1. A device, comprising:
a superior body defining a superior mounting portion and having a longitudinal axis;
an inferior body defining an inferior mounting portion and having a longitudinal axis generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the superior portion; and
wherein the superior body is disposed with respect to the inferior body so that the superior body and the inferior body are movable with respect to each other between a first configuration and a second configuration such that in the first configuration the device defines a height that is smaller than a height defined by the device when it is in the second configuration.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the superior mounting portion includes a superior fixation element.
3. The device of claim 1 or 2 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes an inferior fixation element.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is formed from a deformable material.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the superior mounting portion defines two superiorly extending flanges and a superiorly facing surface located between the two superiorly extending flanges.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the superior mounting portion defines a single superiorly extending flange and a superiorly facing surface.
7. The device of claim 1, 5 or 6 wherein the inferior mounting portion defines two inferiorly extending flanges and an inferiorly facing surface located between the two inferiorly extending flanges.
8. The device of claim 1, 5 or 6 wherein the inferior mounting portion defines a single inferiorly extending flange and an inferiorly facing surface.
9. The device of claim 5 wherein the superior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
10. The device of claim 6 wherein the superior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
11. The device of claim 7 wherein the superior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
12. The device of claim 8 wherein the superior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
13. The device of claim 5 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
14. The device of claim 6 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
15. The device of claim 7 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
16. The device of claim 8 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
17. A device adapted to be located between the L5 vertebra and the sacrum, comprising: a main body defining a superior mounting portion and an inferior mounting portion wherein one of the superior mounting portion and the inferior mounting portion includes a shoulder and a single flange extending away from the main body and the shoulder.
18. The device of claim 17 wherein the main body includes a superior fixation element.
19. The device of claim 17 wherein the main body includes an inferior fixation element.
20. The device of claim 17 wherein the superior mounting portion includes the single flange which extends superiorly from the shoulder and wherein the superior mounting portion includes a second superiorly extending flange extending from the shoulder and the shoulder is located between the two superiorly extending flanges.
21. The device of claim 17 wherein the superior mounting portion includes the single flange which extends superiorly from the shoulder.
22. The device of claim 17, 20 or 21 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes two inferiorly extending flanges and an inferiorly extending surface located between the two inferiorly extending flanges.
23. The device of claim 17, 20 or 21 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes the single flange which extends inferiorly from the shoulder.
24. The device of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein the superior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
25. The device of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein the inferior mounting portion includes a fixation element.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of reducing a degree of compression of a CMP pad during conditioning of the CMP pad, comprising:
engaging the CMP pad with at least one superhard cutting element, the cutting element including a cutting face, the cutting face being angled at 90 degrees or less relative to a finished surface of the CMP pad; and
moving the CMP pad and the cutting element relative to one another in a direction resulting in removal of material from the CMP pad with the cutting face to thereby condition the CMP pad.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting face is oriented at about 90 degrees relative to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting face is oriented at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting face is oriented at an angle greater than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting element includes a distal portion and a proximal portion, the proximal portion being closer to a base from which the cutting element extends than is the distal portion, and wherein the distal portion includes a wider cross section than does the proximal portion.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting element includes a cross section and extends from a base, and wherein the cross section of the cutting element includes a narrowed portion intermediate ends of the cutting element.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein engaging the CMP pad comprises engaging the CMP pad with a plurality of superhard cutting elements.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the superhard cutting elements are formed from a polycrystalline diamond compact.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of cutting elements are formed from a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride compact.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting element includes a trailing edge angled to provide a relief area between the finished surface of the CMP pad and the cutting element.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting element includes a trailing edge that is substantially parallel to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
12. The method claim 1, wherein the cutting element comprises a cutting blade having a cutting length at least twice as great as a cutting height.
13. A pad conditioner for removing material from a CMP pad while minimizing compression of the CMP pad, comprising:
a base; and
a plurality of superhard cutting elements, extending from the base, the cutting elements each having a cutting face angled at 90 degrees or less relative to a finished surface of the CMP pad;
the faces of the cutting elements being oriented such that relative movement of the pad conditioner and the CMP pad results in removal of material from the CMP pad with the cutting faces to thereby condition the CMP pad.
14. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein each of the cutting faces is oriented at about 90 degrees relative to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
15. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein each of the cutting faces is oriented at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
16. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein each of the cutting faces is oriented at an angle greater than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees relative to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
17. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein each of the cutting elements includes a distal portion and a proximal portion, the proximal portion being closer to a base from which the cutting elements extend than is the distal portion, and wherein a cross section of the distal portion is wider than a cross section of the proximal portion.
18. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein each of the cutting elements includes a cross section and extends from a base, and wherein the cross section of the cutting element includes a narrowed portion intermediate ends of the cutting element.
19. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein the superhard cutting elements are formed from an integral piece of a polycrystalline diamond compact.
20. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein the plurality of cutting elements are formed from a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride compact.
21. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein each of the cutting elements includes a trailing edge angled to provide a relief area between the finished surface of the CMP pad and the cutting element.
22. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein the cutting element includes a trailing edge that is substantially parallel to the finished surface of the CMP pad.
23. The pad conditioner of claim 13, wherein the cutting element comprises a cutting blade having a cutting length at least twice as great as a cutting height.
24. A method of reducing a degree of compression of a CMP pad during conditioning of the CMP pad, comprising:
engaging the CMP pad with a plurality of superhard cutting elements formed from a polycrystalline diamond compact, each of the cutting elements including a cutting face, the cutting faces being angled at 90 degrees or less relative to a finished surface of the CMP pad; and
moving the CMP pad and the cutting element relative to one another in a direction resulting in removal of material from the CMP pad with the cutting face to thereby condition the CMP pad.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the cutting elements extend from a base, and wherein the base and the cutting elements are formed from an integral piece of a polycrystalline diamond compact.