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 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 &mgr;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: A polishing tape makes use of a foamed material such as polyurethane foam attached to a plastic backing material. The foamed material is elastic and some of its gas holes formed inside but near one of its surfaces are exposed externally. Because of its elastic nature, it can be deformed even if there are abnormally large abrading particles contained in a liquid slurry and such abrading particles do not become embedded in the target surface being textured. These externally exposed gas holes can also serve to absorb the debris generated by the texturing and to protect the target surface from being scratched thereby. Such a tape is used for a texturing process while dropping a liquid slurry containing abrading particles and rotating the disk substrate and pressing the tape against the target surface.

Abstract: An adhesive tape of the double-side type for attaching a polishing pad to a polisher and for backing a polishing pad and a polishing tape has a base sheet with both its front and back surfaces coated with an adhesive agent and a peeling sheet of a resin material is adhesively attached onto at least one of the surfaces of the base sheet. The peeling sheet may be made of polyethylene terephthalate or polypropylene and is treated such that it can be peeled easily.

Abstract: Optical fiber connectors each with a plurality of optical fibers protruding from the front surface of a main body by improved and uniform distances are produced by being subjected to an etching step in which a textile pad free of abrading particles and a slurry containing abrading particles of a relatively larger size are used and thereafter to a final fine polishing step in which a polishing pad with a porous and compressive sponge-like material without affixed abrading particles and a slurry of another kind containing relatively smaller abrading particles are used. The sponge-like material may be polyurethane and is required to have hardness and pores with sizes within specified ranges.

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 &mgr;m and the second particles have average diameter of 0.001-0.5 &mgr;m. Elastic particles may be used as the first particles such as polymer particles.

Abstract: Slurries to be supplied to the surface of a rotating glass substrate for texturing the surface to create streaks contain aggregates having diameters not larger than 0.51 &mgr;m of polycrystalline diamond particles that are dispersed in water or a water-based aqueous solution that is free of any substance having an etching effect on a glass material. A glass substrate is textured by supplying such a slurry material on its surface as the substrate is rotated and a polishing tape is pressed and run against the substrate surface.

Abstract: A polishing pad made of a non-foamed resin material has surface roughness Ra in the range of 0.1-10 &mgr;m, or preferably 0.5-1.5 &mgr;m and variations in thickness less than 50 &mgr;m, or preferably less than 30 &mgr;m. Its Shore D hardness is greater than 60 degrees, or preferably 68 degrees. Its compressibility is less than 3%, or preferably less than 1% and its elasticity is greater than 30%, or preferably 50%, as measured by specified methods. Grooves may be formed over 30%-70%, or preferably 40%-60% of the total area of the polishing surface. When the polishing surface is subjected to a dressing process, its surface roughness Ra is restored to 0.1-10 &mgr;m, or preferably 0.5-1.5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: Optical fiber connectors each with a plurality of optical fibers protruding from the front surface of a main body by improved and uniform distances are produced by being subjected to an etching step in which a textile pad free of abrading particles and a slurry containing abrading particles of a relatively larger size are used and thereafter to a final fine polishing step in which a polishing pad with a porous and compressive sponge-like material without affixed abrading particles and a slurry of another kind containing relatively smaller abrading particles are used. The sponge-like material may be polyurethane and is required to have hardness and pores with sizes within specified ranges.

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 polishing film is formed by treating silica particles with heat at 100-400° C. for 4-48 hours and a polishing layer with no internal holes and a thickness of 50 &mgr;m or greater, containing 50-85 weight % of such heat-treated silicon particles is formed by fixing these silica particles with a binder resin.

Abstract: A foamed polishing sheet for use in a free particle polishing method using abrading particles with average particle diameter less than 0.1 &mgr;m is produced by applying a foaming paint of a foaming resin on a surface of a form-providing film such as a plastic film, foaming the foaming paint by a wet foaming method to form a foamed sheet on the surface of the form-providing film, and peeling off the foamed sheet from the form-providing film so as to form a polishing surface on the foamed sheet having the same shape as the surface of the form-providing film.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a foamed layer of a porous material on the base sheet and a polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The foamed layer includes abrading particles and air bubbles. Such a cleaning sheet may be produced by preparing a paint having air bubbles dispersed inside by mechanically foaming a foaming material containing a foaming resin material and abrading particles, forming on the base sheet a foamed layer having abrading particles dispersed inside by coating a surface of the base sheet with this paint and drying it, and forming a polishing layer on the foamed layer. A probe having a tip may be cleaned with such a cleaning sheet by causing a surface of its polishing layer to be pressed against the tip of the probe and causing the tip of the probe to penetrate the polishing layer and further to be inserted into the foamed layer having abrading particles dispersed inside.

Abstract: An agent used for texturing a surface of a substrate for a magnetic disk includes an aqueous solution containing a glycol compound serving as surfactant in an amount of about 1-25 weight % and agglomerated polycrystalline diamond particles with average diameter of 0.01-2 &mgr;m in an amount of 0.001-3 weight % formed with very small polycrystalline diamond particles with average diameter of 1-20 nm. When the substrate surface is textured, the substrate is rotated, the agent is supplied to the target surface to be textured and a polishing tape is pressed and run against it. A substrate thus processed has a surface with very fine and uniform textured lines without any abnormal protrusions.

Abstract: A glass substrate for a magnetic disk has one or both of its surfaces processed by applying a suspension of a specified kind onto the surface to be processed while the substrate is rotated and a polishing tape is pressed and run against the surface to be processed. The suspension includes abrasive particles with average diameter selected according to the purpose of the processing and an aqueous solution containing a reacting liquid capable of causing a solid phase reaction at contact boundary surfaces between the surface of the glass substrate and these abrasive particles. The polishing tape is removed from the glass substrate when the polishing is over but while the tape is still running and the glass substrate is rotating. The supplying of the suspension is thereafter stopped and a washing liquid such as water is applied to the polished surface or surfaces while the substrate is still rotating. Both surfaces of a glass substrate may be polished at the same time.

Abstract: A polishing tape makes use of a foamed material such as polyurethane foam attached to a plastic backing material. The foamed material is elastic and some of its gas holes formed inside but near one of its surfaces are exposed externally. Because of its elastic nature, it can be deformed even if there are abnormally large abrading particles contained in a liquid slurry and such abrading particles do not become embedded in the target surface being textured. These externally exposed gas holes can also serve to absorb the debris generated by the texturing and to protect the target surface from being scratched thereby. Such a tape is used for a texturing process while dropping a liquid slurry containing abrading particles and rotating the disk substrate and pressing the tape against the target surface.

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.