A carrier head includes a base assembly, a substrate mounting surface connected to the base assembly, a plurality of segments disposed circumferentially around the substrate mounting surface to provide a collet retaining ring to surround a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface, and an outer ring that is vertically movable relative to the plurality of segments. An inner surface of the collet retaining ring is configured to engage a substrate, and the collect retaining ring and outer ring are configured such that vertical motion of the outer ring controls motion of the collet retaining ring between a clamping and unclamping position.

A carrier head includes a base assembly, a substrate mounting surface connected to the base assembly, a plurality of segments disposed circumferentially around the substrate mounting surface to provide a collet retaining ring to surround a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting surface, and an outer ring that is vertically movable relative to the plurality of segments. An inner surface of the collet retaining ring is configured to engage a substrate, and the collect retaining ring and outer ring are configured such that vertical motion of the outer ring controls motion of the collet retaining ring between a clamping and unclamping position.

A cover for a swing member of a substrate processing apparatus includes an upper surface including a first groove, and a first side edge and a second side edge located respectively at both ends of the upper surface in the short-length direction of the cover, where a bottom portion of the first groove is located lower than the first side edge and the second side edge.

In an embodiment, a method includes: performing a self-limiting process to modify a top surface of a wafer; after the self-limiting process completes, removing the modified top surface from the wafer; and repeating the performing the self-limiting process and the removing the modified top surface from the wafer until a thickness of the wafer is decreased to a predetermined thickness.

An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.

An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a rotatable platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid distribution system. The polishing liquid distribution system includes a dispenser positioned to deliver a polishing liquid to a portion of a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a first barrier positioned before the portion of the polishing surface and configured to block used polishing liquid from reaching the portion of the polishing surface. The first barrier includes a solid first body having a first flat bottom surface and having a first leading surface configured to contact the used polishing liquid.

An apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing includes a rotatable platen having a surface to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate in contact with the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid distribution system. The polishing liquid distribution system includes a dispenser positioned to deliver a polishing liquid to a portion of a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a first barrier positioned before the portion of the polishing surface and configured to block used polishing liquid from reaching the portion of the polishing surface. The first barrier includes a solid first body having a first flat bottom surface and having a first leading surface configured to contact the used polishing liquid.

A method of using a polishing system includes securing a wafer in a carrier head, the carrier head including a housing enclosing the wafer, in which the housing includes a retainer ring recess and a retainer ring positioned in the retainer ring recess, the retainer ring surrounding the wafer, in which the retainer ring includes a main body portion and a bottom portion connected to the main body portion, and a bottom surface of the bottom portion includes at least one first engraved region and a first non-engraved region adjacent to the first engraved region; pressing the wafer against a polishing pad; and moving the carrier head or the polishing pad relative to the other.

A method of using a polishing system includes securing a wafer in a carrier head, the carrier head including a housing enclosing the wafer, in which the housing includes a retainer ring recess and a retainer ring positioned in the retainer ring recess, the retainer ring surrounding the wafer, in which the retainer ring includes a main body portion and a bottom portion connected to the main body portion, and a bottom surface of the bottom portion includes at least one first engraved region and a first non-engraved region adjacent to the first engraved region; pressing the wafer against a polishing pad; and moving the carrier head or the polishing pad relative to the other.

An indium phosphide substrate, a method of inspecting thereof and a method of producing thereof are provided, by which an epitaxial film grown on the substrate is rendered excellently uniform, thereby allowing improvement in PL characteristics and electrical characteristics of an epitaxial wafer formed using this epitaxial film. The indium phosphide substrate has a first main surface and a second main surface, a surface roughness Ra1 at a center position on the first main surface, and surface roughnesses Ra2, Ra3, Ra4, and Ra5 at four positions arranged equidistantly along an outer edge of the first main surface and located at a distance of 5 mm inwardly from the outer edge. An average value m1 of the surface roughnesses Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4, and Ra5 is 0.5 nm or less, and a standard deviation σ1 of the surface roughnesses Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4, and Ra5 is 0.2 nm or less.