Reducing polish platen corrosion during integrated circuit fabrication

A technique for reducing corrosion over a steel platen used during semiconductor wafer polishing. An anodic metal plate is attached to the steel platen to cathodically protect the surface of the steel platen via an electrochemical process. This cathodic protection inhibits the formation of localized anodic sections formed on the steel platen. Since the steel platen now has fewer, if any, localized anodic sections present in the prior art, the steel platen is less likely to corrode. The anodic metal may be made of an inexpensive metal material such as magnesium, aluminum, or some other appropriate metal. The metal plate is also replaceable in nature, i.e., it may be replaced after the metal plate has been corroded.