Abstract: Epitaxially coated semiconductor wafers are produced by minimally the following steps in the order specified: (a) depositing an epitaxial layer on one side of a semiconductor wafer; (b) first polishing the epitaxially coated side of the semiconductor wafer with a polishing pad with fixed abrasive while supplying a polishing solution which is free of solids; (c) CMP polishing of the epitaxially coated side of the semiconductor wafer with a soft polishing pad which contains no fixed abrasive, while supplying a polishing agent suspension; (d) depositing another epitaxial layer on the previously epitaxially coated and polished side of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processed on both sides simultaneously, the wafer lying in freely movable fashion in a cutout in one of a plurality of carriers that rotate by means of a rolling apparatus, and one thereby being moved on a cycloidal trajectory, the semiconductor wafer being processed in material-removing fashion between two rotating ring-shaped working disks, wherein each working disk comprises a working layer comprising abrasive material, and wherein an alkaline medium comprising no abrasive material is supplied during the processing.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafer provided with a strain-relaxed layer of Si1-xGex, are polished in a first step of mechanical machining of the Si1-xGex layer of the semiconductor wafer in a polishing machine using a polishing pad containing fixedly bonded abrasive materials having a particle size of 0.55 ?m or less, and also a second step of a chemomechanical machining of the previously mechanically machined Si1-xGex layer of the semiconductor wafer using a polishing pad and with supply of a polishing agent slurry containing abrasive materials.

Abstract: Both sides of a large diameter semiconductor wafer are polished by the following ordered steps: a) polishing the wafer backside on a polishing pad containing a fixed abrasive, a polishing agent solution free of solids being introduced between the wafer backside and the polishing pad; b) stock polishing the wafer frontside on a polishing pad which contains a fixed abrasive, a polishing agent solution free of solids being introduced between the wafer frontside of and the polishing pad; c) removing microroughness and microdamage from the wafer frontside by polishing the frontside on a polishing pad, a polishing agent solution containing abrasives being introduced between the wafer frontside and the polishing pad; and d) final polishing of the wafer frontside by polishing the frontside on a polishing pad containing no fixed abrasive, a polishing agent solution containing abrasives being introduced between the wafer frontside and the polishing pad during the polishing step.

Abstract: Semiconductor material substrates are polished by a method including at least one polishing step A by means of which the substrate is polished on a polishing pad containing an abrasive material bonded in the polishing pad and a polishing agent solution is introduced between the substrate and the polishing pad during the polishing step; and at least one polishing step B by means of which the substrate is polished on a polishing pad containing an abrasive material-containing polishing pad and wherein a polishing agent slurry containing unbonded abrasive material is introduced between the substrate and the polishing pad during the polishing step.

Abstract: Single-sided polishing of semiconductor wafers provided with a relaxed Si1-xGex layer involves polishing of a multiplicity of wafers in a plurality of polishing runs, a polishing run having at least one polishing step, at least one of the multiplicity of wafers obtained with a polished Si1-xGex layer at the end of each polishing run; moving the wafer during the polishing step over a rotating polishing plate provided with a polishing cloth while applying polishing pressure, and supplying polishing agent between the polishing cloth and the semiconductor wafer, the polishing agent containing an alkaline component and a component that dissolves germanium. Semiconductor wafer having a Si1-xGex layer substantially free of defects and haze is produced.