Polishing apparatus and polishing method

Abstract

A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece includes a chuck table having a holding surface for holding the workpiece placed on the holding surface under suction thereon, a polishing unit for polishing the workpiece held on the chuck table with a polishing pad while supplying a slurry to the workpiece, and a high-pressure steam ejecting unit having a nozzle for ejecting high-pressure steam to the holding surface of the chuck table. The high-pressure steam ejecting unit ejects high-pressure steam to swarf produced from polishing the workpiece and deposited on an outer circumferential portion of the holding surface for thereby removing the swarf from the holding surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, comprising:
 a chuck table having a holding surface for holding the workpiece placed on the holding surface under suction thereon;   a polishing unit for polishing the workpiece held on the chuck table with a polishing pad while supplying a slurry to the workpiece; and   a high-pressure steam ejecting unit having a nozzle for ejecting high-pressure steam to the holding surface of the chuck table,   wherein the high-pressure steam ejecting unit ejects high-pressure steam to swarf produced from polishing the workpiece and deposited on an outer circumferential portion of the holding surface for thereby removing the swarf from the holding surface.   
     
     
         2 . A polishing method to be carried out by a polishing apparatus including a chuck table for holding a workpiece placed on a holding surface under suction and a polishing unit for polishing the workpiece held on the chuck table with a polishing pad while supplying a slurry to the workpiece, the polishing method comprising:
 a holding step of placing the workpiece on the holding surface and holding the workpiece on the chuck table;   a polishing step of polishing the workpiece held on the chuck table with the polishing pad while supplying the slurry to the workpiece;   an unloading step of unloading the workpiece polished in the polishing step from the chuck table; and   a swarf removing step of ejecting high-pressure steam to swarf produced from polishing the workpiece and deposited on an outer circumferential portion of the holding surface for thereby removing the swarf from the holding surface.