Apparatus and methods for chemical mechanical polishing

A method, comprising:

• loading a substrate to a polishing tool comprising:
• a polishing module;
• a cleaning module;
• and a transfer module operable to transfer substrates from the polishing module to the cleaning module, wherein the transfer module comprises a substrate wetting device comprising:
• a wet substrate carrier comprising:
• an inner volume for retaining a wetting bath of a substrate wetting solution;
• one or more injection devices;
• one or more outlets;
• a conduit connected between the one or more injection devices and the one or more outlets;
• and a pump connected to the conduit;
• polishing a surface of the substrate in a first polishing station of the polishing module:
• unloading the substrate from a first polishing head in the first polishing station and transferring the substrate from the first polishing station to the substrate wetting device and covering the surface of the substrate with the substrate wetting solution by immersing the substrate in the wetting bath;
• transferring the substrate from the substrate wetting device to a first cleaning station in the cleaning module;
• and cleaning the substrate in the first cleaning station.

A method, comprising:

• loading a substrate to a CMP tool:
• performing a first polish on a surface of the substrate in a first polishing station;
• transferring the substrate from the first polishing station to a transporter by unloading the substrate from a first polishing head in the first polishing station and disposing the substrate in a wet substrate carrier disposed in the transporter using a transfer robot, wherein the wet substrate carrier comprises:
• one or more injection devices;
• one or more outlets;
• a conduit connected between the one or more injection devices and the one or more outlets;
• and a pump connected to the conduit;
• providing a wetting solution to the substrate surface after the first polish of the substrate while the substrate is disposed in the transporter by immersing the substrate in the wetting solution retained in the wet substrate carrier disposed on the transporter;
• transferring the substrate from the transporter to a second polishing station by picking up the substrate from the transporter and loading the substrate to a second polishing head in a second polishing station using the transfer robot;
• performing a second polish on the substrate surface in the second polishing station;
• transferring the substrate from the second polishing station to the transporter by unloading the substrate from the second polishing head in the second polishing station and disposing the substrate in the transporter;
• providing the wetting solution to the substrate surface after the second polish of the substrate while the substrate is disposed in the transporter;
• and cleaning the substrate after the second polish in a first cleaning station.