Patent ID: 7927092

Claim:
An apparatus for forming a semi-spherical polishing pad for polishing semiconductor surfaces and attaching the semi-spherical polishing pad to a semi-spherical polishing bonnet, comprising: a first platen; a removable bonnet form that may be selectively coupled to the first platen, the bonnet form has a dome-shaped forming surface that, when the bonnet form is coupled to the first platen, is directed away from the first platen and operable to receive a polishing pad pre-form; a removable polishing bonnet that may be selectively coupled to the first platen, the polishing bonnet has a semi-spherical outer surface that, when the polishing bonnet is coupled to the first platen, is directed away from the first platen and operable to receive a semi-spherical polishing pad; a second platen spaced apart from the first platen; a bladder coupled to the second platen and facing the dome-shaped forming surface of the bonnet form; and a press mechanism coupled to the first and second platens and operable to urge the first and second platens toward one another to facilitate (1) engagement of the bladder against the polishing pad pre-form when the bonnet form is coupled to the first platen and (2) engagement of the bladder against the semi-spherical polishing pad when the polishing bonnet is coupled to the first platen.