Abstract: A polishing device has a reel core around which a polishing tape is wound and a reel plate with flanges that engage with the polishing tape and sandwich it from both sides. A memory element with data on the polishing tape is provided to the reel core such that errors caused by using a wrong kind of polishing tape can be obviated.

Abstract: A transparent pad having a polishing surface with an average surface roughness of 5 ?m or less is used as a polishing pad. An indentation is formed on the back surface of the transparent pad such that its rate of light transmission is locally changed. The transparent pad has a rate of light transmission equal to or greater than 10% or preferably 30% for light of at least one wavelength in the range of 350 nm–900 nm.

Abstract: A polishing agent for polishing a surface of a target object without unduly scratching it includes mother particles and very fine abrading particles which are supported on the surfaces of the mother particles and remain so supported during a polishing process, becoming reattached if removed. Such an agent is produced by adding the mother particles into the abrading particles and stirring them together. In a polishing process, a specified amount of such an agent is supplied onto a lapping plate and a lapping process is carried out while the plate is rotated at a specified rotational speed.

Abstract: A polishing cloth has a surface layer stacked over a base material. The surface layer is made of a foamed layer and a non-foamed layer, the foamed layer including air bubble cells and the non-foamed layer having an externally exposed surface where linear cuts are formed. These linear cuts reach the air bubble cells such that the air bubble cells communicate with the exterior through the linear cuts. These linear cuts are controlled to be 10 ?m or less in length.

Abstract: A polishing machine uses a polishing head having a movable pad to press a polishing tape for polishing beveled and edge parts of a disk-shaped object. A rotary shaft is connected to the polishing head in a direction of contact surface between the polishing tape and the object. A rotary-and-reciprocating motion device rotates the polishing head around the axial line of the rotary shaft and moves it reciprocatingly along its axial line. A moving device undergoes a reciprocating motion perpendicularly to the object surface while supporting the object. When in use, the polishing head is rotated while the pad causes the polishing tape to protrude from it while the object is rotated.

Abstract: Polishing slurry has abrading particles dispersed in a liquid dispersant. The abrading particles are composite particles each having a first particle and a plurality of second particles smaller than the first particles attached to the surface of the first particle through a metal oxide membrane. The first particles have average diameter of 0.1–20 ?m and the second particles have average diameter of 0.001–0.5 ?m. Elastic particles may be used as the first particles such as polymer particles.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk substrate is produced by rotating an aluminum substrate or a glass substrate, supplying polishing slurry on its surface, pressing a polishing tape on the surface and running it in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the substrate. Texturing marks are formed with a line density greater than 70 lines/?m in the radial direction on the surface. The polishing slurry has abrading particles dispersed in a dispersant. The abrading particles may be monocrystalline diamond particles, polycrystalline diamond particles or cluster particles with such monocrystalline and polycrystalline diamond particles with diameters in the range of 1-50 nm. Agglomerated particles of such cluster particles that are agglomerated in the dispersant may also be included as the abrading particles.

Abstract: A polishing film includes a plastic film and a polishing layer formed on its surface, having a mixture of a first group of silica particles with a first average diameter and a second group of silica particles with a second average diameter fixed in a resin binder, the first average diameter and the second diameter being different from each other and both within a range of 0.001-10 ?m. The mixture of the two groups of silica particles has a granularity distribution curve with two peaks at two different diameter values corresponding to the first and second average diameters.

Abstract: An apparatus for smoothing a surface of a rotatably supported substrate includes a base plate, a block having an extending arm structure and being attached to the base plate so as to be movable along the surface of the base plate, a roller attached to a tip portion of the arm structure in a direction perpendicular to the base plate, a mobile member attached to the arm structure so as to be movable perpendicularly to the axial direction of the roller, a tape-running device attached to the base plate for feeding and taking up a polishing tape through the roller so as to advance the tape around the mobile member, and a moving device attached to the arm structure of the block for moving the mobile member.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a first polishing layer formed on the base sheet, a porous foamed layer having air bubbles inside formed on the base sheet, and a second polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The surface of the foamed layer may be flat or preferably porous with the second polishing layer having openings corresponding to those on the porous surface of the foamed layer. For cleaning a probe by using such a cleaning sheet, the tip of the probe is caused to penetrate the surface of the second polishing layer, to pass through the foamed layer and to be pressed against the first polishing layer.

Abstract: A polishing cloth has a base material of a woven cloth formed by weaving in woven bundles of plastic fibers and its surface layer is formed by portions of these woven bundles which are cut and raised from a surface. When such a polishing cloth is used for texturing a target surface of a disk substrate, the target surface is rubbed by such a cloth while a liquid slurry containing free abrasive particles are supplied to the surface.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk substrate is produced by rotating an aluminum substrate or a glass substrate, supplying polishing slurry on its surface, pressing a polishing tape on the surface and running it in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the substrate. Texturing marks are formed with a line density greater than 70 lines/&mgr;m in the radial direction on the surface. The polishing slurry has abrading particles dispersed in a dispersant. The abrading particles may be monocrystalline diamond particles, polycrystalline diamond particles or cluster particles with such monocrystalline and polycrystalline diamond particles with diameters in the range of 1-50 nm. Agglomerated particles of such cluster particles that are agglomerated in the dispersant may also be included as the abrading particles.

Abstract: A polishing sheet is produced by preparing a woven cloth sheet with single fibers, fiber bundles obtained by tying a plurality of fibers together, or bundle groups obtained by tying together these fiber bundles and impregnating such a woven cloth sheet with a resin solution such that the fibers and/or fiber bundles are fixed together. A backing sheet may be used to attach such a polishing sheet. Sateen woven cloths with sateen number 3-15 are preferred.

Abstract: A polishing pad for polishing a notch on a circumferential edge portion of a wafer has a disk-shaped center pad of a synthetic resin material and holder plates secured to both surfaces of the center pad so as to expose circumferential portions of the center pad. The circumferential portion of the center pad is sectionally shaped so as to be fittingly insertable into the notch. A foamed resin such as foamed urethane is preferably used as the synthetic resin material. The average diameter of air bubbles in the foamed material is in the range of 10 &mgr;m-500 &mgr;m. The hardness of the foamed material is in the range of 25-95 degrees in the Shore hardness A scale. Such a polishing pad is rotated and the circumferential portion of its center pad is fittingly inserted into and pressed against the notch while slurry is supplied to their contact part through a nozzle to polish the notch.

Abstract: Minute and uniform line marks can be formed on the surface of a glass substrate for a magnetic disk by pressing a woven cloth tape comprising plastic fibers preferably by a rubber roller with hardness greater than 60 and causing it to run thereover while supplying a suspension containing abrading particles and a solution which contains hydroxyl groups such as a KOH solution.

Abstract: A polishing cloth has a surface layer stacked over a base material. The surface layer is made of a foamed layer and a non-foamed layer, the foamed layer including air bubble cells and the non-foamed layer having an externally exposed surface where linear cuts are formed. These linear cuts reach the air bubble cells such that the air bubble cells communicate with the exterior through the linear cuts. These linear cuts are controlled to be 10 &mgr;m or less in length. Such a polishing cloth is produced by applying a foamable coating material such as a foamable resin over a surface of the base material, foaming the foamable coating material to form the surface layer, and forming the linear cuts through the non-foamed layer.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a first polishing layer formed on the base sheet, a porous foamed layer having air bubbles inside formed on the base sheet, and a second polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The surface of the foamed layer may be flat or preferably porous with the second polishing layer having openings corresponding to those on the porous surface of the foamed layer. For cleaning a probe by using such a cleaning sheet, the tip of the probe is caused to penetrate the surface of the second polishing layer, to pass through the foamed layer and to be pressed against the first polishing layer.

Abstract: A polishing head for polishing the end surface of a semiconductor wafer has a driver roller, a driving motor for rotating it, a pair of upper and lower follower rollers one above the other parallel to and horizontally separated from the driver roller and an endless polishing belt around these rollers. As the driving motor causes the polishing belt to run around the rollers, the semiconductor wafer is pushed against the polishing belt between the upper and lower follower rollers. A pair of upper and lower tension-controlling rollers are provided for controlling the tension in the polishing belt between the two follower rollers. At least one of these tension-controlling rollers is movable vertically. A polisher is formed with such a polishing head, a holder for holding and rotating the wafer and an attaching device for attaching the polishing head to the polisher.

Abstract: A device for cleaning the tip portion and the side surfaces of a probe has two or more different kinds of intermediate sheets affixed to a substrate in a side-by-side relationship with respect to each other. One of these intermediate sheets is an elastic sheet having an elastic property. Another intermediate sheet of a different kind is a plastic sheet which is less elastic. The tip portion of a probe is cleaned by a polishing layer affixed to the elastic sheet. The side surfaces of the probe are cleaned by a polishing layer affixed to the plastic sheet. A porous foamed sheet having openings on its surface and having air bubbles inside may be used as the elastic sheet. A polishing layer is formed on the surface of the foamed sheet, having a porous surface with openings corresponding to the openings on the foamed sheet. A spacer may be provided between the substrate and the plastic sheet for adjusting the heights of the polishing layers formed over the intermediate sheets.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a foamed sheet and a polishing layer with abrading particles on its surface. Mutually disconnected indentations are formed through the polishing layer reaching the foamed sheet in a uniform point pattern including a plurality of mutually adjacent ginkgo-leaf shaped figures for collecting cullet and dust particles therethrough into air bubbles opening on the upper surface of the foamed sheet.