Abstract: A dicing blade is formed by plating a composition of diamond particles and silicon carbide whiskers suspended in a nickel solution upon an aluminum hub. To obtain bonding rather than capturing of the diamond particles, nickel coated diamond particles may be used to form an inter-metallic bond between the coated diamond particles, the silicon carbide whiskers and the nickel matrix.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method are disclosed for grinding opposed faces of the hub of a dicing blade flat and parallel while preserving the capability of electroplating the hub with a membrane. Apparatus and a method are also disclosed for obtaining a single or dual rectilinear or curvilinear radial taper of the dicing blade.

Abstract: A stationary annular plenum rotatably mounted upon a hollow shaft receives air from a stationary source of air under pressure. A spring loaded first ring within the plenum conveys the air through apertures therein from the plenum to corresponding apertures in an adjacent second ring, which rings are maintained in alignment with one another and the plenum by a plurality of dowels. An annular channel disposed in a radial face of the second ring interconnects the apertures extending through the ring; the channel mates with a corresponding channel of an adjacent disc fixedly mounted upon the shaft to convey air from the stationary elements to the rotating elements. An air seal between the second ring and the disc is formed by interfacing flat annular radially oriented surfaces on opposed sides of the respective channels. The disc includes a radial passageway interconnecting the channel formed therein with the bore of the hollow shaft to direct air into the bore.

Abstract: A cassette has a frame and a collar for rotatably supporting a plurality of discs in operative engagement with a grinding/polishing apparatus. The discs are rotatably removeably mounted on the collar and the latter is readily disengageably engageable with the frame secured to the grinding/polishing apparatus to eliminate individual mounting and demounting of the discs upon the grinding/polishing apparatus.

Abstract: A grinding and polishing tool includes a pair of opposed grinding wheels for grinding or polishing simultaneously each of a plurality of discs located therebetween. Outer pulley wheels on a collar in cooperation with an inner pulley wheel support the discs peripherally and permit both rotation about and translation along the respective rotational axis of each disc in response to forces imposed by the grinding wheels. A uniform thickness of the discs is achieved by employing the discs themselves randomly distributed about the collar as spacers between the non-resilient grinding wheels to initially contact and grind the thicker discs until all discs are of equal thickness. Gimbal mounting one grinding wheel permits self-alignment thereof in a parallel relationship with the other grinding wheel to obtain parallel ground or polished surfaces on each disc.

Abstract: Pneumatically operated clamping apparatus provides free floating mounting of a disc upon a shaft during grinding and polishing of the disc.

Abstract: In a method for aligning multiple shaft supporting journal bearings without mechanical shimming, the shaft itself is employed as the aligning element for the journal bearings. Misalignment and spacing differences and discontinuities between the bases of the journal bearings and the respective supporting surfaces are accommodated by a curable and incompressible when cured compound placed therebetween which compound conforms with such spacing differences and discontinuities prior to curing.

Abstract: A rotatable grinding wheel bears against a rotatable wafer disk support wheel to grind the wafer disks to a predetermined thickness. The grinding wheel is translatable laterally to its axis of rotation, which translation repositions the grinding wheel with respect to the support wheel in a fixed proportion to the lateral distance traveled and permits high tolerance grinding with relative coarse lateral positional adjustment of the grinding wheel.