Abstract: A polishing method can obtain a good polishing profile which, for example, will not cause peeling of a semiconductor layer from a silicon substrate. The polishing method includes: positioning a polishing head at a position above a polishing start position in an edge portion of a rotating substrate; lowering a polishing tool of the polishing head until the polishing tool comes into contact with the polishing start position in the edge portion of the rotating substrate and a pressure between the polishing tool and the polishing start position reaches a set pressure; allowing the polishing tool to stay at the polishing start position for a predetermined amount of time; and then moving the polishing head toward a peripheral end of the substrate while keeping the polishing tool in contact with the edge portion of the rotating substrate at the set pressure.

Abstract: A device for polishing the peripheral edge part of a semiconductor wafer includes a wafer stage for holding the wafer, a wafer stage unit including devices for rotating the wafer stage, causing the wafer stage to undergo a rotary reciprocating motion within the same plane as the surface of the wafer stage, and moving the wafer stage parallel to the surface, a notch polishing part for polishing the notch on the wafer and a bevel polishing part for polishing the beveled part of the wafer. Pure water is supplied to the wafer to prevent it from becoming dry as it is transported from the notch polishing part to the bevel polishing part.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus polishes a top edge portion and/or a bottom edge portion of a substrate accurately and uniformly. The polishing apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism 3 configured to hold the substrate W horizontally and to rotate the substrate W; and at least one polishing head 30 disposed near the peripheral portion of the substrate. The polishing head 30 has at least one protrusion 51a, 51b extending along a circumferential direction of the substrate W, and the polishing head 30 is configured to press a polishing surface of a polishing tape 23 by the protrusion 51a, 51b against the peripheral portion of the substrate W from above or below.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus can effectively prevent abrasive particles from falling off a polishing tape during polishing. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing head for polishing a peripheral portion of a substrate by pressing a surface of a polishing tape, having abrasive particles fixed on the surface, against the peripheral portion of the substrate while allowing the polishing tape to travel in one direction; and a conditioning apparatus, disposed upstream of the polishing head in the traveling direction of the polishing tape, for conditioning the surface of the polishing tape in advance in order to prevent the abrasive particles from falling off the surface of the polishing tape during polishing.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device makes it possible to efficiently polish with a polishing tape a peripheral portion of a silicon substrate under polishing conditions particularly suited for a deposited film and for silicon underlying the deposited film. The method includes: pressing a first polishing tape against a peripheral portion of a device substrate having a deposited film on a silicon surface while rotating the device substrate at a first rotational speed, thereby removing the deposited film lying in the peripheral portion of the device substrate and exposing the underlying silicon; and pressing a second polishing tape against the exposed silicon lying in the peripheral portion of the device substrate while rotating the device substrate at a second rotational speed, thereby polishing the silicon to a predetermined depth.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is suitable for use in polishing a periphery of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing apparatus includes a holding section configured to hold a workpiece and a polishing head configured to bring a polishing tape into contact with the workpiece. The polishing apparatus also includes a supply reel configured to supply the polishing tape to the polishing head, a rewind reel configured to rewind the polishing tape that has contacted the workpiece, and a swinging mechanism configured to cause the polishing head to perform a swinging motion with its pivot at a predetermined point.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus according to the present invention is a polishing apparatus for polishing a periphery (a bevel portion, a notch portion, an edge-cut portion) of a substrate (W) by bringing a polishing tool (41) into sliding contact with the periphery of the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a substrate holder (20) configured to hold the substrate (W); and a polishing head (42) configured to polish the periphery of the substrate (W) held by the substrate holder (20) using the polishing tool (41). The polishing head (42) includes a press pad (50) for pressing the polishing tool (41) against the periphery of the substrate (W), and a linear motor (90) configured to reciprocate the press pad (50).

Abstract: A method capable of quickly polishing an angular portion formed by a grinded back surface and a circumferential surface of a substrate without causing damages on the thin substrate is provided. The method includes rotating the substrate about its center, and pressing a polishing tape against the angular portion formed by the back surface and the circumferential surface of the substrate to polish the angular portion.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus according to the present invention includes a polishing tape (41) having a polishing surface, a substrate holder configured to hold and rotate a substrate (W), a press pad (50) configured to press the polishing tape against a bevel portion of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a polishing-tape feeding mechanism (45) configured to cause the polishing tape to travel in its longitudinal direction. The press pad (50) includes a pad body (53), a plate-shaped pressing section having a pressing surface (51a) for pressing the bevel portion of the substrate through the polishing tape and having a rear surface (51b) opposite to the pressing surface, and a plurality of coupling sections (52) coupling the pressing section to the pad body. A space (S) is formed between the rear surface of the pressing section and the pad body.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus according to the present invention includes a substrate holder (32) configured to hold and rotate a substrate (W), a press pad (50) configured to press a polishing tape (41) having a polishing surface against a bevel portion of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a feeding mechanism (45) configured to cause the polishing tape to travel in its longitudinal direction. The press pad (50) includes a hard member (51) having a pressing surface (51a) for pressing the bevel portion of the substrate through the polishing tape, and at least one elastic member (53) for pressing the hard member against the bevel portion of the substrate through the belt-shaped polishing tool.

Abstract: A substrate holder is a mechanism for holding a substrate, to be polished, by vacuum suction. The substrate holder includes a substrate-holding stage having a suction surface for the substrate, and a fluid passage selectively coupled to a vacuum source and a fluid supply source. The suction surface has a plurality of closed sections surrounded by convexities, and the fluid passage includes a plurality of communication passages which are in fluid communication with the plurality of closed segments respectively and independently.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing apparatus and a polishing method capable of calculating outside diameters of rolls of a polishing tape on a polishing-tape supply reel and a polishing-tape recovery reel and capable of calculating a remaining amount of the polishing tape and a consumption of the polishing tape from the outside diameters of the rolls. This polishing apparatus includes a polishing-tape supply reel (46), a polishing head (44), a polishing-tape drawing-out mechanism G1, and a polishing-tape supply and recovery mechanism (45) configured to recover the polishing tape (43) from the polishing-tape supply reel (46) via the polishing head (44).

Abstract: A polishing apparatus polishes a periphery of a substrate by bringing a polishing tool into sliding contact with the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a substrate-holding mechanism configured to hold a substrate and rotate the substrate, a polishing mechanism configured to press a polishing tool against a periphery of the substrate so as to polish the periphery, and a periphery-supporting mechanism configured to support the periphery of the substrate by a fluid. The periphery-supporting mechanism is configured to support a surface of the substrate from an opposite side or the same side of the periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method is provided for performing a chemical liquid process, a cleaning process, a drying process, or the like while rotating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal substrate. A substrate holding apparatus is provided for holding and rotating a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate while supplying a fluid to the substrate includes a substrate holder for holding and rotating the substrate, and a holder suction unit for sucking the fluid from the substrate holder. The substrate holding apparatus includes a plurality of rollers which are brought into contact with an edge portion of a substrate so as to hold and rotate the substrate, and at least one moving mechanism for moving the rollers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing apparatus for polishing a periphery of a substrate. This polishing apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate horizontally and rotate the substrate, plural polishing head assemblies provided around the substrate, plural tape supplying and recovering mechanisms configured to supply polishing tapes to the plural polishing head assemblies and recover the polishing tapes from the plural polishing head assemblies, and plural moving mechanisms configured to move the plural polishing head assemblies in radial directions of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism. The tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are located outwardly of the plural polishing head assemblies in the radial directions of the substrate, and the tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are fixed in position.

Abstract: A device for polishing the peripheral edge part of a semiconductor wafer includes a wafer stage for holding the wafer, a wafer stage unit including devices for rotating the wafer stage, causing the wafer stage to undergo a rotary reciprocating motion within the same plane as the surface of the wafer stage, and moving the wafer stage parallel to the surface, a notch polishing part for polishing the notch on the wafer and a bevel polishing part for polishing the beveled part of the wafer. Pure water is supplied to the wafer to prevent it from becoming dry as it is transported from the notch polishing part to the bevel polishing part.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus (1) has a first polishing unit (400A) and a second polishing unit (400B) for polishing a peripheral portion of a substrate. Each of the two polishing units (400A, 400B) includes a bevel polishing device (450A, 450B) for polishing a peripheral portion of a substrate and a notch polishing device (480A, 480B) for polishing a notch of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus (1) has a maintenance space (7) formed between the two polishing units (400A, 400B). The bevel polishing devices (450A, 450B) in the two polishing units (400A, 400B) face the maintenance space (7) so as to be accessible from the maintenance space (7).

Abstract: A polishing apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for use in polishing a periphery of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing apparatus includes a holding section configured to hold the workpiece, a polishing head configured to bring the polishing tape into contact with the workpiece, a supply reel configured to supply the polishing tape to the polishing head, a rewind reel configured to rewind the polishing tape that has contacted the workpiece, and a swinging mechanism configured to cause the polishing head to perform a swinging motion with its pivot lying on a predetermined point.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus (1) includes first and second polishing units (70A, 70B) for polishing a peripheral portion of a substrate (W), a primary cleaning unit (100) for cleaning the substrate (W), a secondary cleaning and drying unit (110) for drying the substrate (W) cleaned in the primary cleaning unit (100), and a measurement unit (30) for measuring the peripheral portion of the substrate (W). The measurement unit (30) includes a mechanism for measurement required for polishing in the first and second polishing units (70A and 70B), such as a diameter measurement mechanism, a cross-sectional shape measurement mechanism, or a surface condition measurement mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for performing a chemical liquid process, a cleaning process, a drying process, or the like while rotating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal substrate. The present invention also relates to a substrate holding apparatus for holding and rotating a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus (1) for processing a substrate (W) while supplying a fluid to the substrate (W) includes a substrate holder (11) for holding and rotating the substrate (W), and a holder suction unit (24) for sucking the fluid from the substrate holder (11). The substrate holding apparatus includes a plurality of rollers (20) which are brought into contact with an edge portion of a substrate (W) so as to hold and rotate the substrate (W), and at least one moving mechanism (303a) for moving the rollers (20).