Pad Adjustment Brush

Abstract

A pad conditioning brush is described. In particular, a pad conditioning brush is described that includes a carrier layer and a plurality of abrasive-free brush bristles extending from the carrier layer. The carrier layer and the plurality of brush bristles form a unitary body. Such a brush can provide superior performance compared to conventional conditioning disks.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] A brush may be used to gently polish the desired surface, possibly including a chemical mechanical polishing pad. This process of pad conditioning is a critical component of wafer planarization, and defects introduced by pad conditioning may affect the final state of the wafer. Summary of the Invention

[0002] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a pad conditioned brush. The pad conditioned brush includes a carrier layer and a plurality of brush bristles extending from the carrier layer. The plurality of brush bristles are free of abrasive particles, and the carrier layer and the plurality of brush bristles form a unitary body. The pad conditioned brush has sufficient stiffness to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 20 Shore A.

[0003] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method of conditioning a chemical mechanical polishing pad. The method includes providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, providing a pad conditioning brush, contacting the pad conditioning brush with the chemical mechanical polishing pad, and texturing the chemical mechanical polishing pad. The pad conditioning brush includes a carrier layer and a plurality of brush bristles extending from the carrier layer. The plurality of brush bristles are free of abrasive particles, and the carrier layer and the plurality of brush bristles form a unitary body. The pad conditioning brush has sufficient stiffness to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 20 Shore A.

[0004] In yet another aspect, the present specification relates to a method of conditioning a chemical mechanical polishing pad, the method including providing a pad conditioner including a metal-free, abrasive particle-free, single working surface, providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, contacting the pad conditioner with the chemical mechanical polishing pad, and texturing the chemical mechanical polishing pad. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a pad conditioning brush. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a pad conditioning brush. [Diagram 3] 1 is a graph showing the residual concentration of slurry on a pad without a brush for Comparative Example 1, Example 1, and Example 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the residual concentration of slurry on a brush in Comparative Example 1, Example 1, and Example 2. [Diagram 5] 1 is a graph showing pad wear rates and bristle wear rates for Examples 3 to 5. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph showing oxide removal rates over 200 wafers for Comparative Example 2, Example 6, and Example 7 during the ceria polishing process. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing defectivity across 200 wafers for Comparative Example 2, Example 6, and Example 7 after a ceria polishing process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] Conventional pad conditioners, such as those containing bulk abrasive materials, have particular challenges because the wafer polishing process becomes less tolerant to damage or errors introduced by the components. For example, abrasive grains (such as diamonds) can become loose as the pad conditioner wears, and can deposit their very hard particles throughout the polishing system. Especially in an in-situ process where a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) pad is conditioned and simultaneously polishes a wafer, introducing a foreign object can have downstream effects. For example, it can enter the slurry and become part of the polishing system that contacts the wafer. Although the wafer polishing mechanism needs to be very carefully controlled, the introduction of a foreign abrasive can cause scratches or otherwise introduce defects into the process. Metal ions in conventional pad conditioners can also react with other polishing system components, resulting in contamination or other downstream defects.

[0007] Alternatively, brushes made by a flocking process or other methods in which the bristles are attached to the surface of the brush carrier by adhesive have utility in the polishing process as well. The material, size, and density of the bristles may be tailored to achieve a wide range of desired parameters and may be particularly suitable for soft pads. However, as with conventional polishing pad conditioning disks, the bristles may become detached from the surface of the conditioned brush and enter the polishing system in contact with the wafer. This may also result in scratches or other defects on the wafer that would otherwise be polished.

[0008] The pad conditioning brushes described herein surprisingly provide many of the advantages of conventional brushes while significantly reducing the defect rate when used in a polishing system.Surprisingly, these brushes do not contain abrasive particles in some embodiments, and do not contain metal ions in some embodiments (for the purposes of this description, metal ion-free means that there are less than 1 ppm of trace metals), yet still exhibit sufficient rigidity to texture chemical mechanical polishing pads as well as conventional pad conditioners.Also, the fact that the pad conditioning brush is a single body (including the carrier layer and bristles) means that the bristles do not fall off due to delamination or adhesion failure, and in many embodiments, significantly reduces the risk of broken or separated bristles entering the polishing system in contact with the wafer.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a pad conditioning brush. The pad conditioning brush 100 includes a carrier layer 110 having an upper surface 120. Bristles 122 extend from the upper surface 120 of the carrier layer 110. The pad conditioning brush 100 may be of any overall shape and size. Typically, the size of the pad conditioner may be dictated by the particular polishing system in use. In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brush may be approximately 3-6 inches in diameter. In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brush may be 3.75, 4, or 4.25 inches in diameter. In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brush may have a substantially circular shape to avoid asymmetry or vibration at high rotational speeds. While these are typical shapes and sizes of current pad conditioners, the shape and size of the pad conditioning brush are not particularly limited. Although not explicitly illustrated, the pad conditioning brush may include a mechanism for attachment to a suitable polishing apparatus, including mechanical means for securely attaching the pad conditioning brush to a pad conditioning arm, including attachment points, a retaining ring, or an adhesive.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brush may include a rigid backplane to which the carrier layer is attached. This backplane may be formed from any suitable material and, together with the carrier layer, may have any suitable dimensions depending on the particular application, for example, to easily replace a heavier conventional conditioning disk. For example, in some embodiments, the pad conditioning brush may include a stainless steel frame as the backplane. The carrier layer may be glued or otherwise attached (including mechanical or friction fit) to the backplane. Either the carrier layer or the backplane may be selected for one or more mechanical or material properties, such as stiffness, thermal conductivity, or chemical resistance.

[0011] The carrier layer 110 has at least one major surface, represented in FIG. 1 by the top surface 120. Protruding or extending from the carrier layer 110 (and in particular from the top surface 120) are bristles 122. In some embodiments, the carrier layer 110 and the bristles 122 are formed from the same process and from the same material. In some embodiments, the carrier layer 110 and the bristles 122 are formed from the same material. In some embodiments, the bristles are on both major surfaces of the carrier layer. The bristles 122 may have any suitable shape, size, and distribution on the top surface 120. In some embodiments, the bristles 122 may vary in one or more of their size, shape, and density along one or more directions in the plane of the top surface 120. For example, the size of the bristles 122 may vary as a function of distance from the center of the pad conditioning brush 100. The variation may be smooth, gradual, or even pseudo-random. In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brush 100 can be divided into multiple zones, each zone containing bristles with certain common characteristics. The zones can be any shape, such as a portion of a circular arc (e.g., a pie-shaped or wedge-shaped segment), a zone bounded by an inner and outer radius (e.g., a ring or annular section), or even a combination of each. In some embodiments, the zone near the outermost section of the pad conditioning brush 100 can contain taller bristles. These bristles can preferentially interact with the pad during the break-in period until these bristles wear down to the same height as the other bristles on the pad conditioning brush. In some embodiments, there may be one or more sections of the pad conditioning brush 100 that are substantially free of bristles. These areas may remain substantially free of bristles to accommodate other functional parts of the pad conditioning brush (e.g., a central hole to accommodate a spindle). In some embodiments, more than 1000 bristles are present on the pad conditioning brush. In some embodiments, more than 1500 bristles are present on the pad conditioning brush. In some embodiments, there are more than 2000 bristles present on the pad conditioning brush.In some embodiments, there are more than 2500 bristles on the pad conditioned brush. In some embodiments, there are more than 3000 bristles on the pad conditioned brush.

[0012] In some embodiments, the carrier layer 110 and the bristles 122 form a unitary body. In some embodiments, the carrier layer and the bristles are formed during the same injection molding process or even step. In some embodiments, the carrier layer and the bristles are substantially free of adhesive that keeps them attached to one another.

[0013] The range of suitable sizes and shapes of the bristles 122 are more fully described in conjunction with the schematic side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a pad conditioning brush 200 including a carrier layer 210 and bristles 222 extending from a top surface 220 of the pad conditioning brush. Each bristle can be broadly characterized as having a height h, as shown in FIG. 2, extending from the top surface of the carrier layer 210 (not including the bristles) to the tip peak of the bristles. Although the bristles in FIG. 2 are shown as having flat truncated tops, a myriad of geometric shapes and tip shapes are possible. For example, the bristles may include sharp peaks, multiple tip peaks, angled peaks, rounded peaks, square peaks, slanted peaks, rough peaks, etc. In some embodiments, the bristles taper away from the top surface of the carrier layer. In some embodiments, this taper is a linear taper (as in a cone or pyramid), and in some embodiments, this taper is more complex, having a non-linear taper built into the shape or a taper of 2° or more.

[0014] Bristles may also be characterized as having a base width. The base width, shown as w in FIG. 2, may be described as the dimension of the bristle that has the greatest extent. For circular or substantially circular shapes, this may be equal to the diameter of the bristle. For more complex elliptical or polygonal shapes, the base width may not be equal to the equivalent circular diameter of the shape at its base (e.g., the diameter of a circle having the same area as the actual base of the bristle), but may be approximated by it. Each of the height, base width, and the ratio between the two (called the aspect ratio of the bristle) is important in designing and selecting the appropriate geometric shape depending on the desired application and performance. In some embodiments, the bristles have a tip width (i.e., the smallest width at the tapered shape) that may be used as a measure of the aspect ratio instead of the base width. In some embodiments, the average between the base width and the tip width may be used as the basis for the aspect ratio. In some embodiments, the maximum aspect ratio of the bristle may be used for any of its widths (i.e., the width at the tapered shape, typically the tip). Since the aspect ratio may be used as a parameter to measure mechanical properties and manufacturability (particularly the tendency of the bristles to break or otherwise be unformable during manufacturing, the higher the aspect ratio the greater the difficulty), the definition of the ratio may depend on the particular application and requirements. In some embodiments, the height of the bristles may be between 1 mm and 10 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the bristles may be between 1 mm and 5 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the bristles may be between 2 mm and 4 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the bristles may be between 3 and 4 mm. In some embodiments, the preferred aspect ratio of the bristles may be greater than 1.5:1. In some embodiments, the preferred aspect ratio of the bristles may be between 1.5:1 and 8:1. In some embodiments, the preferred aspect ratio of the bristles may be between 1:1 and 10:1. In some embodiments, the preferred aspect ratio of the bristles may be between 1:1 and 20:1.

[0015] In an injection molding process, the particular geometry and design of the bristles may be limited by practical considerations. For example, a bristle design that tapers toward the top surface of the carrier layer may be difficult or impossible to remove using conventional molding techniques without significantly compromising the integrity and fidelity of the molded features, even assuming a frictionless mold and no adhesion. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that some mold designs may not have high repeatability, as the material filling the mold may not reliably fill the entire volume of the cavity. Certain features may be theoretically possible but commercially impractical: for example, a multi-part mold that can be disassembled to release the molded parts.

[0016] Overall, the bristles may have regular shapes, including cylindrical, conical, tetrahedral, or other shapes including polygonal cross-sections. In some embodiments, the bristles may have irregular shapes or may include a combination of shapes (either per bristle or within a single bristle). For example, the bristles may include a cross-section having both curved and straight portions.

[0017] Using an injection molding process, the bristles and carrier layer may be formed from any suitable material. In some embodiments, the material comprises a thermoplastic material. In some embodiments, the material comprises a thermoset or elastomeric material. In some embodiments, the material is hydrophobic. In some embodiments, the material is hydrophilic. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyolefin. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polypropylene. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polystyrene. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyurethane. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyphenylene sulfide. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyaryletherketone. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyetheretherketone. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyester. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyethylene. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyethylene terephthalate. In some embodiments, the material comprises a polyamide. In some embodiments, the material comprises an aliphatic polyamide. In some embodiments, the material comprises a nylon. In some embodiments, the material comprises a fluorinated polymer. In some embodiments, the bristles comprise a second material at least partially covering the first material. These configurations can be useful to provide a break-in period with the pad conditioning brushes during which the second material wears away to expose the underlying first material.

[0018] In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process may be selected for its rheological properties, processing properties, and / or final mechanical properties. For example, a material for an injection molding process may have a sufficiently low glass transition temperature (in its bulk) or melting point so that the material can be properly manipulated and molded. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a flexural modulus of 0.1 GPa to 5.0 GPa. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a flexural modulus of 0.1 GPa to 2 GPa. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a flexural modulus of 0.2 GPa to 1.8 GPa. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a hardness of at least 30 Shore A. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a hardness of at least 50 Shore A. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a hardness of at least 75 Shore A. In some embodiments, a material for an injection molding process has a hardness of at least 100 Shore A. In some embodiments, the material for the injection molding process has a hardness of 50 Shore A to 100 Shore D. In some embodiments, the material for the injection molding process has a hardness of 50 Shore A to 150 HRR (Rockwell Hardness, R scale).

[0019] The formation of suitable and appropriate molds for injection molding is not limited and may be done through any conventional process. For example, etching, machining, ablation, microreplication, electro-discharge machining, sintering, molding, embossing, etc. may be used. Additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing may also be used. The material of the mold is not particularly limited, but should be selected to match the process requirements of the material to be molded. In some embodiments, a treatment is applied to the surface of the completed mold during the formation or before molding of each part to aid in mold life and also aid in mold release. Suitable release agents and treatments for injection molded parts that reduce surface energy may include polytetrafluoroethylene coatings, nickel boron plating, polyfluoropolyether silane coatings, waxes, electroplating treatments, silicone coatings, chromium nitrate coatings, plasma treatments and other surface modification processes, as well as any other suitable treatments and coatings, including combinations thereof.

[0020] The materials used in the injection molding process may include one or more impact modifiers. These impact modifiers can improve the mechanical properties of the resulting carrier layer and bristles. Any suitable impact modifier may be used and may include elastomers or rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber, modified EPDM including maleic anhydride modified EPDM terpolymer, or polyethylene octene co-maleic acid. In some embodiments, the impact modifier may be present at 5-10% by weight of the total material. In some embodiments, the impact modifier may be present at 5-70% by weight of the total material.

[0021] Materials used in injection molding processes can contain pigments or colorants. In a multi-shot injection molding process, materials with different colors can be used to give a visual indication of surface wear as one pigment color wears off to reveal another color or level of transparency / opacity underneath.

[0022] In some embodiments, the material used in the injection molding process may include one or more stiffening fibers. These stiffening fibers are fibers that have a higher modulus than the base resin in which they are included. These fibers may include, for example, one or more of aramid fibers or carbon fibers. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may include meta-aramid fibers. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may include para-aramid fibers. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may include poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) fibers. These fibers may have any suitable dimensions and may be provided in any suitable density. In some embodiments, the material may include 10 to 20 weight percent stiffening fibers. In some embodiments, the material may include 10 to 50 weight percent stiffening fibers. In some embodiments, the material may include 15 to 20 weight percent stiffening fibers. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may be less than 100 micrometers in diameter. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may be less than 50 micrometers in diameter. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may be less than 30 micrometers in diameter. In some embodiments, the stiffening fibers may be less than 20 micrometers in diameter. Short or long fiber pieces may be appropriate depending on the application ("short" in this context means less than 0.5 mm and "long" means more than 0.5 mm). To achieve a sufficiently strong interface between the fiber and the rest of the material, adhesion promoters can be used on the fiber or in the material used for injection molding. In addition to the design of the bristle geometry, the choice of material can be modified and tailored to reach the desired performance characteristics.

[0023] While injection molding is, in some embodiments, an economical and easily reproducible manufacturing process, other manufacturing techniques and processes are possible for forming the bristle and pad conditioning brushes described herein. For example, 3D printing (or other additive manufacturing), compression molding, thermoforming, vacuum forming, rotational molding, laser drilling, diamond turning, etching, machining, ablation, microreplication, electrical discharge machining, sintering, embossing, or other suitable processes may be used to form the brushes described herein. The materials used in these processes may be similar to, or exhibit similar properties to, those described as suitable for the injection molding process described herein.

[0024] Pad conditioned brushes as described herein may be suitable for use in both in situ and ex situ polishing machines for any suitable type of pad and with any suitable type of slurry. For example, in some embodiments, pad conditioned brushes described herein may be suitable for use in processes involving ceria-based and colloidal silica slurries. Pad conditioned brushes described herein may alternatively or additionally be suitable for use in buffing processes.

[0025] In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brushes described herein may be stiff enough to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 80 Shore A. In some embodiments, the pad conditioning brushes described herein may be stiff enough to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 65 Shore D. EXAMPLES

[0026] The materials used in the examples are as follows:

[0027] [Table 1]

[0028] Example pad conditioning discs were formed with the following bristle design characteristics:

[0029] [Table 2]

[0030] Injection Molding Inserts The inserts were fabricated from T-7075 aluminum and the bristle shapes were plunge machined with a taper cutter to form the inverse of the desired brush and bristle shapes. No grinding was done before or after machining. A release coating was applied on the finished inserts to aid in demolding. The bristle features were formed as through holes that were injection molded with a backing plate to allow tip venting.

[0031] Cleaning ceria slurry from pads A commercially available pad brush (not injection molded) was obtained: PB33A, manufactured by 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. (Comparative Example 1). To compare to this brush, two injection molded pad conditioning brushes were formed. Example 1: Nylon 12 + 50 weight percent impact modifier; Design B. Example 2: Nylon 12 + 70 weight percent impact modifier; Design B.

[0032] A commercial ceria slurry, AGC 333 from AGC Electronic Materials, Tokyo, Japan, was used to polish SiO2 wafers on a benchtop Bruker CP4 polisher (Billerica, MA). 30.5'' IC1010 pads (available from DuPont, Wilmington, DE) were cut into 9'' disks and used as pads on the benchtop polisher. A 3M S122 conditioner was used for break-in at 6 pounds down force for 30 minutes. After break-in, the pads were rinsed with water for 5 minutes and then a TEOS wafer was polished for 5 minutes in the presence of the slurry for 2 minutes. The slurry flow rate was 50 mL / min. One of the pads was rinsed with deionized water after polishing as it was used as a "no brush" control. The post-polishing DIW rinse was repeated using different exemplary and comparative brushes to clean the pads. The pads and brushes were analyzed to determine the concentration of slurry remaining on the pads. The results are shown in Figure 3. As can be seen, the brush performed substantially the same as the conventional brush.

[0033] The brushes were also measured to determine the concentration of slurry remaining on the brush. Keeping the brush clean while cleaning the pad is a useful attribute. There is a relatively high risk of debris redepositing back on the pad (and eventually contacting the wafer), thus increasing the chance of defects on the wafer. The results are shown in Figure 4. As can be seen, the injection molded brushes performed better than the conventional brushes.

[0034] Bristle and pad wear rates Three injection molded pad conditioning brushes were formed. Example 3: Nylon 6,10 + 5 weight percent impact modifier; Design B Example 4: Nylon 6,10 + 10 weight percent impact modifier and 15 weight percent aramid fiber; Design B. Example 5: Nylon 6,10 + 10 weight percent impact modifier and 19 weight percent carbon fiber; Design B.

[0035] 30.5'' IC1010 pads (available from DuPont, Wilmington, Del.) were cut into 9'' disks and used as pads on a benchtop Bruker CP4 polisher (Billerica, Mass.). Each brush was run at 6 pounds downforce for 3 hours. The platen and brush rotation speeds were set at 57 rpm and 61 rpm, respectively. The deionized water flow rate was set at 30 mL / min.

[0036] Pad wear was measured using a height sensor on a CP4 polisher, and bristle wear was characterized by measuring bristle height before and after testing using a KEYENCE VR5200 (Itasca, Ill.) structured optical microscope. The results are shown in FIG. 5. As can be seen, the examples without stiffening fibers had approximately the same pad wear rate as the examples without stiffening fibers, while the bristle rate was much lower for each of the examples that included stiffening fibers. In particular, the carbon fiber containing examples showed the lowest bristle wear rate.

[0037] Ceria Polishing Process A commercially available diamond abrasive was obtained: 3M S122 Diamond Pad Conditioner (available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.) (Comparative Example 2). To compare with this conditioner, two injection molded pad conditioning brushes were formed. Example 6: Nylon 6,10 + 10 weight percent impact modifier and 15 weight percent aramid fiber; Design C. Example 7: Nylon 6,10 + 10 weight percent impact modifier and 19 weight percent carbon fiber; Design C.

[0038] A commercial ceria slurry, AGC 333 from AGC Electronic Materials, Tokyo, Japan, was used to polish SiO2 wafers on an APPLIED MATERIALS REFLEXION LK CMP polisher (available from Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA). A 30.5'' IC1010 pad (available from DuPont, Wilmington, DE) was used. All conditioners were run 100% in situ with 6 lbs downforce. The pads were run-in for 30 minutes with 6 lbs downforce. During polishing, the platen and head speeds were set at 87 rpm and 93 rpm, respectively. The average downforce on the wafer was 3 psi and the duration was 1 minute. This process continued for 200 wafers and the polishing rate was recorded after each wafer. The removal rate is shown in FIG. 6.

[0039] As can be seen, Example 7 had a comparable removal rate to diamond in Comparative Example 2, while Example 6 had a higher oxide removal rate. The polishing rates of each Example were relatively stable (and less volatile than Comparative Example 2) over the course of 200 wafers.

[0040] The defect rate per wafer was also measured using an SP2 defect inspection system (available from KLA Corporation, Milpitas, Calif.) at a threshold of 120 nm. The results are shown in FIG. 7. As can be seen, Example 7 had a comparable defect rate to the diamond pad conditioner of Comparative Example 2, while Example 6 had a much lower defect count. The performance of Example 6 is even more surprising in light of the increased oxide removal rate demonstrated over the same test period.

[0041] The pad conditioning brushes described herein can allow flexibility in process parameters, for example allowing for better oxide removal rates than traditional conditioning options, allowing other parameters such as down force to be reduced, extending component life without giving up relative performance.

Claims

1. A carrier layer; a plurality of brush bristles extending from the carrier layer; A pad conditioning brush comprising: the plurality of brush bristles are free of abrasive particles; the carrier layer and the plurality of brush bristles form a unitary body; has sufficient stiffness to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 20 Shore A; Pad adjustment brush.

2. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 having a working surface defined by a surface of a carrier layer from which the plurality of brush bristles extend, the working surface being metal-free.

3. 2. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1, wherein the plurality of brush bristles comprises a first material and a second material at least partially covering the first material, the second material being harder than the first material.

4. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles are hydrophilic.

5. 10. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 having sufficient stiffness to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 80 Shore A.

6. 7. The pad conditioning brush of claim 6, having sufficient stiffness to texture a chemical mechanical polishing pad having a hardness of 65 Shore D.

7. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles comprises a composite material including a polymer, an impact modifier, and a stiffening fiber.

8. The pad conditioning brush of claim 7 , wherein the polymer comprises an aliphatic polyamide.

9. The pad conditioning brush of claim 7 , wherein the stiffening fibers include at least one of meta-aramid fibers or carbon fibers.

10. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles comprises bristles having a regular shape.

11. The pad conditioning brush of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles comprises bristles having a cylindrical, conical, or tetrahedral shape.

12. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles comprises bristles having irregular shapes.

13. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles includes bristles having a combination of shapes.

14. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles comprises bristles having an aspect ratio of between 1.5:1 and 10:

1.

15. The pad conditioning brush of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of brush bristles each have an aspect ratio greater than 1.5:

1.

16. A carrier layer; a plurality of brush bristles extending from the carrier layer; A pad conditioning brush comprising: the plurality of brush bristles are free of abrasive particles; the carrier layer and the plurality of brush bristles form a unitary body; the plurality of brush bristles comprising a composite including a polymer and an impact modifier; Pad adjustment brush.

17. 1. A method for conditioning a chemical mechanical polishing pad, comprising: Providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad; Providing a pad conditioning brush according to claim 1; contacting the pad conditioning brush with the chemical mechanical polishing pad; texturing the chemical mechanical polishing pad; A method comprising:

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the chemical mechanical polishing pad has a hardness of 20 Shore A to 75 Shore D.

19. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein contacting the pad conditioning brush with the chemical mechanical polishing pad is performed in the presence of a slurry.

20. 1. A method for conditioning a chemical mechanical polishing pad, comprising: providing a pad conditioner including a single working surface that is metal-free and abrasive particle-free; Providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad; contacting the pad conditioner with the chemical mechanical polishing pad; texturing the chemical mechanical polishing pad; A method comprising:

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