compounds (such as aluminum oxide, ceria, etc.). More than one silicon wafer 105 can be polished at a time; therefore, the diameter of the polishing pad can exceed one meter. The polishing pad is mounted on a rigid substrate 107, which rotates on an axis 109 perpendicular to the substrate. The abrasive media can be provided to the rotating polishing pad in the form of a slurry. The silicon wafer 105 is mounted to a holder or "chuck" 111, which also rotates on an axis 113 parallel to the axis 109.

[0005] As polishing continues, the cells or pores in the polishing pad fill with abrasive and debris from the wafer; they form glaze and fail. However, polishing pads still have a useful life - they only need to be reconditioned from time to time to open the closed cells in the polyurethane pad, improve the delivery of slurry to the wafer and provide a consistent polishing surface throughout the service life of the pad to achieve good wafer polishing performance. In order to recondition the CMP pad, disks called CMP pad conditioners are used, which have protruding diamonds on the surface with a recessed metal or organic matrix to hold these protruding diamonds. In these disks, typically, a single layer of rough diamonds (e.g., 125 microns in diameter) is used, and the diamond spacing (e.g., 0.5 to 1 mm) and protrusions are carefully controlled. These diamond-containing conditioning disks are machined to very high flatness. The key factors to provide good performance include sufficient diamond protrusions (good cutting ability), strong bonding to the matrix (preventing diamond loss, loss of cutting ability and preventing the formation of debris that damages conditioning).

[0006] The pad reconditioning disks 115 typically feature structures 117 that enable them to be mounted or attached to an arm 119 of a machine or fixture so that the axis 121 of the disk 115 is parallel to the axis of rotation 109 of the CMP pad. The machine then brings the disk into contact with the rotating CMP pad and moves it back and forth from the periphery to or near the center of the CMP pad, but not necessarily radially. The machine may also apply rotation to the reconditioning disks. Introducing liquid into the CMP pad during conditioning should help remove debris dislodged by the disks.

[0007] To save time and thereby improve efficiency, CMP pad reconditioning is often performed simultaneously with wafer polishing / planarization. However, one risk of this simultaneous processing is the risk of diamond particles flaking or ejecting from their matrix. Loose diamond material can gouge and damage the silicon wafer being polished.

[0008] At least those CMP pad conditioning disks featuring diamond particles bonded to a metal have encountered problems in the past - particularly loss (e.g., separation) of the diamond particles. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory or explanation, it is possible that the loss of diamond particles is due to chemical corrosion of the metal, or perhaps due to mechanical stresses caused by thermal expansion mismatches and temperature excursions during processing. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a pad conditioning disk that is less susceptible to loss of diamond particles than prior designs. Summary of the invention

[0009] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] The described embodiments include reaction sintered silicon carbide (RBSC) characterized by diamond particle reinforcement and methods for making the same, the RBSC comprising a matrix phase of reaction sintered silicon carbide (Si / SiC) in which diamond particles are embedded. The composite has very high mechanical and thermal stability, can be produced in one or more sizes of 450 mm and larger, and can be machined by electrical discharge machining (EDM) (sometimes referred to as "spark discharge machining").

[0011] One application of this technology is a CMP pad conditioner disk made of diamond enhanced reaction sintered Si / SiC, where the diamond particles protrude or "stand out" from the rest of the surface and are evenly distributed on the cutting surface. In one embodiment, the diamond particles are roughly evenly distributed throughout the composite, but in other embodiments, they are preferentially located at and near the conditioning surface. The top of the diamond particles can be designed to be at a constant height (i.e., the conditioner disk is very flat). Alternatively, the disk can be given an annular shape. By preferentially eroding the Si / SiC matrix, the diamond particles can be made to protrude from the conditioning surface. The erosion can be done by EDM or by using abrasive grinding / polishing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A more detailed understanding of the present invention may be obtained from the following description, which is given by way of example and read in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements. The drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0013] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Top and side views, respectively, of a silicon wafer planarization operation in which the CMP pad is simultaneously adjusted.

[0014] Figure 2 is an exemplary RBSC-diamond microstructure.

[0015] Figure 3A is an exemplary profilometer trace of a ground diamond-enhanced RBSC composite body.

[0016] Figure 3B is a RBSC-diamond showing the depressed matrix and protruding diamond after polishing / grinding.

[0017] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a perspective view of the contact surface and back surface of an embodiment of a disk-shaped CMP conditioner of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4C is a perspective view of the contact surface of an annular or ring-shaped CMP conditioner embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An EDM method for producing a pad conditioner according to the present invention is schematically illustrated.

[0020] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B A casting method for producing a pad conditioner according to the invention is schematically shown.

[0021] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B A casting method using intentional separation to produce a pad conditioner according to the present invention is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] References herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in different places in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, nor do separate or alternative embodiments necessarily exclude other embodiments. The same applies to the term "implementation."

[0023] It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein do not necessarily need to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] As used in this application, the word "exemplary" is used herein to refer to serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0025] In one embodiment, a body based on silicon carbide can be made into a near net shape by a reaction infiltration technique. Typically, the reaction infiltration process requires contacting molten elemental silicon (Si) with a porous substance containing silicon carbide plus carbon in a vacuum or in an inert atmosphere environment. Wetting conditions are generated, where the result is that the molten silicon is pulled into the substance by capillary action, where it reacts with the carbon to form additional silicon carbide. The in-situ silicon carbide is typically interconnected. A dense body is usually required, so the process typically occurs in the presence of excess silicon. The resulting composite body therefore mainly contains silicon carbide, but also contains some unreacted silicon (which is also interconnected), and can be referred to as Si / SiC in simplified notation. The process for producing such a composite body is interchangeably referred to as "reaction formation", "reaction sintering", "reaction infiltration" or "self-bonding". In order to increase flexibility, one or more materials other than SiC can replace some or all of the SiC in the porous substance. For example, replacing some of the SiC with diamond particles can obtain a diamond / SiC composite. An exemplary method of making reaction-sintered SiC with diamond is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,474,362, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The material composition can be tailored to have varying amounts of diamond content. Typically, these compositions have a uniform distribution of diamond throughout the volume of the component. Figure 2 An example of a RBSC-diamond composite microstructure is shown. This scanning electron microscope (SEM) image is a fracture surface and shows the constituent diamond 21, silicon carbide 23 and elemental silicon 25. Diamond is a material with very high hardness, thermal conductivity, wear resistance, high stiffness and a low coefficient of friction. These high properties are imparted to Si / SiC containing diamond. It has also been shown that RBSC diamond material can be polished so that the diamond stands out (protrudes) and the matrix is ​​recessed ( Figure 3B ). This high flatness of the protruding diamonds and the controlled height of the diamond protrusions provide significant advantages in the conditioning of CMP pads.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations of diamond enhanced RBSCs are possible. Among the parameters that may be varied are diamond content, diamond particle size and diamond particle shape.

[0027] More specifically, the diamond content can be designed to range from about 1 volume percent (vol%) to about 70 vol%. The diamond reinforcement can be in the form of particles, where composites successfully made using diamond particles have nominal grain sizes or average particle diameters of 22, 35 and 100 microns, respectively. By comparison or calibration, 500 grit particles (500 particles per inch) have an average diameter of about 13-17 microns, and a 325 mesh screen or sieve (325 openings per inch) passes particles having a size of up to about 45 microns. As previously described, the matrix component is characterized by in-situ generated SiC and typically some unreacted elemental silicon. As known to those skilled in the art, the amount of elemental Si present in the composite material is highly designable; for example, it can constitute the majority of the material by volume (greater than 50 vol%); or it can be reduced to less than 1 vol%. However, in order to be machined by EDM, the Si component may need to be interconnected to obtain sufficient conductivity, and an amount of at least about 5-10 vol% is recommended. Note, however, that applicants have produced reaction sintered SiC composites containing about 60 vol% diamond particles, about 30-40 vol% Si, and no more than about 10 vol% in situ formed SiC.

[0028] Development of EDM-capable variants of diamond-containing RBSC

[0029] The basic principle behind electrical discharge machining is to flow a large amount of electrical energy between the electrode of the EDM device and the workpiece (the body to be machined). The electrical energy is in the form of a spark or arc. Here, the arc preferentially melts or vaporizes the interconnected Si matrix components. This has the effect of causing the diamond particle reinforcement to protrude or "stand out" from the surrounding Si / SiC matrix. There are at least two types of electrical discharge machining. The more familiar type of EDM causes the emitted spark or arc to form a line that cuts through the target material. In the type of EDM most relevant to the present working, the arc is between the forming electrode and the workpiece.

[0030] Grinding

[0031] Applicants have discovered that, in one embodiment, grinding the surface of a diamond-containing Si / SiC composite body also produces this diamond particle protrusion effect. Specifically, it preferentially removes some of the Si / SiC material, leaving the diamond reinforcement particles "standing tall" above the rest of the ground surface; and (ii) it grinds or polishes away the peaks of the diamond particles, leaving "tables" or platforms, e.g., planarized particles. The grinding abrasive was diamond, with the following particle sizes used in order: 100, 45, 22, 12, and finally 6 micron size particles. The latter was applied on a soft polyurethane cloth, while the other particle sizes were applied using a ceramic plate.

[0032] Figure 3AA profilometer trace of a ground diamond enhanced RBSC body is shown. Figure 3B is a greyscale SEM image of the same ground body. Both figures show that the Si / SiC matrix material has been "scooped out" between the diamond-enhanced grains, that the diamond grains have flat tops (have been "headed"), and that the edges of the diamond grains are blunt or rounded.

[0033] Exemplary processing steps for forming a RBSC with diamond are as follows. Silicon carbide powder, diamond powder, water and a binder are mixed together to make a slurry. The slurry is then cast into a forming mold and allowed to "compact" or settle under vibration to compact the ceramic particles to produce a high filler. In normal processing, the ceramic particle size is selected to keep them fully mixed and not separated. At the end of the casting process, excess aqueous binder is removed, the part is demolded, dried and carbonized to produce a self-supporting porous substance called a "preform". The drying can be carried out in air at a temperature range between about 70°C and 200°C. The carbonization pyrolyzes or cokes the organic binder, decomposing it into carbon. The carbonization is carried out in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, typically at a temperature of about 600°C, but can occur in the range of 350°C to about 1000°C. The non-oxidizing atmosphere can be a vacuum or an inert atmosphere, such as argon, helium or nitrogen.

[0034] Next, reactive infiltration is performed, whereby molten silicon is wicked into the porous preform, chemically reacting with non-diamond carbon (e.g., pyrolyzed binder), but not with diamond, at least not to any excessive extent, to form a dense composite body. Again, the atmosphere is non-oxidizing, which may be a vacuum or an inert gas, such as argon or helium. At the processing temperature of reactive infiltration, nitrogen may be reactive with molten silicon, which may be acceptable if some in-situ silicon nitride is desired in the formed composite body. The silicon does not have to be particularly pure. For example, 0.5 wt % iron as an impurity will not interfere with infiltration. The vacuum does not have to be high or "strong", and in fact the reactive sintering process will be satisfactorily carried out at atmospheric pressure in an inert atmosphere (such as argon or helium), especially if the temperature is slightly above 1410°C. However, the processing temperature should not exceed about 2100°C or 2200°C, because the components may decompose or volatilize or change the crystal form.

[0035] The resulting composite body contains diamond, SiC and residual Si. The relative composition can be tailored by selecting the ratio of the starting ingredients in the casting slurry. If the casting surface (typically the bottom surface) is not flat enough, it can be further flattened using a diamond grinding wheel.

[0036] These exemplary processing steps are used, and a diamond-containing composite body is typically produced in which the diamond is fairly uniformly distributed throughout the composite body. However, the basic process can be modified to produce a non-uniform distribution of diamond particles, such as a functional gradient. For example, in a deposition casting process, Stokes' law can be used to produce a dense or large particle body with a higher concentration at the bottom of the casting relative to the concentration at the top of the casting, as described in further detail below. In addition, a casting slurry containing or not containing diamond particles can be cast around a layer of pre-positioned diamond particles, grains or aggregates to produce a composite body after infiltration, which is characterized by the pre-positioned diamond body mainly on the surface of the composite body corresponding to the bottom surface of the casting. In this embodiment, the size of the diamond body can be greater than 100 microns in diameter - for example, 200, 500 or even 1000 microns. In addition, in this embodiment, the diamond body can be organized at the base of the mold in terms of position. For example, the diamond body can be non-uniformly positioned as a cluster, or can be randomly positioned, or can be uniformly and non-randomly positioned such as in a row or array.

[0037] refer to Figure 4A-4C The diamond-containing composite body can then be attached to a chassis, or possibly directly to the arm of a machine for reconditioning a CMP pad. To this end, the composite body or chassis can feature attachment or mounting structures 41, 43.

[0038] The CMP pad conditioner of the present invention may have the general or approximate dimensions of known pad conditioners, i.e., an effective diameter of about 5 to 20 centimeters. In plan or top view, they may be circular, elliptical, or polygonal in shape (such as a hexagon or octagon). In any case, the surfaces 45, 47 configured to contact the CMP pad are designed to be substantially flat. If the contact surface is also characterized by a treatment area or zone at a different height than the equilibrium of the contact surface, then the treatment area or zone provides the majority of the reconditioning work on the CMP pad. In any case, the surface that provides most or most of the reconditioning of the CMP pad is designed to be flat to a high degree of precision, wherein the limits of the abrasive diamond particles (the positions farthest from the substrate at a lower height) are within a plane of 100 microns, and possibly within a plane of 50 microns, and possibly within a plane of 20 microns, and possibly within a plane of 5 microns. That is, the farthest points or surfaces on the protruding diamond particles have heights within 100, 50, 20, or possibly 5 microns of each other.

[0039] Examples

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention will now be further described with reference to the following examples.

[0041] Example 1: EDM method

[0042] In this example, reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B , a diamond-enhanced reaction-sintered silicon carbide composite is first produced by conventional methods and then further processed by electrical discharge machining to produce diamonds protruding from the surface.

[0043] Here, a low diamond content (10%-20%) is selected to produce the desired spacing of diamonds 51 within the Si / SiC matrix. Next, an EDM electrode 55 is placed adjacent to the surface to be machined 57. EDM is performed to preferentially remove the Si / SiC matrix phase from one surface of the disk (the surface adjacent to the EDM electrode), leaving protruding diamonds 52 on the now recessed surface 54.

[0044] Example 2: Casting method without intentional separation

[0045] In reference Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The method described is one in which diamond particles or bodies are placed on the bottom of a casting mould and a preform is cast on top of these diamond bodies and these diamond bodies are embedded.

[0046] First, a casting slurry 65 is prepared. This slurry contains the usual ingredients for making RBSC preforms, but does not contain diamond. Next, a casting mold 61 is prepared. Here, the mold is shaped to produce a disk-shaped preform. Large diamond particles 63 (e.g., 200 microns in diameter) are then placed or positioned at the bottom of the mold in a defined pattern (square, hexagon, etc.). The diamond-free slurry 65 is then cast into the mold. The remaining process steps (deposition, excess binder removal, demoulding, drying, carbonization, and reaction sintering) to make a diamond-containing RBSC body on the surface are then performed.

[0047] Finally, polishing is performed on the diamond-bearing surface of the RBSC disk-like body to preferentially remove the matrix phase, producing protruding diamonds.

[0048] Example 3: Casting method using intentional separation

[0049] In reference Fig. 7A and Figure 7B This method is described which allows the separation of diamond particles of larger diameter and density than SiC particles during the deposition process to produce a functionally graded preform: the concentration of diamond on the bottom of the casting will be greater than the concentration of diamond on the top of the casting.

[0050] First, a casting slurry 73 containing a small amount (5%-10%) of coarse diamond 75 (e.g., 200 microns) is prepared. The slurry is intentionally made thinner than the SiC particles to promote faster settling of the diamond particles. The slurry is then cast into a mold 71 to produce a disk-shaped preform. Next, vibrations are applied to the casting mold to intentionally preferentially settle the diamond 75 to the bottom of the mold. Stokes' law governs the settling of particles in the casting slurry:

[0051] V s =[2(ρ p -ρ f )g R 2 ] / 9μ

[0052] Here, Vs is the sedimentation velocity, ρ is the density, the subscripts p and f refer to the particle and the fluid, g is the gravitational constant, R is the particle radius, and μ is the fluid viscosity. Therefore, the critical sedimentation velocity is proportional to the density difference between the particle and the liquid. Therefore, heavier particles will settle faster. Since diamond (3.54g / cc) has a higher density than SiC (3.21g / cc), diamond settles faster. The sedimentation velocity is also proportional to the square of the particle radius, so that larger particles usually fall much faster than smaller particles. Therefore, the diamond particle size (200 microns) is selected to be significantly larger than the particle size of SiC (10-25 microns). The sedimentation velocity is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the fluid (binder). Therefore, the slurry is also intentionally made thinner (lower viscosity) to promote faster sedimentation.

[0053] The preform so produced should have most of the diamond segregated to the bottom side of the preform. The preform is then subjected to the remaining process steps described above to form a functionally graded diamond-containing RBSC composite body. That is, one side of the composite body is diamond-rich and the opposite side is diamond-poor.

[0054] Finally, polishing is performed on the diamond-rich surface to preferentially remove the matrix phase, producing protruding diamonds.

[0055] The concept of "processing area" and ring / ring-like shapes

[0056] Heretofore, it has been almost assumed that the contact surface is generally disk-shaped and that this generally disk-shaped surface makes planar contact with the CMP pad polishing surface. While embodiments of the present invention do not exclude this, these embodiments are not limited thereby. Specifically, the contact surface may have one or more areas or zones that are elevated relative to other areas on the surface. Thus, these elevated zones will apply greater pressure to the CMP pad during reconditioning than other zones, even though these other zones may still be in nominal contact with the CMP pad. For example, applicants have recently discovered that in applications other than those of the present application, an annular or ring-shaped surface is a very desirable shape for a grinding tool. A minimally constrained grinding tool (e.g., supported by a ball and socket joint) can be moved over an uneven surface. The grinding tool will conform to the uneven surface and inherently wear away asperities or other high spots, thereby restoring flatness. Reference Figure 4C , which shows an embodiment of the CMP pad conditioner of the present invention, the inner and outer edges of the annular body can be rounded, or have a radius assigned to them, which helps prevent the contact surface from digging into, tearing, or gouging the CMP pad. Thus, the annular conditioning body can have an annular shape.

[0057] Additionally, an annular or ring-shaped treatment area may be integrated with an otherwise disk-shaped body to provide a generally planar contact surface, but with a slightly elevated and annular treatment area near the periphery of the disk. In this embodiment, the contact surface with the annular raised treatment area may be manufactured by selective grinding, EDM machining, or by a mold that provides such a desired contact surface for a preform precursor for casting a composite material.

[0058] Industrial Applicability

[0059] Embodiments of the present invention should find immediate utility in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, for example, for reconditioning chemical / mechanical planarization (CMP) pads. The composite material in contact with the CMP pad surface is highly resistant to the chemicals used in CMP. In addition, the diamond particle abrasive is embedded in a matrix that is well matched to it in terms of thermal expansion coefficient, thereby reducing internal strains that may at least partially cause the diamond abrasive to become separated from the substrate in prior art reconditioning tools. In addition, the treatment surface of the present invention is designed so that protruding diamond particles do not protrude more than about half of the surrounding or embedded matrix.

[0060] The treatment area or zone is the area or zone most responsible for reconditioning the contact surface of the CMP pad. This treatment area or zone can be disk-shaped, or it can be annular (more annular). The annular shape has certain advantages because it naturally tends to recondition the pad surface back to a flat state; that is, this shape naturally tends to remove high spots on the CMP pad. The inner and outer edges of the annular or ring-shaped treatment zone can have a radius applied or imparted to them; that is, the ring can be given a slight annular shape. Applying a radius to the edges can reduce the chance of gouging the CMP pad during conditioning.

[0061] While much of the foregoing discussion has focused on the specific problem of conditioning the polishing surface of a chemical / mechanical planarization (CMP) pad, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other applications where it is desirable to recondition a previously planar surface, particularly where such a surface has accumulated debris and where it is important that the abrasive used for such reconditioning does not separate from its substrate. The skilled artisan will recognize other applications where the reconditioning tool should be corrosion resistant.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications may be made to the invention described herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner comprising: an article having a contact surface configured for contacting a chemical-mechanical planarization pad during conditioning of the chemical-mechanical planarization pad; The product comprises: A matrix having a plurality of diamond particles distributed throughout a volume of the matrix, wherein the matrix comprises silicon carbide, the matrix at the contact surface is recessed relative to the diamond particles such that some of the diamond particles partially protrude from the matrix, and wherein the matrix comprises interconnected silicon.

2. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The matrix contains 5 volume percent to 10 volume percent of silicon.

3. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The matrix includes no more than 10 volume percent in-situ formed silicon carbide.

4. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The tops of the protruding diamond particles were planarized and the points on the protruding diamond particles furthest from the substrate were within a plane of 50 microns.

5. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: Another portion of the diamond particles, different from the diamond particles at the contact surface, is located completely below the contact surface.

6. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The contact surface also includes a treatment area.

7. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 6, wherein: The treatment area is planar.

8. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 6, wherein: The treatment area is annular.

9. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 6, wherein: At least the protruding diamond particles within the treated area are planarized.

10. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The diamond particles in the matrix have a volume percent concentration gradient that varies inversely with distance from the contact surface.

11. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The protruding diamond particles do not protrude more than 50% of their size from the surrounding matrix.

12. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The protruding diamond particles exhibit sizes ranging from 20 microns to 1000 microns.

13. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: At least a portion of the protruding diamond particles at the contact surface protrude from the matrix a distance of at least 10 microns.

14. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The diamond particles in the composite material are preferentially located at or near the contact surface.

15. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The matrix comprises reaction-sintered silicon carbide.

16. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The diamond particles in the composite material have a volume percent concentration of 1 volume percent to 70 volume percent.

17. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The matrix contains 5 volume percent to 40 volume percent elemental silicon.

18. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The diamond particles are uniformly distributed throughout the volume of the composite material.

19. The chemical-mechanical planarization pad conditioner of claim 10, wherein: The volume percent concentration gradient varies according to Stokes' law.

20. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 10, wherein: The volume percent concentration gradient varies during the formation of the matrix according to the settling of the diamond particles in the matrix according to the following formula: Among them, V s is the sedimentation velocity, ρ is the density, subscripts p and f refer to the diamond particle and the matrix in fluid form during formation, respectively, g is the gravitational constant, R is the radius of the diamond particle, and μ is the fluid viscosity of the matrix in fluid form during formation.

21. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The diamond particles are distributed throughout the volume of the composite material.

22. The CMP pad conditioner of claim 1, wherein: The tops of the protruding diamond particles have a planarized width of 40 micrometers to 70 micrometers.

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