Method and apparatus for polishing a substrate while washing a polishing pad of the apparatus with at least one free-flowing vertical stream of liquid

Abstract

A method and apparatus for polishing a substrate with a polishing pad and slurry entails washing polishing-pollutants produced by the polishing operation off of the pad in such a way that the pollutants are not splashed onto components of the polishing apparatus. A washing solution for removing the pollutants is directed onto the polishing pad as at least one free-flowing vertical stream. Because the washing solution flows freely and vertically as it impinges the polishing pad, the washing solution does not rebound from the pad and flows from the surface of the polishing pad without causing the pollutants on the pad to be splashed up from the surface of the pad.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.