Abstract: A location identification system (1) of the present invention includes a plurality of lighting apparatuses (50a1), . . . , (50c3) installed above a plurality of products displayed inside a room, a search apparatus (20) configured to allow a customer to search for and designate the product, and a management apparatus (10) capable of communicating with the plurality of lighting apparatuses (50a1), . . . , (50c3) and the search apparatus (20). The search apparatus (20) transmits identification information of a target product that is designated by the customer to the management apparatus (10). The management apparatus (10) changes, in a case where the identification information of the target product is received from the search apparatus (20), an emission color of a lighting apparatus (50a1), . . . , (50c3) associated with the target product to a pre-specified emission color.

Abstract: A method for conditioning a polishing pad, which is configured to polish a wafer and attached to a rotatable discoid turntable, by using a conditioning head, the method being characterized by: moving the conditioning head in a radial direction of the turntable to perform the conditioning while rotating the polishing pad attached to the turntable by rotation of the turntable; and controlling a rotational speed of the turntable and a moving speed of the conditioning head in the radial direction of the turntable in correspondence with a distance of the conditioning head from a center of the turntable. Consequently, the method for conditioning a polishing pad which enables appropriately conditioning an entire polishing surface of the polishing pad can be provided.

Abstract: The present invention is method for polishing silicon wafer, the method including recovering used slurry containing polishing abrasive grains that have been supplied to the silicon wafer and used for polishing, and circulating and supplying the recovered used slurry to the silicon wafer to polish the silicon wafer, wherein mixed alkali solution containing chelating agent and either or both of a pH adjuster and a polishing rate accelerator is added to the recovered used slurry without adding unused polishing abrasive grains, and the recovered used slurry is circulated and supplied to the silicon wafer to polish the silicon wafer. As a result, there is provided a method for polishing a silicon wafer that can suppress the occurrence of metal impurity contamination and stabilize the composition (e.g., the concentration of the chelating agent) of the used slurry when the used slurry is circulated and supplied to the silicon wafer for polishing.

Abstract: A workpiece processing apparatus including: a center drum that is rotatable around a rotation axis and has at least one first groove formed in the axial direction on the peripheral surface, a carrier having a holding hole to insert and hold a workpiece to be processed, an upper and lower turn table that are rotatable around the rotation axis in a state wherein the carrier holding workpiece is interposed, at least one hook fitted in the upper turn table's internal circumference, with the tip being inserted into the first groove and movable along first groove; wherein the center drum has at least one second groove formed in the axial direction on peripheral surface, and second groove has a length different from that of the first groove and has a supporting surface to support the hook from below at a position above a position where upper turn table processes the workpiece.

Abstract: A method of producing a polishing head including: a backing pad, for holding a workpiece back surface, stuck on a lower portion of a rigid body; and a ring template, for holding a workpiece edge, disposed on a lower surface of the backing pad. This polishing head brings a front surface of the workpiece into sliding contact with a polishing pad attached on a turn table while holding the workpiece back surface on the lower surface of the backing pad. The method includes sticking the backing pad on the lower portion of the rigid body with a double-sided tape under a reduced pressure without heating; and sticking the template on the backing pad with a double-sided tape or a liquid or paste reaction curable adhesive containing no solvent under a reduced pressure without heating. This method can polish the workpiece into a very flat workpiece.

Abstract: A workpiece polishing apparatus including a polishing pad to polish a workpiece, a polishing agent supplying mechanism to supply a polishing agent, and a polishing head to hold the workpiece such that a back surface of the workpiece is held by a backing pad and an edge of the workpiece is held by an annular template. This apparatus polishes the workpiece by pressing the workpiece and the template against the polishing pad and thereby bringing the workpiece into sliding contact with the polishing pad. The template is made of a resin containing filler or woven fabric and has fine depressions created by filler or woven fabric exposed on the surface on the side that presses the polishing pad. This apparatus can stabilize the polishing rate of the outer circumferential portion of the workpiece and thereby polish the workpiece into a very flat workpiece.

Abstract: A method for conditioning a polishing pad, which is configured to polish a wafer and attached to a rotatable discoid turntable, by using a conditioning head, the method being characterized by: moving the conditioning head in a radial direction of the turntable to perform the conditioning while rotating the polishing pad attached to the turntable by rotation of the turntable; and controlling a rotational speed of the turntable and a moving speed of the conditioning head in the radial direction of the turntable in correspondence with a distance of the conditioning head from a center of the turntable. Consequently, the method for conditioning a polishing pad which enables appropriately conditioning an entire polishing surface of the polishing pad can be provided.

Abstract: A double-side polishing method of polishing both surfaces of a wafer by holding the wafer with a carrier including a holding hole configured to hold the wafer and a ring-shaped resin insert disposed along an internal circumference of the holding hole, the resin insert having an inner circumferential surface configured to contact a peripheral portion of the wafer, interposing the carrier between upper and lower turn tables to which polishing pads are attached, polishing both the surfaces of the wafer while maintaining planarity of the inner circumferential surface at or below 100 ?m and verticalness of the inner circumferential surface at or below 5°. The method can inhibit the degradation of the flatness of the polished wafer, such as particularly an outer circumferential sag, due to variation in shape of the inner circumferential surface of the resin insert of a carrier.

Abstract: A workpiece processing apparatus including: a center drum that is rotatable around a rotation axis and has at least one first groove formed in the axial direction on the peripheral surface, a carrier having a holding hole to insert and hold a workpiece to be processed, an upper and lower turn table that are rotatable around the rotation axis in a state wherein the carrier holding workpiece is interposed, at least one hook fitted in the upper turn table's internal circumference, with the tip being inserted into the first groove and movable along first groove; wherein the center drum has at least one second groove formed in the axial direction on peripheral surface, and second groove has a length different from that of the first groove and has a supporting surface to support the hook from below at a position above a position where upper turn table processes the workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention is method for polishing silicon wafer, the method including recovering used slurry containing polishing abrasive grains that have been supplied to the silicon wafer and used for polishing, and circulating and supplying the recovered used slurry to the silicon wafer to polish the silicon wafer, wherein mixed alkali solution containing chelating agent and either or both of a pH adjuster and a polishing rate accelerator is added to the recovered used slurry without adding unused polishing abrasive grains, and the recovered used slurry is circulated and supplied to the silicon wafer to polish the silicon wafer. As a result, there is provided a method for polishing a silicon wafer that can suppress the occurrence of metal impurity contamination and stabilize the composition (e.g., the concentration of the chelating agent) of the used slurry when the used slurry is circulated and supplied to the silicon wafer for polishing.

Abstract: A method of producing a polishing head including: a backing pad, for holding a workpiece back surface, stuck on a lower portion of a rigid body; and a ring template, for holding a workpiece edge, disposed on a lower surface of the backing pad. This polishing head brings a front surface of the workpiece into sliding contact with a polishing pad attached on a turn table while holding the workpiece back surface on the lower surface of the backing pad. The method includes sticking the backing pad on the lower portion of the rigid body with a double-sided tape under a reduced pressure without heating; and sticking the template on the backing pad with a double-sided tape or a liquid or paste reaction curable adhesive containing no solvent under a reduced pressure without heating. This method can polish the workpiece into a very flat workpiece.

Abstract: A workpiece polishing apparatus including a polishing pad to polish a workpiece, a polishing agent supplying mechanism to supply a polishing agent, and a polishing head to hold the workpiece such that a back surface of the workpiece is held by a backing pad and an edge of the workpiece is held by an annular template. This apparatus polishes the workpiece by pressing the workpiece and the template against the polishing pad and thereby bringing the workpiece into sliding contact with the polishing pad. The template is made of a resin containing filler or woven fabric and has fine depressions created by filler or woven fabric exposed on the surface on the side that presses the polishing pad. This apparatus can stabilize the polishing rate of the outer circumferential portion of the workpiece and thereby polish the workpiece into a very flat workpiece.

Abstract: A method provides a carrier used in a double-side polishing apparatus such that the carrier is disposed between upper and lower turn tables to which polishing pads are attached in the double-side polishing apparatus and holds a wafer interposed between the upper and lower turn tables in a holding hole formed in the carrier during polishing, including upper and lower main surface portions composed of a ?-titanium alloy obtained from pure titanium containing 0.5 weight % or more of a ?-stabilizing element. The carrier has a high abrasion resistance and can reduce its cost.

Abstract: A double-side polishing method of polishing both surfaces of a wafer by holding the wafer with a carrier including a holding hole configured to hold the wafer and a ring-shaped resin insert disposed along an internal circumference of the holding hole, the resin insert having an inner circumferential surface configured to contact a peripheral portion of the wafer, interposing the carrier between upper and lower turn tables to which polishing pads are attached, polishing both the surfaces of the wafer while maintaining planarity of the inner circumferential surface at or below 100 ?m and verticalness of the inner circumferential surface at or below 5°. The method can inhibit the degradation of the flatness of the polished wafer, such as particularly an outer circumferential sag, due to variation in shape of the inner circumferential surface of the resin insert of a carrier.