Patent ID: 7074118

Claim:
A polishing carrier head comprising: a retaining ring for defining an area of a polishing pocket region used to polish a predetermined object, the retaining ring dampening external oscillatory energy; an edge control ring positioned lateral to the retaining ring and separated from the retaining ring by a gap; a perforated plate positioned lateral to the edge control ring, the perforated plate having a plurality of perforations for permitting fluid flow; a flexible membrane overlying a portion of the retaining ring, the edge control ring and extends between the edge control ring and the perforated plate, a first portion of the flexible membrane overlying a second portion of the flexible membrane under the edge control ring to form a flab region, the flexible membrane being exposed in a region to make contact to a predetermined object for polishing the predetermined object; an edge support ring in contact with a third portion of the flexible membrane overlying the edge control ring and rigidly coupled to the perforated plate, the edge support ring constraining motion of the edge control ring relative to the predetermined object; and a plate region overlying the plurality of perforations of the perforated plate for conducting fluid to and from the flexible membrane and restricting vertical motion of the perforated plate and flexible membrane.