Patent ID: 6918824

Claim:
A chemical-mechanical polishing assembly, comprising: a platen having an outer edge, a top surface, and at least one inlet for introducing fluid to said top surface; a manifold system, entrenched in said top surface and in communication with said at least one inlet, for channeling said fluid about said top surface; a polishing pad disposed over said top surface and having a top pad surface and a plurality of fluid delivery through-holes for introducing said fluid from said manifold system to said top pad surface; and a fluid distribution system, entrenched in said top pad surface and in communication with said through-holes, for substantially uniformly distributing said fluid about said top pad surface, said fluid distribution system comprising: a set of first grooves intersecting at right angles and collectively defining an array of lands, each of said first grooves having a first cross sectional area, and a plurality of second grooves intersecting at right angles and further communicating with said first grooves at right angles, each of said second grooves being disposed within one of the lands and having a second cross sectional area that is smaller than said first cross sectional area.