Inaba, Takao; Numoto, Minoru; Sakai, Kenji; Satoh, Manabu;

Wafer polishing apparatus

Sensors detect a stock removal of a wafer during polishing, and a CPU calculates the stock removal in accordance with information from the sensors. The CPU compares the actual stock removal detected by the sensors and a model stock removal stored in RAM, and determines timings for dressing and replacing said polishing pad in accordance with a difference between the actual stock removal and the model stock removal. The determination results are shown on a display.

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What is claimed is:

1. A wafer polishing apparatus comprising:

a turn table for supporting and rotating a polishing pad having a polishing surface;

a wafer holding head comprising: a carrier for holding a wafer and pressing the wafer against said polishing surface under a predetermined pressure; and a polishing surface adjustment ring extending beyond said carrier toward said polishing surface for pressing against said polishing surface, said polishing surface adjusting ring completly surrounding an outer periphery of the wafer; wherein said wafer holding head presses a face of the wafer against said polishing surface while rotating; and

a detector for detecting a movement amount of said carrier on a central axis of the wafer with respect to said polishing surface adjusting ring.

2. The wafer polishing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said detector consists of a single detecting device.

3. A wafer polishing apparatus comprising:

a turn table for supporting and rotating a polishing pad having a polishing surface;

a wafer holding head comprising: a carrier for holding a wafer and pressing the wafer against said polishing surface under a predetermined pressure; and a polishing surface adjustment ring extending beyond said carrier toward said polishing surface for pressing against said polishing surface, said polishing surface adjusting ring completely surrounding an outer periphery of the wafer; wherein said wafer holding head presses a face of the wafer against said polishing surface while rotating;

a pressing member for pressing against said polishing surface under a predetermined pressure; and

a detector for detecting a movement amount of one of the other face of the wafer and said carrier on a central axis of the wafer with respect to said pressing member.