| 摘要 |
An apparatus and method for preventing gimballing in the polishing of a semiconductor wafer held in an overhanging position with respect to a polishing pad. One embodiment includes a support apparatus for use with a device for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the device having a rotatable wafer carrier and a polishing pad attached to a rotatable platen, the wafer carrier being movable to place a semiconductor wafer held by the wafer carrier in a contacting and overhanging relationship with the polishing pad. The support apparatus includes a support to prevent gimballing of the wafer carrier when the wafer held by the wafer carrier is in the overhanging and contacting relationship with the polishing pad, the support having a low polishing surface to contact and support the semiconductor wafer. Another embodiment includes a supporting pad for use with a polishing pad, the supporting pad including a ring having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the polishing pad, the ring having a supporting surface of a material with low polishing characteristics. A method for assembling polishing pads to a circular platen and a process for polishing a semiconductor wafer are also disclosed.
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