Patent ID: RE39195

Claim:
A pad refurbisher for in situ, real-time refurbishing of a polishing surface on a polishing pad used in chemical-mechanical polishing of a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a body adapted for attachment to a wafer carrier of a chemical-mechanical polishing machine with the body having a first ring and a second ring each with a face positioned proximate to a perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and facing the polishing surface of the polishing pad, the body being adapted to travel with the wafer carrier as the wafer carrier moves over the polishing pad wherein the body is movably attached to the wafer carrier; and a refurbishing element connected to the face of the body a first refurbishment element connected to the face of the first ring and a second refurbishment element connected to the face of the second ring, the first ring operably coupled to a first linear actuator configured to independently move the first ring downwardly to selectively engage the first refurbishment element with the polishing surface and upwardly with respect to the wafer carrier and the second ring to selectively disengage the first refurbishment element from the polishing surface and the second ring operably coupled to a second linear actuator configured to independently move the second ring downwardly to selectively engage the second refurbishment element with the polishing surface and upwardly with respect to the wafer carrier and the first ring to selectively disengage the second refurbishment element from the polishing surface, the first ring being positioned radially outward from the perimeter of the wafer carrier and the second ring being positioned radially outward from the first ring, the first and the second refurbishing element elements being adapted to engage the polishing surface substantially adjacent to the perimeter portion of the wafer carrier and traveling with the wafer carrier while the wafer carrier moves the wafer over the polishing surface.