Abstract: Apparatus and method for polishing one or both sides of a semiconductor wafer that has a central opening are provided. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a mandrel for holding the wafer and a motor coupled to the mandrel that is operable to rotate the mandrel. A first polisher assembly is provide that has a first polish pad for polishing the first side of the wafer and a second polish pad for polishing the second side of the wafer, and first means for moving the first and second polish pads into and out of engagement with the first and second sides of the wafer. According to the method, a semiconductor wafer is coupled to a rotatable mandrel and a polishing mixture is dispensed on one or both of the sides of the semiconductor wafer. A first polish pad is brought into contact with the first side of the semiconductor wafer and a second polish pad is brought into contact with the second side of the semiconductor wafer such that the first and second polish pads are positioned in opposition.

Abstract: A polishing system and a method of control of the same enabling reliable transfer of the workpieces into and out of the system while maintaining the precision of polishing of the workpieces. Provision is made of a polishing apparatus 1, a first transfer apparatus 2, a second transfer apparatus 3, and a control apparatus 4. In the polishing apparatus 1, workpieces W held in m number of holding holes 14 formed in n number of carriers 14 are polished on their two surfaces by a lower platen 10 and an upper platen 19. The control apparatus 4 finds the revolution angle of the carriers 14 when the workpieces reach the desired thickness, makes the carriers revolve until the revolution angle of a whole multiple of 360.degree./n closest to the revolution angle found, and then makes the polishing apparatus 1 stop.

Abstract: A polishing machine includes a platform assembly mounted within three support columns. The platform assembly includes fluidically pressurized bladders for urging the upper polish plate toward and away from the lower polish plate. In one embodiment a movable support column is suspended from an overlying frame. The support column is engaged with the upper polish plate so as to selectively raise and lower the platform assembly. In another embodiment, the platform is raised and lowered by threaded shafts so as to engage and thereby displace the upper polish plate.

Abstract: A double side grinding apparatus for thin disklike work comprises a pair of rotatable grinding wheels having opposed circular grinding faces provided by respective end faces and so arranged as to be movable relative to each other axially thereof, and work rotating means for rotating the thin disklike work about its own axis while supporting the work in a grinding position between the grinding faces so that opposite surfaces of the work to be worked on face the respective grinding faces of the pair of the wheels, with an outer periphery of the work intersecting an outer periphery of each grinding face and with the center of the work positioned inwardly of the grinding faces.

Abstract: A pair of ring-shaped lapping plates 13, 23 are faced to both surfaces of a wafer 1. Each lapping plate 13, 23 has an outer diameter approximately equal to a radius of the wafer 1 and a lapping surface 14, 24 sliding in contact with the wafer 1. Each lapping plate 13, 23 is rotated along a direction reverse from the other, while an abrasion slurry A is fed into cavities 15, 25 of the lapping plates 13, 23 and discharged together with dusts separated from the wafer 1 through grooves engraved in the lapping surfaces 14, 24 and gaps between the wafer 1 and the lapping surfaces 14, 24. The lapping plate 23 is carried toward the stationary lapping plate 13 at a rate corresponding to abrasion of the lapping surfaces 14, 24. During lapping, the wafer 1 is rotated by drive rollers 31 and supported by guide rollers 32. In this way, both surfaces of the wafer 1 are simultaneously lapped.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing one or more planar substrates, such as magnetic disks, between rotating polishing plates is described. The apparatus is designed to optimize uniformity and flatness of the substrates by maintaining a substantially constant parallel and coaxial alignment between the rotating polishing plates.

Abstract: An apparatus for the surface machining of the workpieces by grinding, polishing, lapping or the like, comprising a frame, a lower and an upper working wheel supported by the frame, at least one thereof being rotatably driven by driving means, at least one runner wheel between the working wheels, that runner wheel having apertures for the accommodation of the workpieces and having further teeth at the circumference thereof, an inner and an outer ring radially outwardly and radially inwardly of the working wheels, respectively, adapted to accommodate a row of circularly arranged pins, at least the outer pin ring being rotatably supported by the frame and driving by second driving means, the runner wheel camming with the outer and the inner row of pins, the improvement being characterized by the pin ring being rotatably supported by an outer annular bearing ring stationarily supported by the frame through a plurality of circumferentially spaced rollers, the rollers being rotatably supported by the bearing ring a

Abstract: A disc streak pattern forming method and apparatus are provided which are capable of not only forming fine streak patterns on a disc in a single step, but also arbitrarily adjusting an angle of intersection of streak patterns in a precise manner to thereby reduce the cost of production facilities and the cost of manufacture as well as to improve the magnetic property and the finishing accuracy of the disc. The disc streak pattern forming apparatus is equipped with a drum 2, a pad rotating member 3, a first motor 5 and a second motor 6. Polishing pads 4 mounted on the pad rotating member 3 are placed in sliding contact with the disc in the form of a magnetic disc 200 with an information storage surface 201 thereof being disposed within a central bore 40 in each polishing pad 4.

Abstract: A machine for refinishing the surface of a bowling to improve the roundness of the bowling ball with the machine including individual bowling ball resurfacing units each having a cone-shaped cup resiliently supported on the bowling ball resurfacing unit with the cone-shaped abrading cups having an annular abrading region located on the periphery of cone-shaped abrading cup so that when the cone-shaped abrading cups are rotated the abrading region engages a surface on the bowling ball to simultaneously rotate and abrade the surface of the bowling ball to bring the bowling ball into round.