Abstract: An abrasive disc sheet article having patterns of vitrified abrasive particle agglomerate molded islands attached in annular bands on a flexible disc backing is used for high-speed water-spray cooled abrading and polishing without hydroplaning of workpieces. Hydroplaning is prevented as excess coolant water flows around the islands instead of forming a thick water film that separates the island abrasive and the workpiece. Vitrification encapsulates individual abrasive particles in glass to strongly support them to resist abrading forces and to allow them to be progressively worn down for full utilization of expensive diamond particles. Slow eroding of the agglomerates also results in very long abrade life of the abrasive discs. A porous filler material attached to the disc backing between the island structures carries water to contact the wafer surface and cool it during abrading. Interchangeable discs having different abrasive particle sizes are quickly attached with vacuum to flat rotatable platens.

Abstract: Embodiments of a high-speed rotatable workpiece abrasive polishing head are disclosed that allow flat surfaced hard material workpieces or sapphire or semiconductor wafers to be polished at high abrading speeds that can use water-mist cooled quick-change fixed abrasive island-type discs. Workpieces can be quickly attached with vacuum to a rotatable workpiece plate having a curved (e.g., spherical) bearing with an offset spherical center of rotation located at the workpiece abraded surface. Abrading contact there prevents lateral abrading friction forces from tilting workpieces and causing non-flat workpiece surfaces. The workpiece carrier plate can be rotationally driven by a floating drive shaft having a spherical spline head that contacts the workpiece carrier plate at a position close to the workpiece abraded surface to avoid tilting of the workpiece due to the shaft-applied workpiece rotation forces.

Abstract: Abrasive disk sheet articles having raised islands coated with abrasive have a flexible disk polymer backing. The top flat surfaces of the raised islands are coated with a liquid controlled-thickness slurry mixture of abrasive particles and a polymeric adhesive by use of a magnetic precision-thickness coating-control font sheet having individual open holes that are slightly smaller than the respective raised islands. The magnetic coater font sheet is placed in flat-surfaced contact with the raised island surfaces where each individual font sheet open hole is aligned with a respective island surface. A magnet placed on the non-island surface of the disk polymer backing urges the magnetic coater font sheet into conformal contact with the island surfaces. A squeegee device moved along the font sheet fills and level coats the island tops with a uniform-thickness abrasive slurry mixture. After coating, the font sheet is removed and the abrasive slurry is solidified.

Abstract: Abrasive disk sheet articles having raised islands coated with abrasive have a flexible disk polymer backing. The top flat surfaces of the raised islands are coated with a liquid controlled-thickness slurry mixture of abrasive particles and a polymeric adhesive by use of a magnetic precision-thickness coating-control font sheet having individual open holes that are slightly smaller than the respective raised islands. The magnetic coater font sheet is placed in flat-surfaced contact with the raised island surfaces where each individual font sheet open hole is aligned with a respective island surface. A magnet placed on the non-island surface of the disk polymer backing urges the magnetic coater font sheet into conformal contact with the island surfaces. A squeegee device moved along the font sheet fills and level coats the island tops with a uniform-thickness abrasive slurry mixture. After coating, the font sheet is removed and the abrasive slurry is solidified.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached with vacuum to the flexible elastomeric membrane of a rotatable wafer carrier that allows one surface of the workpiece to be in conformal abrading contact with a moving flat-surfaced abrasive. The elastomeric membrane external wafer attachment surface has a pattern of recessed vacuum grooves where vacuum supplied to the grooves firmly attach the rigid-material silicon wafer in flat-surfaced contact with the membrane. The attached wafer seals the vacuum grooves. A flexible thin metal annular membrane support disk is attached to the membrane within an abrading-pressure chamber where attached drive pins engage matching holes in the wafer carrier provide rotational torque to the wafer and restrain it laterally against abrading forces. Wafer polishing pressure is applied uniformly over the wafer surface. The rotating wafer peripheral edge does not contact a rigid retaining ring during a wafer polishing procedure.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached with vacuum to the flexible elastomeric membrane of a rotatable wafer carrier that allows one surface of the workpiece to be in conformal abrading contact with a moving flat-surfaced abrasive. The elastomeric membrane external wafer attachment surface has a pattern of recessed vacuum grooves where vacuum supplied to the grooves firmly attach the rigid-material silicon wafer in flat-surfaced contact with the membrane. The attached wafer seals the vacuum grooves. A flexible thin metal annular membrane support disk is attached to the membrane within an abrading-pressure chamber where attached drive pins engage matching holes in the wafer carrier provide rotational torque to the wafer and restrain it laterally against abrading forces. Wafer polishing pressure is applied uniformly over the wafer surface. The rotating wafer peripheral edge does not contact a rigid retaining ring during a wafer polishing procedure.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached with vacuum to the flexible elastomeric membrane of a wafer carrier that allows one surface of the workpiece to be in conformal abrading contact with a moving flat-surfaced abrasive. The elastomeric membrane external wafer attachment surface has a pattern of recessed vacuum grooves and vacuum is supplied to the grooves to firmly attach the rigid-material silicon wafer in flat-surfaced contact with the membrane. The attached wafer seals the vacuum grooves and also provides lateral stiffness to the center portion of the membrane. An outer annular extension of the flexible elastomer membrane maintains the wafer at its original membrane-centered location when abrading forces are applied to the rotating wafer. The rotating wafer peripheral edge does not contact a rigid retaining ring during a wafer polishing procedure.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are quickly attached with vacuum to a rotatable floating workpiece carrier. Fluid pressure in a sealed chamber applies uniform abrading pressure over the full abraded surface of the workpieces. A flexible diaphragm is used to form the sealed chamber and the carrier is rotationally driven by a lug-pin device. The floating carrier is horizontally restrained by a center-post device that provides rigid lateral support against abrading forces. Tilting of the floating carrier is provided by a spherical bearing. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. Vacuum can also be applied to the sealed chamber to quickly move the workpiece away from the abrading surface. A mode of providing rigid parallel-surface abrading of a workpiece can be activated by simply applying vacuum to the sealed chamber.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are quickly attached with vacuum to a rotatable floating workpiece carrier. Fluid pressure in a sealed chamber applies uniform abrading pressure over the full abraded surface of the workpieces. A flexible diaphragm is used to form the sealed chamber and the carrier is rotationally driven by a lug-pin device. The floating carrier is horizontally restrained by a center-post device that provides rigid lateral support against abrading forces. Tilting of the floating carrier is provided by a spherical bearing. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. Vacuum can also be applied to the sealed chamber to quickly move the workpiece away from the abrading surface. A mode of providing rigid parallel-surface abrading of a workpiece can be activated by simply applying vacuum to the sealed chamber.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached with vacuum to the flexible elastomeric membrane of a wafer carrier that allows one surface of the workpiece to be in conformal abrading contact with a moving flat-surfaced abrasive. The elastomeric membrane external wafer attachment surface has a pattern of recessed vacuum grooves and vacuum is supplied to the grooves to firmly attach the rigid-material silicon wafer in flat-surfaced contact with the membrane. The attached wafer seals the vacuum grooves and also provides lateral stiffness to the center portion of the membrane. An outer annular extension of the flexible elastomer membrane maintains the wafer at its original membrane-centered location when abrading forces are applied to the rotating wafer. The rotating wafer peripheral edge does not contact a rigid retaining ring during a wafer polishing procedure.