Apparatus and method for polishing semiconductor wafer

An apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer comprising:

• a wafer holder to which the wafer is attached;
• a polishing unit which polishes the wafer with a polishing slurry supplied to the wafer;
• a wafer attaching and detaching unit at which the wafer is attached to or detached from the wafer holder;
• and
• a washing unit which washes the wafer holder,
• the wafer holder having a wafer contact surface, which contacts the backside of the wafer, and a supporting unit which prevents the jump out of the wafer,
• the washing unit comprising nozzles, which supply a washing solution to the wafer contact surface and the supporting unit, and a component which physically washes the wafer contact surface and the supporting unit.

A method for polishing a semiconductor wafer, wherein a wafer holder, to which a wafer is attached, moves between a wafer attaching and detaching unit and a washing unit via a polishing unit to polish the semiconductor wafer and to wash the wafer holder and which comprises:

• a step of attaching the wafer to the wafer holder at the wafer attaching and detaching unit and of conveying the wafer to the polishing unit;
• a step of polishing the wafer through the use of the polishing unit, moving the polished wafer to the wafer attaching and detaching unit, and detaching the wafer from the wafer holder;
• and
• a step of moving the wafer holder, from which the wafer has been detached, to the washing unit and of washing the wafer holder with at least two different liquids supplied.