Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus has a heating system, a purge gas source, a purge liquid source, and a controller. The heating system includes a source of heated gas, an arm extending over a platen, and a manifold in the arm with an a plurality of openings positioned over the platen and separated from a polishing pad for delivering the heated gas onto the polishing pad. The controller is configured to cause the heated gas to flow from the source of heated gas through the manifold and the plurality of openings to heat the polishing pad during a polishing operation, and to cause the apparatus to perform a purging operation which alternates between flowing purge gas from the purge gas source and flowing purge liquid from the purge liquid source through the manifold and the plurality of openings.

Abstract: A polishing system includes a platen to hold a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against the polishing pad, a conditioner including a conditioner head to hold a conditioner disk against the polishing pad, a motor to move the conditioner head laterally movable relative to the platen, a conditioning disk cleaning station positioned adjacent the platen to clean the conditioning disk, and a controller configured to cause the motor to, during polishing of the substrate, move the conditioner head back and forth between a first position with the conditioner head over the polishing pad and a second position with the conditioner head in the conditioner disk cleaning station.

Abstract: A body is brought into contact with a polishing pad of a polishing system, a polishing liquid is supplied to the polishing pad, relative motion between the body and the polishing pad is generated while the body contacts the polishing pad, a signal from an in-situ eddy current monitoring system during the relative motion while the body contacts the polishing pad, generating, and mechanical vibrations in the polishing system are detected based on a signal from the in-situ eddy current monitoring system.

Abstract: A polishing system includes a polishing pad having a solid light-transmissive window, an optical fiber having an end, and a spacer having a vertical aperture therethrough. A bottom surface of the spacer contacts the end of the optical fiber, a top surface of the spacer contacts the underside of the window, and the vertical aperture is aligned with the optical fiber.

Abstract: A polishing system includes a polishing pad having a solid light-transmissive window, an optical fiber having an end, and a spacer having a vertical aperture therethrough. A bottom surface of the spacer contacts the end of the optical fiber, a top surface of the spacer contacts the underside of the window, and the vertical aperture is aligned with the optical fiber.