Polishing method and apparatus

A polishing apparatus capable of performing a polishing method;

• said polishing method comprising:
• a polishing process for polishing a surface of the substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table by a top ring, said polishing process being executed in accordance with a preset polishing recipe;
• a pad cleaning process for removing foreign matters on said polishing pad by ejecting a cleaning fluid onto said polishing pad;
• and
• a substrate transferring process in which the polished substrate is removed from said top ring at a substrate transferring position, a subsequent substrate to be polished is loaded onto said top ring, and then said top ring holding the subsequent substrate to be polished is returned to said polishing table;
• wherein said pad cleaning process is started after the completion of said polishing recipe is detected, and said pad cleaning process is terminated by detecting a position of the subsequent substrate to be polished which is undergoing said substrate transferring process;
• wherein said polishing apparatus has a control unit configured to be able to set whether said pad cleaning process is executed.