Pad conditioner with spacer and wafer planarization system

A wafer chemical mechanical planarization system, comprising:

• a platen;
• a pad disposed on the platen and having an abrasive face;
• and
• a pad conditioner comprising:
• a carrier comprising a surface with an exposed region and a plurality of mounting regions;
• at least one abrasive element disposed on the mounting region of the surface of the carrier, the at least one abrasive element having a working surface facing the pad and including a plurality of features each having a distal end;
• and
• a spacer disposed on the surface of the carrier and covering at least a portion of the exposed region, wherein the spacer has a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface, the second surface adjacent to the surface of the carrier;
• wherein the distal end of the highest feature of the abrasive element is in contact with the abrasive face of the pad, and the first surface of the spacer and the abrasive face of the pad have a gap (G) therebetween.