Effect of various groove patterns on slurry flow in polishing pads

Abstract

Slurry flow on the polishing pad affects the polishing characteristics in the ultra-precision polishing process. In this study, we examined the slurry flow for various polishing pads with various groove patterns, and considered its influence on slurry flow. Images obtained using a high-speed camera with digital image processing indicated marked changes in slurry flow. We propose two types of novel groove pattern, i.e., inflow type and outflow type, based on the involute curve. Moreover, the slurry flows of both inflow and outflow type showed several advantages compared with conventional pads.