1. A data-processing apparatus for creating and dynamically maintaining relationships between operational data and output data, the data-processing apparatus comprising a microprocessor arranged to cause a computer memory to hold:
a) a set of first line items arranged to store operational data, wherein at least one line item in the set of first line items has:
i) a first operating attribute arranged to specify whether the operational data stored in the at least one line item is primary data or secondary data, wherein primary data is sourced externally from the system and secondary data is derived from operational data stored in at least one other first line item, and if the operational data is secondary data, how the operational data is derived;
ii) a treatment attribute arranged to specify a treatment which is to be applied with respect to the at least one line item, wherein the treatment is arranged to specify at one qualifier to be used to generate qualified operational data, and the treatment attribute is arranged to specify whether qualified operational data resulting from the application of the treatment is primary data or secondary data, wherein primary data is data sourced externally from the system and secondary data is data derived from operational data or other qualified operational data, and if the qualified operational data is secondary data, how the qualified operational data is derived;
iii) a qualified line item corresponding to each qualifier and which is arranged to store the qualified operational data resulting from the application of the treatment with respect to the at least one line item; and
iv) an impact attribute corresponding to each qualified line item and which is arranged to define one or more destinations for the operational data stored in the corresponding qualified line item;
b) a set of second line items arranged to store output data based on at least the qualified operational data in accordance with each impact attribute.
2. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one line item has a second operating attribute arranged to specify the dimensionality of the at least one line item.
3. The data-processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein each qualified line item containing secondary data has dimensionality which is derived from the dimensionality of the corresponding line item.
4. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system is arranged to be able to collapse first line items in the first set of line items or at least one corresponding qualified line item by a predetermined level of aggregation so that data can be aggregated into a second line item in the set of second line items.
5. The data-processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predetermined level of aggregation is arranged to be calculated based on a target versus source comparison between the respective second line item and the respective first line item or each corresponding qualified line item.
6. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one line item has a plurality of treatment attributes specifying a plurality of treatments and the system is arranged to recognise treatments which share at least one qualifier, to associate those treatments, and to generate a single corresponding qualified line item for the at least one qualifier which is shared.
7. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one treatment attribute is also arranged to specify an associated implementation for that treatment, whereby the implementation includes at least the derivation used to derive secondary data or dimensionality of corresponding qualified line items.
8. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of first line items are arranged to have a common treatment attribute.
9. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the treatment is arranged to express the derivation of operational data by referencing a qualifier representative of a qualified line item, or a first line item or qualified line item.
10. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of first line items and the set of second line items are arranged in modules and sub-modules.
11. The data-processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the line items included in a sub-module inherit attributes based on a default setting for that sub-module.
12. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one impact attribute corresponding to at least one qualified line item is set automatically to a default setting determined by the respective qualifier used to generate the at least one qualified line item.
13. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data-processing apparatus is arranged to present data representing all qualified line items relevant to at least one qualifier, and if the qualified operational data in the respective qualified line items is primary data, is arranged to allow the data to be entered or modified.
14. The data-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one impact attribute corresponding to at least one qualified line item is set by a corresponding one of the line items in the second set of line items.
15. A computer-implemented method for creating and dynamically maintaining relationships between operational data and output data, the computer-implemented method comprising:
creating and arranging a set of first line items to store operational data;
associating at least one line item in the first set of line items with a first operating attribute arranged to specify whether the operational data stored in the at least one line item is primary data or secondary data, and which is arranged to specify how secondary data is derived;
associating the at least one line item with a treatment attribute arranged to specify a treatment which is to be applied with respect to the at least one line item, wherein the treatment is arranged to specify at least one qualifier to be used to generate qualified operational data, and the treatment attribute is arranged to specify whether qualified operational data resulting from the application of the treatment is primary data or secondary data, and which is arranged to specify how the qualified operational data is derived if secondary data;
associating with the at least one line item a qualified line item corresponding to each qualifier;
applying each qualifier to the at least one line item to create qualified operational data and storing that qualified operational data in the respective qualified line item;
associating an impact attribute with each qualified line item, the impact attribute being arranged to define one or more destinations for the operational data stored in the corresponding qualified line item; and
creating a set of second line items arranged to store output data and arranged to receive qualified operational data in accordance with each impact attribute to create said output data.
16. A computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions for performing a computer-implementable method for creating and dynamically maintaining relationships between operational data and output data, the computer-implementable method comprising:
creating and arranging a set of first line items to store operational data;
associating at least one line item in the first set of line items with a first operating attribute arranged to specify whether the operational data stored in the at least one line item is primary data or secondary data, and which is arranged to specify how secondary data is derived;
associating the at least one line item with a treatment attribute arranged to specify a treatment which is to be applied with respect to the at least one line item, wherein the treatment is arranged to specify at least one qualifier to be used to generate qualified operational data, and the treatment attribute is arranged to specify whether qualified operational data resulting from the application of the treatment is primary data or secondary data, and which is arranged to specify how the qualified operational data is derived if secondary data;
associating with the at least one line item a qualified line item corresponding to each qualifier;
applying each qualifier to the at least one line item to create qualified operational data and storing that qualified operational data in the respective qualified line item;
associating an impact attribute with each qualified line item, the impact attribute being arranged to define one or more destinations for the operational data stored in the corresponding qualified line item; and
creating a set of second line items arranged to store output data and arranged to receive qualified operational data in accordance with each impact attribute to create said output data.
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 polishing pad for electrochemical mechanical polishing of a conductive substrate, said pad comprising:
a plurality of grooves formed in a polishing surface of the polishing pad, the grooves being adapted to facilitate the flow of polishing fluid over the polishing pad;
conductive layers respectively formed in the grooves; and
wherein the conductive layers are in electrical communication with each other.
2. The polishing pad of claim 1, wherein said conductive layer has a thickness of 10 to 130 microns.
3. The polishing pad of claim 1, wherein the conductive layers comprise materials selected from the group consisting of metals, metal alloys, graphite, carbon, and conductive polymers.
4. The polishing pad of claim 1, wherein the grooves have a pitch of between 0.1 to 25 mm, a width of between 0.05 to 2.5 mm and a depth of between 0.1 to 1.5 mm.
5. The polishing pad of claim 1, further comprising conductive sub-grooves electrically connected to the grooves.
6. The polishing pad of claim 1, wherein said electrical communication is provided through a wiring network, the wiring network further being electrically connected to an electrical connector.
7. The polishing pad of claim 6, wherein the electrical connector is connected to a current source, the current source being capable of providing a current to the conductive layers via the electrical connector and the wiring network.
8. A method of performing electrochemical mechanical polishing of a conductive substrate, the method comprising:
providing a polishing pad with a plurality of grooves formed in a polishing surface of the polishing pad, wherein the grooves are adapted to flow a polishing fluid over the polishing pad, and wherein, conductive layers are respectively formed in the grooves, the conductive layers being electrically connected to each other;
providing an electrolytic polishing fluid between the substrate and the polishing surface;
providing a current to the conductive layers and to the substrate; and
pressing the substrate against the polishing surface while moving at least the polishing pad or the substrate.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the current is between 0.1 to 120 mAcm2.
10. A system for performing electrochemical mechanical polishing of a conductive substrate, the system comprising:
a carrier for supporting a substrate to be polished;
a platen for supporting a polishing pad to polish the substrate;
a motor for providing relative motion between the carrier and the platen;
a feed for providing an electrolytic polishing fluid between the substrate and the polishing pad;
a current source electrically connected to the substrate and the polishing pad, and for providing a current therebetween; and
wherein the polishing pad comprises:
a plurality of grooves formed in a polishing surface of the polishing pad, the grooves being adapted to facilitate flow of the polishing fluid over the polishing pad;
conductive layers respectively formed in the grooves; and
wherein the conductive layers are in electrical communication with each other.