Polishing method and polishing apparatus

A polishing apparatus comprising:

• a turntable having a polishing surface thereon;
• a top ring for holding a workpiece via a vacuum and pressing the workpiece against said polishing surface so as to polish the workpiece;
• a motor for rotating said turntable;
• a controller for controlling a rotational speed of said motor such that when the workpiece held by said top ring is to be removed from said polishing surface after the workpiece has been polished, a rotational speed of said motor increases whereby a rotational speed of said turntable increases to an amount that is greater than a rotational speed of said turntable during polishing of the workpiece;
• and
• a device for sensing a pressure of the vacuum to determine that the workpiece has been dislodged from said top ring when the pressure is sensed to be greater than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period of time.

A polishing apparatus comprising:

• a turntable having a polishing surface thereon;
• a top ring for holding a workpiece via a vacuum and pressing the workpiece against said polishing surface so as to polish the workpiece;
• a motor for rotating said top ring;
• a controller for controlling a rotational speed of said motor such that when the workpiece held by said top ring is to be removed from said polishing surface after the workpiece has been polished, a rotational speed of said motor increases whereby a rotational speed of said top ring increases to an amount that is greater than a rotational speed of said top ring during polishing of the workpiece;
• and
• a device for sensing a pressure of the vacuum to determine that the workpiece has been dislodged from said top ring when the pressure is sensed to be greater than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period of time.

A polishing method comprising:

• relatively moving a polishing surface and a top ring holding a workpiece via a vacuum;
• polishing a surface of said workpiece by pressing the surface of said workpiece held by said top ring against said polishing surface while relatively moving said polishing surface and said top ring;
• when said workpiece held by said top ring is to be removed from said polishing surface after polishing said surface of said workpiece, relatively moving said polishing surface and said top ring at a rate that is greater than that at which said polishing surface and said top ring are relatively moved during polishing of said surface of said workpiece;
• and
• sensing a pressure of the vacuum such that when the pressure is sensed to be greater than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period of time said workpiece is determined to have been dislodged from said top ring.

A polishing apparatus comprising:

• a polishing surface;
• a top ring for holding a workpiece via a vacuum and pressing the workpiece against said polishing surface so as to polish the workpiece;
• a device for sensing a pressure of the vacuum to determine that the workpiece has been dislodged from said top ring when the pressure is sensed to be greater than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period of time;
• a motor for rotating said polishing surface while said top ring holds the workpiece and presses the workpiece against said polishing surface;
• and
• a controller for controlling a rotational speed of said motor such that when the workpiece held by said top ring is to be removed from said polishing surface after the workpiece has been polished, a rotational speed of said motor increases whereby a rotational speed of said polishing surface increases to an amount that is greater than a rotational speed of said polishing surface during polishing of the workpiece.

A polishing apparatus comprising:

• a polishing surface;
• a top ring for holding a workpiece via a vacuum and pressing the workpiece against said polishing surface so as to polish the workpiece;
• a device for sensing a pressure of the vacuum to determine that the workpiece has been dislodged from said top ring when the pressure is sensed to be greater than a predetermined value for at least a predetermined period of time;
• a motor for rotating said top ring while said top ring holds the workpiece and presses the workpiece against said polishing surface;
• and
• a controller for controlling a rotational speed of said motor such that when the workpiece held by said top ring is to be removed from said polishing surface after the workpiece has been polished, a rotational speed of said motor increases whereby a rotational speed of said top ring increases to an amount that is greater than a rotational speed of said top ring during polishing of the workpiece.