Patent ID: 7750657

Claim:
A test station for testing a polishing head using a test wafer, the polishing head for planarizing a semiconductor wafer, the station comprising: a frame; a pedestal having a central wafer support surface adapted to support a test wafer; a polishing head mount adapted to mount said polishing head over said central wafer support surface; a pneumatic circuit adapted to couple to said polishing head and to pressure test said head; a head mount actuator, coupled to said frame and said mount and adapted to move said polishing head in a vertical direction relative to said pedestal central wafer support surface; and a pedestal actuator, coupled to said frame and said pedestal and adapted to move said pedestal central wafer support surface in a vertical direction relative to said frame between a first vertical position vertically displaced from said head of said mount, and a second vertical position vertically closer to said head of said mount; and a test wafer positioner having a first plurality of test wafer engagement members positioned around said pedestal central wafer support surface and adapted to engage and position said test wafer with respect to said pedestal central wafer support surface wherein said wafer positioner comprises a ring member adapted to carry said first plurality of test wafer engagement members distributed about a first circumference of said ring member; and wherein said pedestal central wafer support surface defines a plurality of apertures, each aperture adapted to receive a test wafer engagement member of said first plurality of test wafer engagement members when said pedestal central wafer support surface is in said first vertical position.