CMP Pad Additive Manufacturing with Sacrificial Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pads lack precision in geometry control, leading to potential distortions and the need for post-processing, which increases waste and reduces yield and throughput.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing system is used to fabricate CMP pads by receiving data for a desired shape, compensating for distortions through an initial layer and successive droplet ejection processes with different polymers and curing radiations to form partitions separated by grooves, allowing for precise control of the polishing surface geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional molding or casting methods are used to manufacture polishing pads, then production simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and geometry control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and compensating for expected geometric distortions in the digital model before manufacturing. The system predicts how the polishing pad geometry will distort during curing and adjusts the initial digital design to counteract these distortions, ensuring the final product meets precision requirements without requiring complex post-processing or iterative adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by dynamically adjusting manufacturing parameters (such as layer thickness, droplet spacing, and curing conditions) based on real-time monitoring of the additive manufacturing process. This allows the system to compensate for geometric distortions by modifying process parameters mid-manufacturing, achieving high precision without increasing overall process complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If post-processing machining steps are added to correct geometry distortions, then manufacturing precision improves, but productivity and throughput deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for post-processing machining by performing geometric correction in advance through digital model compensation. The system predicts distortions and adjusts the digital design beforehand, allowing the polishing pad to be manufactured directly to final specifications through additive manufacturing alone, thereby maintaining high precision while maximizing productivity and throughput
3Manufacturing precision
If material is removed through machining to correct distortions, then manufacturing precision improves, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prevents material waste by pre-compensating for geometric distortions in the digital model before manufacturing begins. The additive manufacturing process deposits material exactly where needed based on the corrected digital design, eliminating the need for subsequent material removal through machining and thereby achieving high precision while minimizing material waste
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical machining operations with a digital compensation approach. Instead of using mechanical tools to remove material and correct distortions, the system uses computational algorithms to predict and counteract distortions in the digital model, then manufactures the part additively to final dimensions, substituting material removal with material placement precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach improves polishing efficacy by reducing distortions, minimizing post-processing, decreasing material waste, and enhancing wafer-to-wafer uniformity, potentially eliminating the need for secondary machining steps.
Implementation Method 1
depositing successive layers by droplet ejection to form the polishing pad
Data Source
AI summary
A method of fabricating a polishing pad using an additive manufacturing system includes depositing a first set successive layers by droplet ejection to form a. Depositing the successive layers includes dispensing a polishing pad precursor to first regions corresponding to partitions of the polishing pad and dispensing a sacrificial material to second regions corresponding to grooves of the polishing pad. Removing the sacrificial material provides the polishing pad with a polishing surface that has the partitions separated by the grooves.