Patent ID: 7241201

Claim:
An ultrasonic chemical mechanical polishing (“CMP”) machine polishing pad analyzer comprising: an ultrasonic transducer; and an analyzer body, wherein the analyzer body is configured to mount to a CMP machine having a polishing pad attached to a platen surface thereof, and wherein the ultrasonic transducer is positioned such that, when the analyzer body is mounted to the CMP machine, the ultrasonic transducer is positioned to transmit and receive reflected ultrasonic signals from a surface of the polishing pad to analyzer a pre-selected feature of the pad further comprising means for aligning the sensor of the ultrasonic transducer in a plane substantially parallel with the polishing pad surface, wherein the means for aligning the ultrasonic transducer in a plane parallel with the polishing pad comprises a device for rotating the transducer with respect to the x-axis and a device for rotating the transducer with respect to the y-axis.