Abstract: In a wafer processing method by which, by using, as a reference surface, a flat surface obtained by applying a curable material to the whole of one surface of a wafer obtained by slicing a semiconductor single-crystal ingot by using a wire saw apparatus, surface grinding is performed on the other surface of the wafer and surface grinding is performed on the one surface of the wafer by using the other surface of the wafer subjected to surface grinding as a reference surface, both surfaces of the wafer are planarized at the same time immediately after the wafer is obtained by slicing.

Abstract: A tool for assembly of an inner enclosure of a generator or a machine comprises a first part and a second part. The first part comprises a plate with one edge constructed to form a first half-ring. The second part comprises a second half-ring corresponding to the first half-ring of the first part. Upon assembly of the first part and the second part, the first half-ring and the second half-ring form a full-ring to encompass a shaft of the generator or the machine and to connect to an inner enclosure of the generator or the machine.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus capable of preventing wear of rollers which are to transmit a load to a retainer ring and capable of preventing wear particles from escaping outside is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes: a retainer ring disposed so as to surround the substrate and configured to press the polishing surface while rotating together with a head body; a rotary ring secured to the retainer ring and configured to rotate together with the retainer ring; a stationary ring disposed on the rotary ring; and a local-load exerting device configured to apply a local load to a part of the retainer ring through the rotary ring and the stationary ring. The rotary ring has rollers which are in contact with the stationary ring.

Abstract: A polishing system configured to polish a lap includes a lap configured to contact a workpiece for polishing the workpiece; and a septum configured to contact the lap. The septum has an aperture formed therein. The radius of the aperture and radius the workpiece are substantially the same. The aperture and the workpiece have centers disposed at substantially the same radial distance from a center of the lap. The aperture is disposed along a first radial direction from the center of the lap, and the workpiece is disposed along a second radial direction from the center of the lap. The first and second radial directions may be opposite directions.

Abstract: A polishing device includes a housing, a flexible base coupled to the housing, and a contact region disposed on a first side of the flexible base, wherein the flexible base expands and contracts based on pressure contained within the housing and a second side of the flexible base to form a contact area on the first side that is less than a surface area of the flexible base.

Abstract: A method includes performing a chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) on an article, providing a polishing fluid capable of transferring charges to the article, and detecting a current generated in response to the charges transferred to the article. An apparatus that is capable of performing the method and a system that includes the apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad and a method of using the polishing pad for chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate. The polishing pad comprises a plurality of grooves composed of at least a first plurality of concentric grooves having a first center of concentricity, and a second plurality of concentric grooves having a second center of concentricity. The first center of concentricity is not coincident with the second center of concentricity, the axis of rotation of the polishing pad is not coincident with at least one of the first center of concentricity and the second center of concentricity, the plurality of grooves does not consist of a continuous spiral groove, and the polishing surface does not comprise a mosaic groove pattern.

Abstract: A carrier head includes a housing configured to enclose a wafer and a retainer ring attached to the housing. The retainer ring includes a body and an abrasive structure. The body includes an inner periphery configured to surround the wafer, an outer periphery, and a surface connecting the inner periphery and the outer periphery. The abrasive structure is attached to the surface of the body.

Abstract: Polishing pads with a polishing surface layer having an aperture or opening above a transparent foundation layer are described. In an example, a polishing pad for polishing a substrate includes a foundation layer having a global top surface and a transparent region. A polishing surface layer is attached to the global top surface of the foundation layer. The polishing surface layer has a polishing surface and a back surface. An aperture is disposed in the polishing pad from the back surface through to the polishing surface of the polishing surface layer, and aligned with the transparent region of the foundation layer. The foundation layer provides an impermeable seal for the aperture at the back surface of the polishing surface layer. Methods of fabricating such polishing pads are also described.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus and a polishing apparatus which can reduce vibrations of a top ring in its entirety by damping vibrations transmitted from a retaining ring to a top ring body is disclosed. The substrate holding apparatus includes a top ring body having a substrate holding surface configured to hold and press a substrate against a polishing surface, a retaining ring configured to surround the substrate and to contact the polishing surface, and a drive ring comprising a ring member configured to hold the retaining ring on a lower surface thereof, a central member disposed at a central part of the top ring body and supported by the top ring body, and a connecting portion configured to connect the ring member and the central member. The drive ring includes a first material and a second material having a modulus of longitudinal elasticity smaller than the first material.

Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus for performing a measurement of a film thickness of a substrate, such as a wafer, if an error has occurred during polishing of the substrate. The polishing method includes polishing a plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of at least one substrate, which has been designated in advance, of the plurality of substrates that have been polished, and if a polishing error has occurred during polishing of any one of the plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of that substrate.

Abstract: A sapphire pad conditioner includes a sapphire substrate having multiple protrusions on a surface and a holder arranged to hold the sapphire substrate. The sapphire substrate is used for conditioning a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) pad.

Abstract: An adapter plate configured to be attachable to a universal platen of a cleaning unit for cleaning upper electrodes from a plasma processing chamber is disclosed, the adapter plate includes a support surface and a mounting surface configured to be fastened to the universal platen of the cleaning unit. The support surface is configured to support an inner electrode or an outer electrode of a showerhead electrode assembly for cleaning upper or lower surfaces thereof. The support surface having a first set of holes configured to receive pins engaged in an upper surface of the inner electrode, a second set of holes configured to receive pins surrounding an outer periphery of the inner electrode, a third set of holes configured to receive pins engaged in an upper surface of the outer electrode, and a fourth set of holes configured to receive pins surrounding an outer periphery of the outer electrode.

Abstract: A pressure regulator capable of improving both stability of pressure and responsiveness to an input signal is disclosed. A PID controller is configured to stop producing a corrective command value from a point in time when a pressure command value has changed until a PID control starting point and to produce the corrective command value after the PID control starting point. A regulator controller is configured to control operation of a pressure regulation valve so as to eliminate a difference between the pressure command value and a first pressure value from the point in time when the pressure command value has changed until the PID control starting point, and to control the operation of the pressure regulation valve so as to eliminate a difference between the corrective command value and the first pressure value after the PID control starting point.

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 carrier head includes a base, a substrate mounting surface, a retaining ring secured to the base, and a plurality of stacked shims located between the base and the retaining ring. The retaining ring has a bottom surface for contacting a polishing pad during polishing.

Abstract: Provided are a retainer ring for polishing a wafer and a method of manufacturing the retainer ring, in which an outer circumferential surface of the wafer is retained during an operation of polishing a wafer by using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method. In detail, a retainer ring may be manufactured at relatively low costs. In addition, a method of manufacturing a retainer ring for polishing a wafer, which may be produced at relatively low costs, may be provided.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes forming a polish target film on a substrate and conducting a CMP process for the polish target film. The conducting the CMP process includes bringing a surface of the polish target film into contact with a surface of a polishing pad with a negative Rsk value, and adjusting friction dependency on polishing speed between the polish target film and the polishing pad to a value that restrains the occurrence of a stick slip to polish the polish target film.

Abstract: A polishing pad conditioning apparatus includes a laser beam generating unit for providing a laser beam, a fluid delivery system for providing a fluid stream and a vacuum line for removing debris. The laser beam may directly impinge on a surface of a polishing pad thereby creating cutting action, while an atomized fluid stream provides cooling and pad debris along with fluid are removed thru the vacuum line. Alternatively, the laser beam may be combined with the atomized fluid stream in a region above the pad surface to substantially impart part of its energy to the fluid stream, generating high energy droplets which provide “cool” cutting action on the pad surface.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table for supporting a polishing pad; a substrate holder having a substrate holding surface and a pressure chamber formed by a flexible membrane, the substrate holder being configured to hold a substrate on the substrate holding surface and press the substrate against the polishing pad via pressure in the pressure chamber; a substrate separation assisting device configured to eject a fluid to a contact portion between the substrate and the flexible membrane so as to release the substrate from the substrate holding surface; and a vertically-moving mechanism configured to vertically move the substrate holder. The substrate holder is moved vertically in accordance with an amount of descent of the contact portion and then the substrate separation assisting device ejects the fluid to the contact portion.

Abstract: Flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached to a rotatable floating workpiece holder carrier that is supported by a pressurized-air flexible elastomer sealed air-chamber device and is rotationally driven by a lug-pin device. The rotating wafer carrier rotor is restrained by a set of idlers that are attached to a stationary housing to provide rigid support against abrading forces. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. The range of abrading pressures is large and the device can provide a wide range of torque to rotate the workholder. Vacuum can also be applied to the elastomer chamber to quickly move the wafer away from the abrading surface. Internal constraints limit the axial, lateral and circumferential motion of the workholder. Wafers can be quickly attached to the workpiece carrier with vacuum.

Abstract: Polishing pads for polishing semiconductor substrates using eddy current end-point detection are described. Methods of fabricating polishing pads for polishing semiconductor substrates using eddy current end-point detection are also described.

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing operation includes obtaining a sequence over time of measured spectra with an in-situ optical monitoring system during polishing. For each measured spectrum from the sequence an optical model is fit. The optical model includes dimensions of a repeating structure and the fitting includes calculating a output spectrum using diffraction effects of the repeating structure, and parameters of the optical model include an endpoint parameter and a parameter of the repeating structure. The fitting generates the sequence of fitted endpoint parameter values, and at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment of a pressure to the substrate is determined from the sequence of fitted endpoint parameter values.

Abstract: Flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached to a rotatable floating or rigid workpiece holder carrier that is supported by a pressurized-air flexible elastomer disk sealed air-chamber device and is rotationally driven by a flexible arm or a lug-pin device. The rotating wafer carrier rotor is horizontally restrained by a set of idlers that are attached to a stationary housing to provide rigid support against abrading forces. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. A wide range of abrading pressures are applied uniformly across the surface of the workpiece. Vacuum can also be applied to the elastomer chamber to quickly move the wafer away from the abrading surface. Internal constraints limit the axial, lateral and circumferential motion of the workholder. Wafers can be quickly attached to the workpiece carrier with vacuum.

Abstract: Flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers are attached to a rotatable floating workpiece holder carrier rotor that is supported by and rotationally driven by a bellows. The rotating wafer carrier rotor is restrained by a set of idlers that are attached to a stationary housing to provide rigid support against abrading forces. The idlers allow low-friction operation of the abrading system to be provided at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. The carrier rotor is also restrained by a rigid rotating housing to allow a limited lateral motion and also a limited angular motion. Air pressure within a sealed bellows chamber provides controlled abrading pressure for wafers or other workpieces. Vacuum can also be applied to the bellows chamber to quickly move the wafer away from the abrading surface. Wafers can be quickly attached to the workpiece carrier with vacuum.

Abstract: Flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached to a rotatable floating workpiece holder carrier that is supported by a pressurized-air flexible elastomer sealed air-chamber device and is rotationally driven by a circular flexible-arm device. The rotating wafer carrier rotor is restrained by a set of idlers that are attached to a stationary housing to provide rigid support against abrading forces. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. The range of abrading pressures is large and the device can provide a wide range of torque to rotate the workholder. Vacuum can also be applied to the elastomer chamber to quickly move the wafer away from the abrading surface. Internal constraints limit the axial and lateral motion of the workholder. Wafers can be quickly attached to the workpiece carrier with vacuum.

Abstract: A retaining ring for holding a substrate below a carrier head during chemical mechanical polishing includes an annular lower portion and an annular upper portion secured to the lower portion. The annular lower portion has a main body with a bottom surface for contacting a polishing pad during polishing, and is a first material. A top surface of the upper portion is configured to be secured to the carrier head. The upper portion is a second material that is more rigid than the first material. A thickness and stiffness of the lower portion is selected for a particular polishing environment to improve polishing uniformity near an edge of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing operation includes measuring a plurality of spectra at a plurality of different positions on a substrate to provide a plurality of measured spectra. For each measured spectrum of the plurality of measured spectra, a characterizing value is generated based on the measured spectrum. For each characterizing value, a goodness of fit of the measured spectrum to another spectrum used in generating the characterizing value is determined. A wafer-level characterizing value map is generated by applying a regression to the plurality of characterizing values with the plurality of goodnesses of fit used as weighting factors in the regression. A polishing endpoint or a polishing parameter of the polishing apparatus is adjusted based on the wafer-level characterizing map, and the substrate or a subsequent substrate is polished in the polishing apparatus with the adjusted polishing endpoint or polishing parameter.

Abstract: A polishing pad auxiliary plate including: a lower auxiliary plate overlapping a top surface of a rotating surface plate of a polishing device; a first adhering member adhering the lower auxiliary plate to the rotating surface plate; an upper auxiliary plate with a pad support surface on which the polishing pad is overlapped and adhered, while overlapping a top surface of the lower auxiliary plate; a second adhering member adhering the upper auxiliary plate to the lower auxiliary plate; and an alignment member for mutually aligning the lower and upper auxiliary plates and matching center axes thereof. By removing the upper auxiliary plate from the lower auxiliary plate, the polishing pad is removed from the rotating surface plate while being adhered to the pad support surface of the upper auxiliary plate, and the removed upper auxiliary plate is reattached and aligned to the lower auxiliary plate by the alignment member.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing both edge trimming and surface grinding includes two spindles for holding two workpieces, a bridge element laterally movable relative to the spindles, and two grinding wheels coupled to the bridge element. The apparatus may be a surface grinding apparatus that includes a system for enabling the surface grinding apparatus to additionally perform edge trimming. A method for processing the workpieces entails placing the two workpieces on the two spindles of the apparatus, directing the bridge element to move laterally to an edge trimming position to trim the outer edge of one workpiece using one of the grinding wheels, to move laterally to another edge trimming position to trim the outer edge of the other workpiece using one of the grinding wheels, and to move laterally to surface grinding positions to perform surface grinding on both of the workpieces using one or both of the grinding wheels.

Abstract: A method of controlling a polishing operation includes polishing a first layer of a substrate, during polishing, obtaining a sequence over time of measured spectra with an in-situ optical monitoring system, for each measured spectrum from the sequence of measured spectra, fitting an optical model to the measured spectrum, the fitting including finding parameters that provide a minimum difference between an output spectrum of the optical model and the measured spectrum, the parameters including an endpoint parameter and at least one non-endpoint parameter, the fitting generating a sequence of fitted endpoint parameter values, each endpoint parameter value of the sequence associated with one of the spectra of the sequence of measured spectra, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment of a pressure to the substrate from the sequence of fitted endpoint parameter values.

Abstract: The invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing system, comprising: at least one polishing platens rotatably installed with a platen pad mounted on its upper surface; a guide rail disposed along a predetermined path; a substrate carrier unit including a rotary union to downwardly press a substrate during a polishing process, the substrate carrier unit moving along the guide rail with loading the substrate; and a docking unit installed to be docked to the substrate carrier unit so as to supply air pressure to the rotary union which downwardly presses the substrate held by the substrate carrier unit, when the substrate carrier unit is positioned over the polishing platen, whereby even though the substrate carrier unit is moved to consecutively polish the substrate on the plural polishing platens, it substantially removes a phenomenon of the twisting of air pressure supply tubes due to the movement of the substrate carrier unit.

Abstract: A polishing pad used in conjunction with a carrier ring to polish a substrate and has a motion direction when polishing is provided. The carrier ring has at least one carrier groove, and the substrate has a substrate radius. The polishing pad has a polishing layer and a surface pattern. The surface pattern has traversing grooves, and an angle between the tangent line of each traversing groove and the tangent line of the motion direction is not equal to 0 degree. Each traversing groove respectively has a traversing groove trajectory corresponding to the motion direction, and the traversing groove trajectory of the traversing groove has a trajectory width smaller than the substrate radius. At leading region of the carrier ring corresponding to the motion direction, the traversing grooves have at least one carrier compatible groove which aligns with the at least one carrier groove of the carrier ring.

Abstract: A retainer ring of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a base portion having a ring shape, the base portion including a pressurizing surface and a combining surface opposite the pressurizing surface, slurry inflowing portions on the pressurizing surface of the base portion, the slurry inflowing portions having groove shapes, and minute grooves at least on a surface portion of the slurry inflowing portions.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a chemical mechanical polisher and a polishing pad component thereof. The chemical mechanical polisher comprises a polishing platen having a flat surface, and the polishing platen comprises: an electromagnet disposed under the flat surface and configured to fix a polishing pad base on the flat surface; and a switch configured to control the power-on and power-off of the electromagnet. The polishing pad component comprises a polishing pad base, and the polishing pad base is formed of a ferromagnetic material. The chemical mechanical polisher of this disclosure and the polishing pad component thereof can make polishing pad replacement easy, and can also save polishing pads and thus reduce the consumable cost of the chemical mechanical polishing.

Abstract: Flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers are attached to a rotatable floating workpiece holder carrier rotor that is supported by and rotationally driven by a bellows. The wafer carrier rotor is contained by a set of idlers that are attached to a stationary rotor housing to provide support against abrading forces that are imposed on the wafer by the moving abrasive coating on a rotary platen. The idlers allow low-friction operation of the abrading system to be provided at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. The system is also well suited for lapping optical devices and rotary seals and for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing of wafers using resilient pads. Pressurized air is injected into the bellows device to provide uniform abrading pressure across the full surface of the wafer. Wafers can be attached to the workpiece carrier with vacuum.

Abstract: An inner ring for a carrier head has an inner surface configured to circumferentially surround the edge of a substrate positioned on the substrate mounting surface, an outer surface, and a lower surface to contact a polishing pad. An outer ring for a carrier head has an inner surface circumferentially surrounding the inner ring, an outer surface, and a lower surface to contact the polishing pad.

Abstract: A two-piece locking nut assembly for securing a mantle to a head assembly of a cone crusher. The two-piece locking nut assembly includes an inner nut and an outer nut. The inner nut includes a set of axial bores that each receive a jackscrew. Once the locking nut assembly is in position on the head assembly, the series of jackscrews are tightened to exert a force on the mantle that is counteracted by forces through the inner nut and into the head to create a locking force between the locking nut assembly and the head assembly. The outer nut is turned along the inner nut to hold the locking nut assembly in place. Once the outer nut is moved into position, the jackscrews are removed such that the outer nut continues to apply the locking force between the mantle and the head through the locking nut assembly.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a substrate and receiving an identification of a selected spectral feature, a wavelength range having a width, and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing. A sequence of spectra of light from the substrate is measured while the substrate is being polished. A sequence of values of the characteristic of the selected spectral feature is generated from the sequence of spectra. For at least some spectra from the sequence of spectra, a modified wavelength range is generated based on a position of the spectral feature within a previous wavelength range used for a previous spectrum in the sequence of spectra, the modified wavelength range is searched for the selected spectral feature, and a value of a characteristic of the selected spectral feature is determined.

Abstract: A system method and apparatus to monitor a frictional coefficient of a substrate undergoing polishing is described. A polishing pad assembly includes a polishing layer including a polishing surface, and a substrate contacting member flexibly coupled to the polishing layer having a top surface to contact an exposed surface of a substrate. At least a portion of the top surface is substantially coplanar with the polishing surface. A sensor is provided to measure a lateral displacement of the substrate contacting member. Some embodiments may provide accurate endpoint detection during chemical mechanical polishing to indicate the exposure of an underlying layer.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a ring assembly that may be used in an etching or other plasma processing chamber. The ring assembly generally includes an inner ring and an outer ring disposed radially outward of the inner ring. The inner ring will correspond to the location where the majority of erosion occurs during use. This inner ring can be flipped and reused until both sides have eroded beyond their service life. Collectively, the two rings generally have the shape of a single piece ring, but the service life of the ring assembly is longer than a conventional single piece ring.

Abstract: A wafer carrier adapted to further reduce the edge effect and allow a wafer to be uniformly polished across its entire surface, with a retaining ring made from very hard materials such as PEEK, PET or polycarbonate with a hardness in the range of 80 to 85 Shore D, while the inner surface or insert is made of polyurethane or other material with a hardness in the range of 85 to 95 Shore A.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen configured to support and rotate a wafer, and a polishing pad facing the platen. The polishing pad includes a body having a groove with a rotational symmetric pattern.

Abstract: A substrate holding device including: a transfer arm body having a suction path; a pad body including a suction part having a suction surface and a suction port for holding the substrate by vacuum suction, and a cylindrical attachment part in which a suction hole communicating with the suction port is formed; a pad holding member provided with an insertion hole into which the attachment part of the pad body is loosely insertable and a communication path communicating with the suction hole and the suction path, and fixed to the transfer arm body; and an elastically deformable annular airtightness maintaining member with a circular cross-section interposed between an outer peripheral groove in an arc shape formed in the attachment part of the pad body and an inner peripheral groove in an arc shape formed at the insertion hole of the pad holding member.

Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polisher includes base, a substrate mounting surface, an annular inner ring, and an annular outer ring. The inner ring has an inner surface configured to circumferentially surround the edge of a substrate positioned on the substrate mounting surface, an outer surface, and a lower surface to contact a polishing pad. The inner ring is vertically movable relative to the substrate mounting surface. The outer ring has an inner surface circumferentially surrounding the inner ring, an outer surface, and a lower surface to contact the polishing pad. The outer ring is vertically movable relative to and independently of the substrate mounting surface and the inner ring. The lower surface of the inner ring has a first width, and the lower surface of the outer ring has a second width greater than the first width.

Abstract: A construction of a polishing pad sub plate that is able, while maintaining the fixing strength of the polishing pad to the rotation table, to make possible the easy removal of the polishing pad from the rotation table, and in particular, by preventing injury to the polishing pad when peeling it from the rotation table is offered.

Abstract: A device for finish-machining of the optically effective surfaces of, in particular, spectacle lenses has a spindle shaft, which has a tool mount section and which is mounted in a spindle housing to be rotatable about a workpiece rotational axis (A). An electric rotary drive has a rotor and a stator by which the spindle shaft operatively connected with the rotor is drivable to rotate about the tool rotational axis. An adjusting device axially displaces the tool mount section with respect to the spindle housing in the direction of the tool rotational axis (linear movement Z). The rotor and the stator are arranged coaxially with the spindle shaft, wherein at least the rotor together with the spindle shaft is axially displaceable with respect to the spindle housing in the direction of the tool rotational axis by the adjusting device.

Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes: a spin chuck for supporting and rotating a semiconductor wafer; a polisher comprising a polishing pad for planarizing a surface of the semiconductor wafer, the polisher moving along the surface of the semiconductor wafer by a polishing arm; and a polisher supporting device for supporting the polisher and maintaining the polisher in a horizontal state, while polishing an edge part of the surface of the semiconductor wafer, in order to improve polishing uniformity of a center part and the edge part of the semiconductor wafer. Accordingly, polishing uniformity of the center part and edge part of the semiconductor wafer may be improved, and a height of the polisher supporting device may be optimized according to a polishing degree. Also, the polisher may be easily supported, wear and tear of the support head may be minimized, and the support head may function as a conditioner.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a turn table rotatably provided and having an opening; at least five chuck tables provided on the turn table, each chuck table having a holding surface for holding a workpiece; a support bed inserted through the opening of the turn table; four processing unit supporting mechanisms each including a first support column provided on the outside of the turn table, a second support column provided on the support bed, and a support member mounted to the first and second support columns; four processing units respectively supported by the four processing unit supporting mechanisms, the four processing units respectively corresponding to four of the at least five chuck tables; and four feeding units for respectively moving the four processing units in a direction perpendicular to the holding surfaces of the chuck tables.

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.