Patent attributes
A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, a top ring body configured to hold and press a substrate against the polishing surface, a retainer ring provided at an outer peripheral portion of the top ring body and configured to press the polishing surface, and a retainer ring guide fixed to the top ring body and configured to be brought into sliding contact with a ring member of the retainer ring to guide a movement of said ring member. Either one of sliding contact surfaces of the ring member and the retainer ring guide which are brought into sliding contact with each other comprises a low friction material.
