Abstract: A polishing apparatus (100) is provided for polishing a substrate (102) that has slurry distributor (125) which improves planarization uniformity. Generally, the apparatus (100) includes: (i) a platen (106) with a polishing surface (110); (ii) a head (116) adapted to hold the substrate (102) against the polishing surface; (iii) a mechanism to rotate the platen (106) during polishing; (iv) a dispenser (124) having nozzles (126, 128) to dispense slurry on the surface (110); and (v) a distributor (125) between the nozzles (126, 128) and the head (116). In one embodiment, the apparatus (100) further includes a wiper (180) between the head (116) and the distributor (125) to remove used slurry and polishing byproducts from the surface (110), thereby reducing agglomerations or deposits that can damage the substrate (102) and improving yield.