POLISHING PAD HAVING OPEN AREA WHICH VARIES WITH DISTANCE FROM INITIAL PAD SURFACE

摘要

A polishing pad (400) having a cross-sectional open area (404) which varies with depth from the pad surface is provided. The cross-sectional open area (404) of the pad (400) may increase and/or decrease moving away from the outer pad surface. In some cases, the cross-sectional open area (404) of the pad (400) varies uniformly with depth over the entire pad. In other cases, certain regions of the pad may define local cross-sectional open areas (404) which vary differently. This can, for example, allow the open area (404) of the pad to vary with pad life and improve or tailor the polishing uniformity of the pad and/or extend the useful life of the pad (400).