Patent ID: 8662958

Claim:
A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the apparatus comprising: a spin chuck for supporting and rotating a semiconductor wafer; a polisher comprising a polishing pad for planarizing a surface of the semiconductor wafer, the polisher configured to move along the surface of the semiconductor wafer by a polishing arm; and a polisher supporting device for supporting the polisher and maintaining the polisher in a horizontal state, while polishing an edge part of the surface of the semiconductor wafer, in order to improve polishing uniformity of a center part and the edge part of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the polisher supporting device comprises: a support head installed near to the spin chuck to have the same height as the surface of the semiconductor wafer so as to contact and support a part of the polishing pad of the polisher, which is out of the semiconductor wafer, while polishing the edge part of the semiconductor wafer; and an ascent/descent device for ascending and descending the support head so as to control a height of the support head while the polisher is polishing the semiconductor wafer.