A method of conditioning a polishing pad includes receiving information on a roughness of the polishing pad from a first sensor. The method further includes conditioning the polishing pad using a conditioner. The method further includes detecting the roughness of the polishing pad following the conditioning. The method further includes repeating the conditioning in response to the detected roughness of the polishing pad being outside of a threshold roughness range.

A method of conditioning a polishing pad includes receiving information on a roughness of the polishing pad from a first sensor. The method further includes conditioning the polishing pad using a conditioner. The method further includes detecting the roughness of the polishing pad following the conditioning. The method further includes repeating the conditioning in response to the detected roughness of the polishing pad being outside of a threshold roughness range.

A method of conditioning a polishing pad includes receiving information on a roughness of the polishing pad from a first sensor. The method further includes conditioning the polishing pad using a conditioner. The method further includes detecting the roughness of the polishing pad following the conditioning. The method further includes repeating the conditioning in response to the detected roughness of the polishing pad being outside of a threshold roughness range.

A method of conditioning a polishing pad includes receiving information on a roughness of the polishing pad from a first sensor. The method further includes conditioning the polishing pad using a conditioner. The method further includes detecting the roughness of the polishing pad following the conditioning. The method further includes repeating the conditioning in response to the detected roughness of the polishing pad being outside of a threshold roughness range.

A method of processing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pad conditioners includes providing the CMP pad conditioner including conditioner substrate that is a metal, ceramic or a metal-ceramic material with a plurality of hard conditioner particles with a Vickers hardness greater than 3,000 Kg/mm.sup.2 bonded to a top surface of the conditioner substrate, and a slurry including an aqueous medium and a plurality of hard slurry particles having a hardness greater than 3,000 Kg/mm.sup.2. The surface of the pad conditioner is polished in a CMP apparatus using a polishing pad. After the polishing each conditioner particle has at least one exposed facet, and the plurality of hard conditioner particles have a maximum average protrusion-to-protrusion flatness (PPF) difference of 20 microns, and a sharpest edge measured by a value of a cutting edge radius (CER) that lies at an edge of the facet for at least 80% of the facets.

A method of processing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pad conditioners includes providing the CMP pad conditioner including conditioner substrate that is a metal, ceramic or a metal-ceramic material with a plurality of hard conditioner particles with a Vickers hardness greater than 3,000 Kg/mm.sup.2 bonded to a top surface of the conditioner substrate, and a slurry including an aqueous medium and a plurality of hard slurry particles having a hardness greater than 3,000 Kg/mm.sup.2. The surface of the pad conditioner is polished in a CMP apparatus using a polishing pad. After the polishing each conditioner particle has at least one exposed facet, and the plurality of hard conditioner particles have a maximum average protrusion-to-protrusion flatness (PPF) difference of 20 microns, and a sharpest edge measured by a value of a cutting edge radius (CER) that lies at an edge of the facet for at least 80% of the facets.

Rotating applicators are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes an inlet to receive a surface coating to be applied to a surface of a workpiece, a shaft having a fluid channel extending therethrough, where the fluid channel is in fluid communication with the inlet, and an applicator coupled to an end of the shaft, where the applicator has an opening in fluid communication with the fluid channel. The apparatus also includes a pump to cause the surface coating to flow from the inlet to the opening, and a motor to rotate the shaft while the applicator dispenses the surface coating from the opening.

Rotating applicators are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes an inlet to receive a surface coating to be applied to a surface of a workpiece, a shaft having a fluid channel extending therethrough, where the fluid channel is in fluid communication with the inlet, and an applicator coupled to an end of the shaft, where the applicator has an opening in fluid communication with the fluid channel. The apparatus also includes a pump to cause the surface coating to flow from the inlet to the opening, and a motor to rotate the shaft while the applicator dispenses the surface coating from the opening.

A dressing apparatus 1 includes a regulating body 13 which has a ridge portion 12 with a surface having a shape corresponding to the shape of a grinding surface 6 of a grinding wheel 5, the surface being brought into face-to-face contact, over a required length, with the grinding surface 6 of the grinding wheel 5 which rotates; a jetting abrasive grain generating device 11 serving as a device for generating a pressure fluid with abrasive grains mixed therein; and a jetting port 15 for jetting abrasive grain-mixed compressed air, the jetting port 15 serving as a jetting device for jetting the mixed compressed air as a pressure fluid with the abrasive grains mixed therein from the jetting abrasive grain generating device 11 into a space between the grinding surface 6 and the surface of the ridge portion 12 of the regulating body 13 which are brought into face-to-face contact with each other.

A dressing apparatus 1 includes a regulating body 13 which has a ridge portion 12 with a surface having a shape corresponding to the shape of a grinding surface 6 of a grinding wheel 5, the surface being brought into face-to-face contact, over a required length, with the grinding surface 6 of the grinding wheel 5 which rotates; a jetting abrasive grain generating device 11 serving as a device for generating a pressure fluid with abrasive grains mixed therein; and a jetting port 15 for jetting abrasive grain-mixed compressed air, the jetting port 15 serving as a jetting device for jetting the mixed compressed air as a pressure fluid with the abrasive grains mixed therein from the jetting abrasive grain generating device 11 into a space between the grinding surface 6 and the surface of the ridge portion 12 of the regulating body 13 which are brought into face-to-face contact with each other.