Patent ID: RE39194

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling planarizing characteristics of a microelectronic substrate, comprising: a carrier positionable with respect to a polishing medium to move with a microelectronic substrate during planarization on a planarizing surface of the polishing medium, the carrier comprising a microelectronic substrate holder having a chuck and a rim; and a modulator having a contact element, the modulator being attached to the substrate holder to position the contact element radially outwardly from a perimeter edge of the substrate so that at least a portion of the contact element is in front of the leading edge of the substrate during planarization and superadjacent to an exposed portion of a standing wave on the planarizing surface, the modulator being configured to cause the contact element to selectively engage the exposed portion of the standing wave to modulate a contour of a residual portion of the standing wave on the planarizing surface under a perimeter region of the substrate, and wherein the modulator comprises a passive modulator and the contact element has a desired contour to attenuate an amplitude of the residual portion of the standing wave under the perimeter region of the substrate.