Abstract: The present invention is to provide a double side polishing machine which can apply a load by the upper lapping plate uniformly to works and the deflection of the upper lapping plate is restrained, which comprises a rotatable lower lapping plate, a rotatable upper lapping plate and movable to the lower lapping plate by an elevation mechanism, carriers which are put between the lower lapping plate and the upper lapping plate and in which a plurality of works are mounted, and a rotation and revolution mechanism for rotating and revolving the carriers between the lower lapping plate and the upper lapping plate, wherein a supporting plate for upper lapping plate which suspends the upper lapping plate is connected to an upper portion of a coupling mechanism provided oscillatably on a vertically movable supporting rod of the elevation mechanism, and an oscillation fulcrum of the coupling mechanism is located at approximately same height to a polishing surface of the upper polishing plate.

Abstract: In a machine for processing the edges and outer surfaces of flat workpieces, including a machine frame with a workpiece support surface 12 and at least one dressing head 14 with a work tool carrier, which work tool carrier is rotatably supported on the machine frame for rotation about a first axis perpendicular to the workpiece support surface 12 and is driven by a drive, and which work tool carrier carries at least two work tools 32 rotatably supported eccentrically to the first axis on the work tool carrier each for rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the workpiece support surface 12, and each of which tools is connected with a planet gear 44 which stands in meshing drive engagement with a sun gear 26 coaxial to the first axis so that each circulating work tool carrier defines an effective circle 46 of its work tools 32, with at least two dressing heads 14 being so arranged next to one another that the effective circles 46 of their work tools 32 overlap, with the movement of the work tool carriers

Abstract: There is provided a double-side polishing method for a wafer of sandwiching a wafer held in a carrier between upper and lower turn tables each having a polishing pad attached thereto and simultaneously polishing both surfaces of the wafer while supplying a slurry to a space between the upper and lower turn tables from a plurality of slurry supply holes provided in the upper turn table, wherein a polishing amount at an outer peripheral portion of the wafer to be polished is adjusted and outer peripheral sag of the wafer is suppressed by supplying the slurry in such a manner that an amount of the slurry supplied from the slurry supply holes provided on an outer side relative to the center of rotation of the upper turn table becomes larger than an amount of the slurry supplied from the slurry supply holes provided on an inner side relative to the same at the time of polishing both the surfaces of the wafer.

Abstract: To provide a technique for rotating a plurality of carriers 500 between an upper and a lower rotary surface plates to simultaneously polish both surfaces of a plurality of works 400. The work 400 is merged with the carrier 500 outside a polishing apparatus main body 110. The work 400 is supplied onto a lower rotary surface plate 111 of the polishing apparatus main body 110 while remaining merged with the carrier 500. The present invention enables the work 400 on the lower rotary surface plate 111 to be perfectly automatically supplied. After double side polishing has been completed and when an upper rotary surface plate, a liquid such as a water is injected from the upper rotary surface plate to hold the plurality of works 400 to have both surfaces thereof polished, on the lower rotary surface plate 111. The present invention enables the works 400 to be automatically ejected from the lower rotary surface plate 111.

Abstract: A dressing device for sharpening or conditioning of a blade or the like includes one or more disk pairs each having a pair of disks respectively presenting a plurality of ribs. The disks are oriented in face-to-face relationship with the ribs thereof in meshed, intercalated relationship to thereby create circumferential dressing openings. The ribs are configured to create sharpened edge on a knife blade or the like.

Abstract: A method of polishing the double sides of a plurality of works simultaneously by rotating a plurality of carriers between upper and lower rotating surface plates, comprising the steps of forming the works (400) integrally with the carriers (500) on the outside of a polishing device main body (110), feeding the works (400) onto a rotating surface plate (111) on the underside of the polishing device main body (110) with the works formed integrally with the carriers (500), injecting liquid such as water from the upper side rotating surface plate when the upper side rotating surface plate is raised after the double sides are polished, holding the plurality of works (400) on the lower side rotating surface plate (111) after the double sides are polished, enabling the works (400) to be discharged automatically from the lower side rotating surface plate (111), providing a brush storage part (180) and a dresser storage part (190) near the polishing device main body (110), and frequently treating a polishing cloth ins

Abstract: The present invention provides a carrier for double-side polishing apparatus which is set between upper and lower turn tables having polishing pads attached thereto and has a holding hole in which a semiconductor wafer sandwiched between the upper and lower turn tables is held at the time of polishing in a double-side polishing apparatus, wherein a material of the carrier is titanium, and surface roughness of the titanium carrier is 0.14 ?m or above in terms of Ra. As a result, there can be provided the carrier for double-side polishing apparatus, a double-side polishing apparatus, and a double-side polishing method that can stably and efficiently produce a high-quality wafer having reduced wafer peripheral sag and a high flatness at the time of double-side polishing of a semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A method of grinding semiconductor wafers including simultaneously grinding both surfaces of multiple semiconductor wafers being ground by rotating the multiple semiconductor wafers between a pair of upper and lower rotating surface plates in a state where the multiple wafers are held on a carrier so that centers of the multiple wafers are positioned on a circumference of a single circle, wherein a ratio of an area of a circle passing through the centers of the multiple wafers to an area of one of the multiple wafers is greater than or equal to 1.33 but less than 2.0; a rotational speed of the multiple wafers falls within a range of 5 to 80 rpm; and the grinding of the multiple wafers with the rotating surface plates are conducted with fixed abrasive grains in the presence of an alkali solution.

Abstract: A method of grinding semiconductor wafers including simultaneously grinding both surfaces of multiple semiconductor wafers by rotating the wafers between a pair of upper and lower rotating surface plates in a state where the wafers are held on a carrier so that centers of the wafers are positioned on a circumference of a single circle, wherein a ratio of an area of a circle passing through the centers of the wafers to an area of one of the wafers is greater than or equal to 1.33 but less than 2.0; surfaces of the fixed abrasive grains comprised in the surface plates are comprised of pellets disposed in a grid-like fashion, with the pellets provided in a center portion and pellets provided in a peripheral portion being larger in size than the pellets provided in an intermediate portion.

Abstract: The double-side polishing apparatus for polishing both faces of a wafer is capable of reliably measuring not only a thickness of an outer part of the wafer but also a thickness of a center part thereof. The double-side polishing apparatus comprises: a lower polishing plate; an upper polishing plate held by a frame; and a carrier having a through-hole for holding the wafer. A window section, through which a laser beam passes, is formed in a part of the upper polishing plate, under which the wafer held by the carrier passes. An optical thickness measuring equipment is provided to a part of the frame, under which the window section passes while the upper polishing plate is rotated. The thickness measuring equipment emits the laser beam through the window section, receives reflected beams reflected from an upper face and a lower face of the wafer, and calculates the thickness of the wafer on the basis of peak values of the reflected beams.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a semiconductor wafer by double-side grinding of the semiconductor wafer, in which the semiconductor wafer is simultaneously ground on both sides, first by rough-grinding and then by finish-grinding, using a grinding tool. The semiconductor wafer, between the rough-grinding and the finish-grinding, remains positioned in the grinding machine, and the grinding tool continues to apply a substantially constant load during the transition from rough-grinding to finish-grinding. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the process and to a semiconductor wafer having a local flatness value on a front surface of less than 16 nm in a measurement window of 2 mm×2 mm area and of less than 40 nm in a measurement window of 10 mm×10 mm area.

Abstract: A dressing device for sharpening or conditioning of a blade or the like includes one or more disk pairs each having a pair of disks respectively presenting a plurality of ribs. The disks are oriented in face-to-face relationship with the ribs thereof in meshed, intercalated relationship to thereby create circumferential dressing openings. The ribs are configured to create sharpened edge on a knife blade or the like.

Abstract: A dressing device for sharpening or conditioning of a blade or the like includes one or more disk pairs each having a pair of disks respectively presenting a plurality of ribs. The disks are oriented in face-to-face relationship with the ribs thereof in meshed, intercalated relationship to thereby create circumferential dressing openings. The ribs are configured to create sharpened edge on a knife blade or the like.

Abstract: The present invention is a static pressure pad for supporting both sides of a raw wafer without contact by a static pressure of a fluid supplied to the both sides of the raw wafer in a double-disc grinding machine for a semiconductor wafer, wherein in patterns of lands to be banks of surrounding pockets formed on a surface side of supporting the raw wafer of the static pressure pad, an outer circumferential land pattern required to support the raw wafer is a concentric circle with respect to a rotation center of the raw wafer, and a land pattern inside the outer circumferential land pattern is a non-concentric circle with respect to the rotation center of the raw wafer and asymmetrical with respect to all the straight lines which bisect the static pressure pad.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is configured to simultaneously polish both surfaces of a work, and includes a pair of stools rotating in opposite directions, a pair of detecting units configured to detect rotation rates of the stools, a pressurizing unit configured to compress the work between the pair of the stools, a slurry supply unit configured to supply a slurry to the stool, and a control unit configured to reduce, when determining that a frictional force between the polishing surface and the work exceeds a threshold, at least one of a load applied by the pressurizing unit, the rotation rate of the stool, and a supply amount of the slurry supplied by the slurry supply unit.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is configured to simultaneously polish both surfaces of a work and includes a sun gear provided around a rotational axis of one of a pair of polishing surfaces, a carrier having a hole configured to house the work, and including teeth so as to serve as a planetary gear which rotates and revolves around the sun gear, and a first dustproof mechanism that includes a first elastic member that contacts one surface of the carrier opposite to one of the polishing surfaces between the sun gear and the hole in the carrier.

Abstract: The double face polishing apparatus is capable of controlling an amount of supplying slurry to a lower polishing plate. The double face polishing apparatus comprises: a lower polishing plate and an upper polishing plate; a carrier provided between the polishing plates, the carrier having a through-hole for holding a workpiece; a plate driving unit for rotating the polishing plates; a carrier driving unit for rotating the carrier; ring-shaped ducts coaxially provided to the upper polishing plate; a slurry supply source supplying slurry to the ring-shaped ducts; and supply pipes for supplying the slurry to the lower polishing plate. The slurry is supplied to each of coaxial polishing zones of the lower polishing plate via the corresponding ring-shaped ducts and the supply pipes.

Abstract: The present invention provides an initial position setting method of grinding wheels, before starting a grinding operation, in a vertical double disc surface grinding machine for surface grinding the upper and lower grinding surfaces of a work-piece simultaneously by rotation-driving a pair of grinding wheels by a grinding wheel rotation drive motor and moving the grinding wheels up and down by a grinding wheel vertical drive motor.

Abstract: In effecting two-sided surface grinding for surface-grinding the opposite surfaces of a workpiece simultaneously by a pair of oppositely disposed grinding wheels, infeed grinding is performed by oscillating the workpiece within the range where the surfaces to be ground of the workpiece do not protrude from the inner and outer peripheries of the grinding wheel surfaces of the grinding wheels, and then through-grinding is performed by feeding the workpiece to allow the surfaces to be ground to pass along the inner and outer peripheries of the grinding wheel surfaces. As an effect, worn wheel edges or the like can be prevented from being formed in the inner and outer peripheral edges, that grinding wheel surfaces can be maintained in proper shape for a prolonged time, that the grinding accuracy is better, and that dress interval can be prolonged, thus improving the life of grinding wheels.

Abstract: The double-side polishing apparatus for polishing both faces of a wafer is capable of reliably measuring not only a thickness of an outer part of the wafer but also a thickness of a center part thereof. The double-side polishing apparatus comprises: a lower polishing plate; an upper polishing plate held by a frame; and a carrier having a through-hole for holding the wafer. A window section, through which a laser beam passes, is formed in a part of the upper polishing plate, under which the wafer held by the carrier passes. An optical thickness measuring equipment is provided to a part of the frame, under which the window section passes while the upper polishing plate is rotated. The thickness measuring equipment emits the laser beam through the window section, receives reflected beams reflected from an upper face and a lower face of the wafer, and calculates the thickness of the wafer on the basis of peak values of the reflected beams.

Abstract: A lapping machine includes upper and lower lapping wheels and a sprocket having a common centered rotational axis. A rotational drive source for at least one of the upper and lower lapping wheels provides rotational movement about the axis. At least two independently locatable gears or sprockets disposed radially exterior of the upper and lower lapping wheels rotatably carry a carrier between the upper and lower lapping wheels, in which a material carried within an opening formed in the carrier travels at least partially radially exterior of both lower and upper lapping wheels during operation of the machine.

Abstract: A lapping machine includes upper and lower lapping wheels and a sprocket having a common centered rotational axis. A rotational drive source for at least one of the upper and lower lapping wheels provides rotational movement about the axis. At least two independently locatable gears or sprockets disposed radially exterior of the upper and lower lapping wheels rotatably carry a carrier between the upper and lower lapping wheels, in which a material carried within an opening formed in the carrier travels at least partially radially exterior of both lower and upper lapping wheels during operation of the machine.

Abstract: The present invention is a carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus in which, in a double-side polishing apparatus, the carrier is set between upper and lower turn tables to which polishing pads are attached, and a holding hole to hold a wafer sandwiched between the upper and lower turn tables in polishing is formed in the carrier, wherein the carrier is made of titanium. Thereby, there is provided a carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus in which the strength of the carrier itself is high, and at the same time, contamination of a wafer such as a silicon wafer by impurities is suppressed, and sag in a peripheral portion of the wafer after being polished is suppressed.

Abstract: A two-side working machine, comprising an upper and a lower working disc which hold on, and are fixed to, an upper and a lower carrier disc, and which are disposed coaxially with each other and are adapted to be rotationally driven relative to each other by a working motor via a driving shaft, wherein the working discs have formed therebetween a working gap in which flat workpieces are processed on both sides, and a distance measuring device which measures the distance between working discs in at least two radially spaced points of the working gap, whereby the upper carrier disc is suspended on a supporting ring which is connected to the upper working shaft so as to be fixed for rotation, an annular portion of the carrier disc and means which are externally controllable by the supporting ring and via which a radial force is applied to the circumference of the carrier disc about the circumference of the supporting ring by means of a force generator, and control means are provided which adjust the force on the

Abstract: A two-sided surface grinding apparatus capable of eliminating undulations of concentric circles produced in the work surfaces by grinding, thereby further improving the degree of flatness of the work surfaces after grinding includes a pair of support pads which hold work outwardly of grinding whetstones and noncontactly support the work by the pressure of fluid are formed with notches corresponding to the grinding whetstones and extending from the outer edge to the center, and their noncontact support surfaces are provided with a plurality of pockets having fluid supply holes, and a mesh section forming banks around the peripheries of these pockets, the mesh section being composed of a peripheral edge disposed along the outer periphery of the noncontact support surface, and inside veins disposed so as to divide the inside of the peripheral edges and connected to the inside-and-outside connecting sections.

Abstract: A two-side working machine, comprising an upper and a lower working disc which hold on, and are fixed to, an upper and a lower carrier disc, and which are disposed coaxially with each other and are adapted to be rotationally driven relative to each other by a working motor via a driving shaft, wherein the working discs have formed therebetween a working gap in which flat workpieces are processed on both sides, and a distance measuring device which measures the distance between working discs in at least two radially spaced points of the working gap, whereby the upper carrier disc is suspended on a supporting ring which is connected to the upper working shaft so as to be fixed for rotation, an annular portion of the carrier disc and means which are externally controllable by the supporting ring and via which a radial force is applied to the circumference of the carrier disc about the circumference of the supporting ring by means of a force generator, and control means are provided which adjust the force on the

Abstract: The improved milling machine makes use of individually controlled x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis carriages. These carriages provide positive and precise control of the position of the cutting tools and the blank to be cut. The tools are located in spindles that are moved in the x-axis. A work piece or blank is manipulated in the y-axis and the z-axis. The tools are offset in the x-axis. Lights on a work space door are used to signal the condition of the mill machine and the milling operation. A tool changer allows the tools to be changed to accommodate other materials. A camera or other sensor is used to detect the location and wear on the tools.

Abstract: The improved milling machine makes use of individually controlled x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis carriages. These carriages provide positive and precise control of the position of the cutting tools and the blank to be cut. A tool changer allows the tools to be changed to accommodate other materials. A camera is used to detect wear on the tools.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for grinding a liquid crystal display panel improving the efficiency of using equipment by independently operating first and second grinding units for grinding the unit liquid crystal display panel. The present invention includes a first grinding unit grinding edges of short or long sides of the unit liquid crystal display panel in a normal mode and a second grinding unit grinding the edges of the short or long sides of the unit liquid crystal display panel that are not ground by the first grinding unit in the normal mode or grinding the edges of the long and short sides of the unit liquid crystal display panel in an emergency mode.

Abstract: Detecting the deviation of the grinding wheel position from the amount of work deformation after grinding, and correctly adjusting the grinding wheel position, it provides both-side grinding techniques for making the work excellent in flatness and parallelism. When the feeding operation of grinding wheels (1,2) is completed, the distances from hydrostatic pads (20, 21) to the surface and back of work (W) are measured at three points, and the deformation amount of work (W) is detected from the results of measurement at the three points by using air gauge sensors (Sa, Sb, Sc), and in case the calculated amount of deformation exceeds the specified value, the moving adjustment of grinding wheels (1, 2) is performed in accordance with the amount of deformation so that work (W) is flat without deformation when the feeding operation of grinding wheels (1, 2) is completed.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a double side polisher capable of maintaining thickness control accuracy over a long period of time without being affected by a gradual change in thickness of a polishing pad, and a thickness control method. The first polishing operation is finished based on the polishing duration time, and the second and subsequent polishing operations are finished based on the measured distance values of a distance sensor, and after each polishing operation including the first polishing, the measured value of the distance sensor is calibrated based on the measured value and target value of finishing thickness of the work piece. Since the calibration is performed for each polishing operation, it is possible to maintain thickness control accuracy over a long period of time.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a thickness control method for a double side polisher, accuracy of which is not affected by wearing of polishing pad and applicable to polishing of nonconductive work pieces. An eddy current sensor in a cavity of an upper polishing plate measures distance from the senor to the upper surface of carrier with holes for the work pieces being inserted respectively. The measured distance is successively monitored and polishing is stopped when the distance has become a predetermined value corresponding to target amount of material removal from the work piece.

Abstract: A grinding machine (1) for glass slabs (2) comprising a grinding head (77) that comprises a supporting structure (9), grinding wheels (20, 28) for grinding and polishing the edge of the slab (2), and grinding wheels (24, 26) for grinding and polishing the threads of the slabs (2), where the grinding wheels (20, 28) for grinding and polishing the edges rotate independently one from another around an axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the grinding wheels (24, 26) for grinding and polishing the threads, and where the grinding wheels (20, 24, 26, 28) for grinding and polishing the edges and polishing the threads are configured to perform, during operation, axial movements that can be actuated independently from each other along the slab (2).

Abstract: An apparatus for abrading a workpiece comprises a first plate assembly having a first surface for supporting a workpiece and a second plate assembly having a second surface for engaging the workpiece to abrade a portion thereof. A displacement shaft is mounted for movement with respect to the upper and lower plate assemblies and has a first end configured to engage the upper plate assembly. A feedback assembly is coupled to the displacement shaft for moving the displacement shaft to substantially maintain a predetermined load exerted on the displacement shaft by the upper plate assembly.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus for simultaneously texturing two single-sided hard memory disks is provided. The two disks are placed in a concentric contact merge orientation such that the outwardly facing surface of each disk may be simultaneously subjected to texturing by equipment designed to texture one double-sided disk.

Abstract: A polish apparatus for planarizing wafers and films over wafers comprising the following. A substrate chuck for holding a substrate with a surface to be polished thereof being directed about vertically. A first drive means for rotating the substrate chuck. A polishing head having a polishing surface which is adjacent to the substrate during the polishing of the substrate. The polishing surface of the polishing head is smaller than the surface of the substrate. A polishing solution supply means for supplying a polishing solution through the polishing head to the substrate held by the substrate chuck. A reciprocating means for reciprocally moving the polishing head on the surface to be polished. A pressing means for pressing the polishing pad against a substrate held by the substrate chuck by way of the polishing head. The polish head is preferably comprised of one piece of molded polymer. No polish pad is used.

Abstract: In order to improve a flatness of a work in single wafer type double-side polishing in which one wafer is polished with one carrier, a carrier larger in diameter than upper and lower surface plates that rotate is inserted between the surface plates, and a wafer smaller in diameter than the surface plates is held with the carrier. The carrier is rotated by plural eccentric gears that mesh with external gear teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface of the carrier at plural positions along a circumferential direction thereof and revolve around positions spaced from the centers as centers in synchronism with each other or one another at the plural positions of meshing. The carrier rotates about its center and moves circularly around the center of the surface plates spaced from the center thereof. The upper surface plate is reciprocated in a direction perpendicular to the central axis when required.

Abstract: For the machining of a workpiece (18) rotating about a workpiece axis, a first abrasive tool (20), which rotates about a first tool axis, and the workpiece (18) are advanced towards one another, in order to machine a first workpiece face in a first abrasive operation. Further, a second abrasive tool (54), which rotates about a second tool axis (56), is advanced towards the workpiece (18), in order to machine a second workpiece face in a second abrasive operation. The two workpiece faces are designed rotationally symmetrically with respect to the workpiece axis and are arranged adjacently to one another in such a way that a sharp, burr-free, circular transition edge is formed between them. The two abrasive operations are controlled in such a way that they are terminated at the same time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a circular grinding of a workpiece having first and second workpiece faces which are rotationally symmetrical with respect to the workpiece axis and which form a circular transition edge between them are provided. The workpiece rotating about its axis and a grinding wheel rotating about a grinding-wheel axis are advanced towards one another. During grinding, an auxiliary abrasive tool, which rotates about an auxiliary-tool axis and has a plane abrasive surface arranged at right angles to the auxiliary-tool axis, is pressed against the workpiece in such a way that the abrasive surface is arranged in a tangential plane to the second workpiece face and touches the second workpiece face along a contact line. The plane abrasive surface projects in the direction of the contact line away from the second workpiece face beyond the transition edge.

Abstract: The small polishing apparatus is capable of simultaneously polishing both side faces of a work piece, and a lower polishing plate, an internal gear and a sun gear are respectively driven by direct drive (DD) motors. The polishing apparatus comprises: an upper and a lower polishing plates; a sun gear and an internal gear; and a carrier provided between the polishing plates and engaged with the gears. Both side faces of the work piece held by the carrier are simultaneously polished by the polishing plates. DD motors respectively rotate the lower polishing plate and the gears. Each DD motor has a ring-shaped output member. A first DD motor has the output member directly connected to a rotary holding member rotatably holding the lower polishing plate. A second DD motor is provided under the first DD motor.

Abstract: A wafer carrier for use in polishing disks. The wafer carrier includes a main body and an integral visual inspection wear indicator. The main body has at least one opening formed therein adapted to receive a disk. The visual inspection wear indicator provides a visual indication of when the main body has reached the end of its useful life. The inspection wear indicator may have several portions to incrementally identify the approximate wear stage, that is, the approximate remaining useful life.

Abstract: Disclosed are a polishing agent containing at least globular-silica powder and alumina powder, as well as a lapping method in which a workpiece is held between an upper turn table and a lower turn table and is lapped by rotating the upper and the lower turn tables while being supplied with a polishing agent, wherein the polishing agent supplied is the polishing agent containing at least globular-silica powder and alumina powder. Thus, there can be provided a polishing agent capable of further improving the quality, especially, the flatness of workpieces such as silicon wafers and capable of polishing the workpieces at an excellent polishing rate.

Abstract: In a vertical type of double disc surface grinding machine, an object of this invention is to enable simple adjustment of a parallelism between a grinding surface of a lower grinding wheel and a work end face clamped by a clamping jig of a rotary table, even when a grinding wheel spindle axis is disordered. The vertical type of double disc surface grinding machine is equipped with a pair of grinding wheels 2 & 3 opposing each other in vertical direction and fixed to a pair of vertical grinding wheels 4 & 5 and a rotary table 15 holding a work W and supplying it to a grinding position A1 located between the grinding wheels 2 & 3, and provided on the rotary table 15 with a work clamping jig 17 including a rotary shaft 63 which clamps the work W at a specified position and makes it spin itself.

Abstract: A double surface grinding method for a vertical type of double disc surface grinding machine in which upper and lower ground surfaces of a work like a disc brake are ground simultaneously. The entire vertical moving stroke of the grinding wheel includes an idle feed stroke in which the wheel moves at a specified idle feed speed from the waiting position to a detection start position before contacting with the ground surface; a detection stroke in which the wheel moves at a detection speed lower than the idle feed speed from the detection start position to a detection end position after contacting with the ground surface then the wheel detects a grinding start position; and a grinding stroke in which the wheel moves at a grinding speed from the grinding start position to a grinding end position.

Abstract: The present invention provides exemplary cluster tool systems and methods for processing wafers, such as semiconductor wafers. One method includes providing (710) a wafer having initial thickness variations between two wafer surfaces. The wafer is subjected to grinding (720), polishing (730) and cleaning (740) processes. The wafer is thereafter transferred (750) to a wafer processing chamber to undergo device formation processes (760-780). The wafer processing steps may be undertaken in a series of process modules of sufficiently small size to permit their use in a circuit device fabrication facility. The in-fab processing of wafers reduces the number of process steps, cost and time typically associated with wafer processing prior to device formation thereon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically loading and unloading wafer crystals to and from a double-sided polishing machine of the type having an upper and a lower polishing plate, runner disks with reception openings for the wafer crystals, and a drive to move runner disks to a predetermined loading and unloading position. The position of the centers of the reception openings in a runner disk located in the loading position is measured and stored by means of an optical identification system. A gripping means of a robot arm is successively oriented towards the measured center positions of the reception openings, and the position of the centers of the individual openings is determined and stored by first and second optical identification systems. The individual wafer crystals are tilted while being inserted by the gripping means of the loading arm into the reception openings.

Abstract: The polishing machine is capable of evenly applying a pressing force from an upper polishing plate to work pieces accommodated in through-holes of carriers. The polishing machine comprises: a plurality of the carriers provided around a center of gravity of an upper polishing plate and sandwiched between the polishing plates. Circular motion of the carriers, without revolving, are performed independently. Centers of gravity of the work pieces, which are held by the carriers, are simultaneously moved close to a center of gravity of the upper polishing plate and simultaneously moved away therefrom, and moving distances of the centers of gravity of the work pieces are equal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for abrading a work piece. The apparatus has two support members to which a carriage member is slidably mounted. A vertical drive mechanism moves the carriage member in a vertical direction. A spindle is supported by the carriage member, has a longitudinal channel, and is configured to rotate about a central axis. The apparatus also has an upper abrading wheel having a first working surface and a lower abrading wheel having a second working surface. The second working surface is parallel to and in vertical opposition to the first working surface. The upper abrading wheel comprises a plurality of conduits, each having a first orifice and a second orifice. The first orifices of the conduits are disposed at the first working surface and the second orifices are in fluid communication with the longitudinal channel of the spindle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for grinding a liquid crystal display panel improving the efficiency of using equipment by independently operating first and second grinding units for grinding the unit liquid crystal display panel. The present invention includes a first grinding unit grinding edges of short or long sides of the unit liquid crystal display panel in a normal mode and a second grinding unit grinding the edges of the short or long sides of the unit liquid crystal display panel that are not ground by the first grinding unit in the normal mode or grinding the edges of the long and short sides of the unit liquid crystal display panel in an emergency mode.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a film layer on a glass plate includes: a supporting base for supporting a glass plate; a pair of removing devices for removing a film layer on the glass plate; a transporting device for transporting the glass plate; and a control unit for defining in a divided manner a region of a film layer to be removed by the pair of removing devices and for causing the pair of removing devices to concurrently effect removal of the film layer on the glass plate in an apportioned manner with respect to divided regions defined in the divided manner.