Method for performing chemical mechanical polishing

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for polishing a substrate including pre-heating the polishing slurry in-situ. Particularly, the polishing slurry is preheated by a heating element attached to the retaining ring or by rotating the retaining ring relative to the substrate being processed. Pre-heating the slurry on the polishing pad improves polishing uniformity across the substrate by preventing the edge of the substrate being inadvertently cooled by the fresh slurry. Embodiments of the present disclosure further include a retaining ring with a tapered slurry channel, which reduces the decrease of flow area as the retaining ring worn down.

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