| US 7,575,503 B2 | ||
| Vacuum-assisted pad conditioning system | ||
| Stephen J. Benner, Lansdale, Pa. (US) | ||
| Assigned to TBW Industries, Inc., Furlong, Pa. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 13, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/891,689. | ||
| Application 11/891689 is a continuation of application No. 10/819754, filed on Apr. 07, 2004, granted, now 7,258,600, filed on Aug. 21, 2007. | ||
| Application 10/819754 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/447373, filed on May 29, 2003, granted, now 7,052,371, filed on May 30, 2006. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0281592 A1, Dec. 06, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B24B 49/00 (2006.01); B24B 51/00 (2006.01); B24B 19/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 451—72 [451/5; 451/8; 451/21; 451/443; 451/456] | 20 Claims |
| 1. An apparatus for conditioning a polishing pad used in a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process, the apparatus comprising
an abrasive conditioning disk including a plurality of apertures formed therethrough;
an inlet port for introducing fluid and/or gaseous conditioning agent(s) into the apparatus, through the abrasive conditioning
disk plurality of apertures, and onto a polishing pad; and
a vacuum supply coupled to the polishing pad through the abrasive conditioning disk apertures, wherein upon activation of
an exterior vacuum source, effluent from a conditioning process will be drawn through said abrasive conditioning disk apertures
and evacuated from the apparatus.
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