Semiconductor wafer polishing apparatus with a flexible carrier plate

A carrier head for an apparatus which polishes a semiconductor wafer, wherein the carrier head comprises:

• a rigid plate having a major surface;
• a wafer carrier membrane of flexible material having a wafer contact section for contacting the semiconductor wafer and having a plurality of apertures therethrough, and having an annular bellows projecting from wafer contact section and abutting the rigid plate;
• a retaining ring connected to the rigid plate and the annular bellows thereby defining a cavity between the wafer carrier membrane and the rigid plate;
• and
• a fluid conduit through which a source of a vacuum and source of a pressurized fluid are alternately connected to the cavity.

A carrier head for an apparatus which polishes a semiconductor wafer, wherein the carrier head comprises:

• a rigid plate having a major surface with a plurality of channels on the major surface;
• a wafer carrier membrane of flexible material with a wafer contact section for contacting the semiconductor wafer and having a plurality of apertures therethrough;
• a retaining ring secured to the rigid plate with a portion of the wafer carrier membrane sandwiched between the major surface and the retaining ring thereby defining a cavity between the wafer carrier membrane and the rigid plate;
• and
• a fluid conduit coupled to the plate by which sources of vacuum and pressurized fluid are alternately connected to the plurality of channels.