Patent ID: 6074289
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: B24B,H01L

Abstract:
An apparatus for holding a substrate to be polished and pressing an obverse of the held substrate against a polishing pad, said apparatus comprising:a substrate holding head which can move toward and away from said polishing pad, said substrate holding head having substrate holding means for holding the substrate and a fluid supply path which allows a fluid under pressure having flown from one end of said fluid supply path to flow out from an outlet port at the other end of said fluid supply path; andan annular sealing member provided to a portion of said substrate holding head which surrounds the outlet port of said fluid supply path, said annular sealing member supporting said substrate only at the outer periphery of said substrate,wherein a space is formed by a reverse of the substrate, said substrate holding head and said annular sealing member,the obverse of the substrate is pressed against said polishing pad by the fluid under pressure supplied into said space from said outlet port of said fluid supply path, andsaid annular sealing member has a large number of vent openings, said vent openings being formed in the inside of said annular sealing member or the surface of said annular sealing member opposite said substrate so as to be successive in the inward and outward directions of said space, and allowing a fluid under pressure supplied to said space from the outlet port of said fluid supply path to flow to the outside of said space.