Wafer carrier with groove for decoupling retainer ring from water

The wafer carrier for use with a chemical mechanical planarization apparatus, comprising:

• a vacuum chuck configured to hold and rotate a wafer for planarizing a surface topography of the wafer on a polishing pad, the vacuum chuck including an inner region for holding the wafer and an outer region, the vacuum chuck including a groove adapted to decouple the inner region and the outer region, wherein the inner and outer regions of the vacuum chuck are arranged to move independently of each other;
• a retainer ring disposed on the outer region of the vacuum chuck and configured to retain the wafer during CMP processing, wherein the decoupled retainer ring and the wafer are arranged to move independently in a direction orthogonal to the polishing surface of the polishing pad such that the retainer ring and the wafer align to the polishing surface of the polishing pad;
• and
• a vacuum port configured to provide a vacuum force to the vacuum chuck;
• wherein the vacuum chuck is elastomeric so as to allow the decoupled retainer ring and the wafer to move independently.