Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Carl R Kessel

Larry D Boardman

Clyde D Calhoun

William Keith Leonard

Kurt C Melancon

Richard J Webb

Robert P Messner

Tracy R Woodward

Maureen C Nelson

Thomas P Klun

Scott R Culler

George G Moore

Stephen W Bany

Wesley J Bruxvoort

David A Kaisaki

Heather K Kranz

Daniel K McIntyre

Kwok-Lun Ho

Julia P Williams

Maan-shii S Wu

Ellen O Aeling

Robert G Lockwood

Provided is a laminated body comprising a substrate to be ground and a support, where the substrate may be ground to a very small (thin) thickness and can then be separated from the support without damaging the substrate. One embodiment is a laminated body comprising a substrate to be ground, a curable silicone adhesive layer in contact with the substrate to be ground, a photothermal conversion layer comprising a light absorbing agent and a heat decomposable resin, and a light transmitting support. After grinding the substrate surface which is opposite that in contact with the adhesive layer, the laminated body is irradiated through the light transmitting layer and the photothermal conversion layer decomposes to separate the substrate and the light transmitting support.

Method for manufacturing thin substrate using a laminate body

A multi-layered polishing pad for modifying a surface of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, that reduces the effort, time and cost involved with pad replacement. The polishing pad includes a polishing layer, at least one sub-pad layer adjacent the polishing layer, and an attachment layer interposed between and releasably joining the polishing layer and at least a portion of the at least one sub-pad layer. The at least one sub-pad layer may include a plurality of layers, such as at least one resilient layer, at least one rigid layer, and/or at least one layer that has both rigid and resilient characteristics. The release layer may be interposed between the polishing layer and the sub-pad or between adjacent layers of the sub-pad. Multiple release layers may be included that are interposed between the polishing layer and layers of the sub-pad, as desired. When the polishing layer and/or other sub-pad layers wear out and need to be replaced, the worn layers may be removed from the polishing pad at one or more release layers, leaving the non-worn layers of the sub-pad still attached to a polishing device. A new polishing layer with or without attached sub-pad layers may then be attached to the remaining sub-pad layers on the polishing device for continued polishing processes.

Polishing pad with release layer

The polymers of the present invention are characterized by having at least one pendent acetal or ketal functional group in which at least two substituents of the acetal/ketal carbon atom independently comprise at least one silicon atom. The compositions of the present invention are useful as positive working resist compositions, in particular as the top imaging layer in a bilayer resist scheme for use in the manufacture of integrated circuits.

Polymers having silicon-containing acetal or ketal functional groups

The polymers of the invention are characterized by having at least one pendent ester group having a tertiary carbon atom attached to the ester oxygen atom in which at least one substituent of the tertiary carbon atom comprises at least one silicon atom. The polymer compositions of the present invention are useful as resist materials for lithography, in particular as the imaging layer or as the top imaging layer in a bilayer resist scheme for use in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The silicon-containing tertiary alcohols and esters of the present invention enable the preparation of polymers with relatively high silicon content.

Silicon-containing alcohols and polymers having silicon-containing tertiary ester groups made therefrom

This invention relates to fixed abrasive articles and abrasive constructions containing at least one fluorochemical agent. The fixed abrasive articles and abrasive constructions are used in semiconductor wafer surface modification processes during the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Specifically, fixed abrasive articles comprise an abrasive composite that is coextensive with a backing and at least one fluorochemical agent associated with the composite. The invention further relates to methods of making fixed abrasive articles comprising at least one fluorochemical agent.

Abrasive articles comprising a fluorochemical agent for wafer surface

A method of modifying an exposed surface of a semiconductor wafer that includes the steps of:

Method of modifying an exposed surface of a semiconductor wafer

A system for coating a substrate with ultra-thin layers in stripes includes moving the substrate through a coating station and forming a composite layer including coating fluids and a carrier fluid. The composite layer flows at a rate that is sufficiently high to form a continuous flowing fluid bridge of composite layer to the substrate surface and to contact the substrate with the flowing composite layer to interpose the coating layers between the substrate and the carrier fluid. The carrier fluid is removed while leaving the coating fluid deposited on the substrate as a coating layer.

Method and apparatus for applying thin fluid coating stripes

A system for coating a substrate with an ultra-thin layer includes moving the substrate through a coating station and forming a composite layer including a coming fluid and a carrier fluid. The composite layer flows at a rate that is sufficiently high to form a continuous flowing fluid bridge of composite layer to the substrate surface and to contact the substrate with the flowing composite layer to interpose the coating layer between the substrate and the carrier fluid. The carrier fluid is removed while leaving the coating fluid deposited on the substrate as a coating layer.

Method and apparatus for applying thin fluid coatings

The invention provides a method of making a flexible carrier web, comprising the steps of

Structured flexible carrier web bearing a layer of silicone on

A composite structure comprising i) a release liner comprising a release composition; and ii) a pressure-sensitive adhesive coated backing wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive has a relatively high storage modulus. The composite structure exhibits a low unwind noise as a result of the release composition employed.

Composite structures

Curable, solventless, liquid polyorganosiloxane compositions provide release coatings that exhibit a slippery feel. The composition comprises (a) a first polydiorganosiloxane terminated by silyl groups having one reactive group; (b) a second polydiorganosiloxane terminated by silyl groups having one reactive group, the reactive group of (a) being the same or different from the reactive group of (b), said reactive groups of (a) and (b) being reactive with one another to form a covalent bond; (c) a polydiorganosiloxane having three or more reactive groups that are reactive with either the reactive group of (a) or the reactive group of (b) or both to form a covalent bond; and (d) a catalyst for effecting the reaction of the reactive groups of (a), (b), and (c) to form covalent bonds. When coated on a substrate and cured, the composition provides release liners for pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes and pressure-sensitive adhesive transfer tapes.

Solventless silicone release coating

A composite structure comprising a substrate bearing a layer of release coating prepared from one or more epoxypolysiloxanes together providing cycloaliphatic epoxy group(s) and non-cycloaliphatic (i.e., linear or branched aliphatic) epoxy group(s). The resulting release coating cures quickly and exhibits low release levels to adhesives. An oligomeric epoxypolysiloxane comprising both cycloaliphatic and non-cycloaliphatic epoxy groups is also disclosed.

Silicone release composition

Silicone release compositions

A flexible carrier web has a planar surface bearing thereon a predetermined pattern consisting of at least one flat land area and at least one recess having a base and walls, and a layer of silicone on the land and/or the base of the recess while the walls of the recess are substantially free from the silicone. When that flexible carrier web is used as the backing of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, release values can be controlled simply by selecting the size and/or number of recesses.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Carl R Kessel