Chemical-mechanical polisher hardware design

A substrate polishing apparatus comprising:

• a polishing head having a polishing surface which is adjacent to or contacting a substrate with a surface to be polished during the polishing of said substrate;
• said polishing surface of said polishing head is smaller than said surface of said substrate;
• said polishing surface has grooves to allow said polishing solution to flow across said polish surface;
• said polishing head is comprised of one piece of molded polyurethane;
• said polishing surface has an about vertical orientation.

A substrate polishing apparatus comprising:

• a) a substrate chuck for holding a substrate with a surface to be polished thereof being directed about vertically;
• b) a first drive means for rotating said substrate chuck;
• c) a polishing head having a polishing surface which is adjacent to said substrate during the polishing of said substrate;
• said polishing surface of said polishing head is smaller than said surface of said substrate;
• said polishing surface comprised of a polymer;
• d) polishing solution supply means for supplying a polishing solution through said polishing head to the substrate held by said substrate chuck;
• e) reciprocating means for reciprocally moving said polishing head on said surface to be polished;
• and
• f) pressing means for pressing said polishing pad against a substrate held by said substrate chuck by way of said polishing head.

A substrate polishing apparatus comprising:

• a) a substrate chuck for holding a substrate with a surface to be polished thereof being directed about vertically;
• b) a vacuum means for holding said substrate in said substrate chuck;
• c) a first drive means for rotating said substrate chuck;
• d) a polishing head having a polishing surface which is adjacent to said substrate during the polishing of said substrate;
• said polishing surface of said polishing head is smaller than said surface of said substrate;
• said polishing head having an area between 5 and 15% of the area of said surface of said substrate;
• said polishing head is comprised of polyurethane;
• said polish head has a square shaped polishing surface;
• said square shaped polishing surface had a length and width of between 2 and 5 cm;
• e) a polishing solution supply means for supplying a polishing solution through said polishing head to the substrate held by said substrate chuck;
• said polishing solution supply means comprises passage ways in said polishing head where polishing solution flows to said substrate;
• f) a reciprocating means for reciprocally moving said polishing head on said surface to be polished;
• and
• g) a pressing means for pressing said polishing pad against a substrate held by said substrate chuck by way of said polishing head.