Polishing pad conditioning system and method

摘要

A system and method for conditioning a polishing pad12 in a chemical-mechanical polishing process for polishing a semiconductor wafer. The conditioning system includes a conditioning device 20 into which a plurality of removable inserts 24 are inserted. The inserts each have a tip 26 comprising a conditioning material. During operation, the plurality of insert tips 26 contact the polishing pad 12 to condition the polishing pad 12, thereby enhancing the uniformity of wafers polished by the polishing pad and reducing damage to polished wafers.