Abstract: A polishing apparatus which is an index system polishing apparatus which includes a polishing head for holding a wafer, a plurality of turn tables to which polishing pads for polishing the wafer are attached, and a loading/unloading stage for loading the wafer to the polishing head or unloading the wafer from the polishing head, and which polishes the wafer while switching the turn tables to be used for polishing the wafer held at the polishing head by causing the polishing head to perform rotation movement, the polishing apparatus including a turn table upward and downward movement mechanism which allows the turn table to move upward and downward. With this polishing apparatus, it is possible to reduce an amount of displacement caused when moment load is applied on the polishing head during polishing.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes: a plurality of polishing heads for holding a wafer, a polishing pad for polishing the wafer, a rotatable turn table having the polishing pad attached thereto, a turn table driving mechanism for rotating the turn table, a plurality of wafer-detecting sensors for detecting coming off of the wafer from the polishing head during polishing, wherein the polishing apparatus has the wafer-detecting sensor disposed above peripheral portions of the respective polishing heads and on each downstream side in a rotation direction of the turn table with respect to the respective polishing heads. The polishing apparatus can detect coming off of a wafer from a polishing head during polishing more rapidly, and can prevent a breakage of the wafer thereby.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus which is an index system polishing apparatus which includes a polishing head for holding a wafer, a plurality of turn tables to which polishing pads for polishing the wafer are attached, and a loading/unloading stage for loading the wafer to the polishing head or unloading the wafer from the polishing head, and which polishes the wafer while switching the turn tables to be used for polishing the wafer held at the polishing head by causing the polishing head to perform rotation movement, the polishing apparatus including a turn table upward and downward movement mechanism which allows the turn table to move upward and downward. With this polishing apparatus, it is possible to reduce an amount of displacement caused when moment load is applied on the polishing head during polishing.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes: a plurality of polishing heads for holding a wafer, a polishing pad for polishing the wafer, a rotatable turn table having the polishing pad attached thereto, a turn table driving mechanism for rotating the turn table, a plurality of wafer-detecting sensors for detecting coming off of the wafer from the polishing head during polishing, wherein the polishing apparatus has the wafer-detecting sensor disposed above peripheral portions of the respective polishing heads and on each downstream side in a rotation direction of the turn table with respect to the respective polishing heads. The polishing apparatus can detect coming off of a wafer from a polishing head during polishing more rapidly, and can prevent a breakage of the wafer thereby.

Abstract: A polishing head including, below a polishing head body, a rubber film held by a disk-shaped mid plate and an annular guide ring disposed around the rubber film holding the back surface of the workpiece on a lower face portion of the rubber film. The polishing head also includes a base member that is coupled to a polishing head body through an elastic film and holds the guide ring and the mid plate such that the lower surface of the guide ring does not contact the polishing pad during polishing. The polishing head and polishing apparatus, are operable in both of the rough polishing process and final polishing process, that can stably achieve predetermined high flatness and high polishing stock removal uniformity in polishing of a workpiece and can obtain a workpiece with fewer fine particles having a diameter of 45 nm or more.

Abstract: A polishing head for holding a workpiece when a surface of the workpiece is polished and a polishing apparatus provided with the polishing head, and more particularly a polishing head for holding the workpiece on a rubber film and a polishing apparatus provided with the polishing head. The polishing head and the polishing apparatus provided with the polishing head that can adjust the polishing profile on the basis of the shape of the workpiece before polishing and can stably obtain good flatness.

Abstract: A polishing head having a disklike carrier in which an annular projecting portion and a carrier-engagement portion are formed in a peripheral portion, a disklike head body in which a head-body-engagement portion is formed outside, a diaphragm for connecting the head body with the carrier, a spacer located between the carrier-engagement portion and the head-body-engagement portion in a part of the carrier-engagement portion and/or the head-body-engagement portion, in which the spacer abuts on the carrier-engagement portion and/or the head-body-engagement portion at the time of lifting the head body so that the workpiece is demounted from the polishing pad by lifting the carrier with it inclined. As a result, there is provided a polishing head in which the workpiece can be easily, safely and surely demounted from the polishing pad by lifting the polishing head holding the workpiece without overhanging the polishing head from the turn table and the like.

Abstract: A polishing head including, below a polishing head body, a rubber film held by a disk-shaped mid plate and an annular guide ring disposed around the rubber film holding the back surface of the workpiece on a lower face portion of the rubber film. The polishing head also includes a base member that is coupled to a polishing head body through an elastic film and holds the guide ring and the mid plate such that the lower surface of the guide ring does not contact the polishing pad during polishing. The polishing head and polishing apparatus, are operable in both of the rough polishing process and final polishing process, that can stably achieve predetermined high flatness and high polishing stock removal uniformity in polishing of a workpiece and can obtain a workpiece with fewer fine particles having a diameter of 45 nm or more.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing head provided with an annular rigid ring, a rubber film bonded to the rigid ring with a uniform tension, a mid plate joined to the rigid ring and forming a space portion together with the rubber film and the rigid ring, and an annular template provided concentrically with the rigid ring in a peripheral portion on a lower face part of the rubber film and having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the rigid ring, in which a pressure of the space portion can be changed by a pressure adjustment mechanism, a back face of a work is held on the lower face part of the rubber film, and a surface of the work is brought into sliding contact with the polishing pad attached onto a turn table for performing polishing, and an inner diameter of the template is smaller than an inner diameter of the rigid ring, and a ratio between an inner diameter difference between the rigid ring and the template and a difference between the inner diameter and an outer diameter of the templ

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing head in which a rubber film is formed in a boot shape in such a manner that a position where the rubber film is held by a mid plate is distantly positioned from a work holding portion; an end portion of the boot shaped rubber film is formed in O-ring shape so that the rubber film is held by the mid plate with decreasing an area of contact between the mid plate and the rubber film as much as possible. As a result, there is provided a polishing head with rubber chuck method in which an occurrence of a surface defect, such as a scratch, on a surface of the work is suppressed as much as possible and the work can be uniformly and stably polished to the outer periphery.

Abstract: A polishing head for holding a workpiece when a surface of the workpiece is polished and a polishing apparatus provided with the polishing head, and more particularly a polishing head for holding the workpiece on a rubber film and a polishing apparatus provided with the polishing head. The polishing head and the polishing apparatus provided with the polishing head that can adjust the polishing profile on the basis of the shape of the workpiece before polishing and can stably obtain good flatness.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polishing head having an annular rigid ring; a rubber film bonded to the rigid ring with uniform tension; a mid plate joined to the rigid ring, forming a space together with the rubber film and the rigid ring; and a mechanism for changing pressure of the space, the method including performing a tensile test on the rubber film according to JIS K6251 before bonding the rubber film to the rigid ring, and selecting the rubber film having a value of 10 MPa or less of an inclination obtained by a linear approximation of a stress-strain curve within a strain value of 5%; and bonding the selected rubber film having a value of 10 MPa or less of the inclination to the rigid ring to manufacture the polishing head.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing head in which a rubber film is formed in a boot shape in such a manner that a position where the rubber film is held by a mid plate is distantly positioned from a work holding portion; an end portion of the boot shaped rubber film is formed in O-ring shape so that the rubber film is held by the mid plate with decreasing an area of contact between the mid plate and the rubber film as much as possible. As a result, there is provided a polishing head with rubber chuck method in which an occurrence of a surface defect, such as a scratch, on a surface of the work is suppressed as much as possible and the work can be uniformly and stably polished to the outer periphery.

Abstract: A polishing head having a disklike carrier in which an annular projecting portion and a carrier-engagement portion are formed in a peripheral portion, a disklike head body in which a head-body-engagement portion is formed outside, a diaphragm for connecting the head body with the carrier, a spacer located between the carrier-engagement portion and the head-body-engagement portion in a part of the carrier-engagement portion and/or the head-body-engagement portion, in which the spacer abuts on the carrier-engagement portion and/or the head-body-engagement portion at the time of lifting the head body so that the workpiece is demounted from the polishing pad by lifting the carrier with it inclined. As a result, there is provided a polishing head in which the workpiece can be easily, safely and surely demounted from the polishing pad by lifting the polishing head holding the workpiece without overhanging the polishing head from the turn table and the like.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing head having at least: an approximately discoid mid plate; a rubber film covering at least a lower face portion and a side face portion of the mid plate; and a space portion surrounded by the mid plate and the rubber film; in which pressure of the space portion can be changed by a pressure adjustment mechanism, a back surface of a workpiece is held on a lower face portion of the rubber film and a front surface of the workpiece is brought into sliding contact with a polishing pad attached onto a turn table for performing polishing; wherein the mid plate and the rubber film do not contact one another to have a gap at least throughout a whole of the lower face portion of the mid plate. As a result, there is provided a polishing head etc by a rubber chuck method in which a uniform polishing load is applied over the workpiece without influence of stiffness or flatness of the mid plate.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing head provided with an annular rigid ring, a rubber film bonded to the rigid ring with a uniform tension, a mid plate joined to the rigid ring and forming a space portion together with the rubber film and the rigid ring, and an annular template provided concentrically with the rigid ring in a peripheral portion on a lower face part of the rubber film and having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the rigid ring, in which a pressure of the space portion can be changed by a pressure adjustment mechanism, a back face of a work is held on the lower face part of the rubber film, and a surface of the work is brought into sliding contact with the polishing pad attached onto a turn table for performing polishing, and an inner diameter of the template is smaller than an inner diameter of the rigid ring, and a ratio between an inner diameter difference between the rigid ring and the template and a difference between the inner diameter and an outer diameter of the templ

Abstract: The polishing apparatus is capable of precisely controlling polishing pressure, correctly positioning a press plate and uniformly polishing a workpiece. In the polishing apparatus, a holding head comprises: first pressing means for introducing a pressurized fluid into a first fluid chamber and pressing a main head section downward; second pressing means for introducing a pressurized fluid into a second fluid chamber and pressing a press plate downward; and third pressing means for introducing a pressurized fluid into a third fluid chamber and pressing the workpiece downward. With this structure, the workpiece is held on the lower side of an elastic sheet member, and the lower face of the workpiece can be polished by a polishing plate.

Abstract: The polishing apparatus is capable of precisely controlling polishing pressure, correctly positioning a press plate and uniformly polishing a workpiece. In the polishing apparatus, a holding head comprises: first pressing means for introducing a pressurized fluid into a first fluid chamber and pressing a main head section downward; second pressing means for introducing a pressurized fluid into a second fluid chamber and pressing a press plate downward; and third pressing means for introducing a pressurized fluid into a third fluid chamber and pressing the workpiece downward. With this structure, the workpiece is held on the lower side of an elastic sheet member, and the lower face of the workpiece can be polished by a polishing plate.

Abstract: The abrasive machine of the present invention is capable of controlling a shape of an abrasive face of a small abrasive plate. The abrasive machine comprises: a plate holder holding an abrasive plate; a fixed engaging member being fixed to the plate holder and engaging with the abrasive plate; a first O-ring being provided between the fixed engaging member and the abrasive plate; a second O-ring being provided between the plate holder and the abrasive plate; and a fluid supply-discharge mechanism for supplying a fluid to and discharging the same from a zone enclosed by the abrasive plate, the plate holder and the second O-ring. An outer circumferential face of the abrasive plate is separated from an inner circumferential face of the fixed engaging member.

Abstract: The abrasive machine of the present invention is capable of controlling a shape of an abrasive face of a small abrasive plate. The abrasive machine comprises: a plate holder holding an abrasive plate; a fixed engaging member being fixed to the plate holder and engaging with the abrasive plate; a first O-ring being provided between the fixed engaging member and the abrasive plate; a second O-ring being provided between the plate holder and the abrasive plate; and a fluid supply-discharge mechanism for supplying a fluid to and discharging the same from a zone enclosed by the abrasive plate, the plate holder and the second O-ring. An outer circumferential face of the abrasive plate is separated from an inner circumferential face of the fixed engaging member.