APPARATUS FOR CLEANING A POLISHING PAD CONDITIONER

An apparatus for cleaning a polishing pad conditioner is provided to extend the lifetime of a polishing pad conditioner and reduce a surface defect of a semiconductor substrate by effectively eliminating contaminants accumulated on a polishing pad conditioner. A cleaning solution for cleaning the surface of a polishing pad conditioner is loaded in a receptacle(162) disposed near to a rotation table. An ultrasonic generating part(164) applies ultrasonic energy to the cleaning solution in the receptacle. The polishing pad conditioner can include a conditioning disk(132), a driving part and an arm. Diamond particles(136) for improving the surface state of a polishing pad are attached to the conditioning disk. The driving part makes the conditioning disk come in contact with the surface of the polishing pad and generates relative movement with respect to the polishing pad. The arm is extended in the radial direction of the polishing pad, disposed on the polishing pad and supporting the driving part.