Abstract: The apparatus is to be reduced in size and consumption of utility items is to be decreased, while the connection is to be facilitated by the in-line transporting system. The grinding apparatus includes a turntable 21 for securing a glass master disc 30 for rotating the glass master disc 30, a polishing pad 11 caused to bear against the grinding surface of the glass master disc 30 secured to the turntable 21 with a pre-set pressure and a slurry nozzle 14 for supplying the grinding liquid to the grinding surface of the glass master disc 30. The polishing pad 11 is thrust against the glass master disc 30 rotated by rotation of the turntable 21. The glass master disc 30 has its grinding surface ground as the grinding liquid is supplied to the grinding surface.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus has a circular abrasive cloth on a turntable, and a top ring for holding a workpiece and pressing the workpiece against the circular abrasive cloth to polish the workpiece while the circular abrasive cloth is rotated about a center axis and the workpiece is rotated by the top ring about a top ring axis located at a positioned spaced from the center axis. The position is spaced from the center axis by a distance rc, and the workpiece has a radius rw. When the workpiece is not angularly moved with respect to the circular abrasive cloth wile the workpiece is being polished, a ratio Rc=rc/rw is in a range from 1.10 to 2.60. When the workpiece is angularly moved at a radius rs through an angular displacement .o slashed. (degrees) in arcuate reciprocating motions with respect to the circular abrasive cloth, a ratio Rs=rs/rw, the angular displacement .o slashed., and the ratio Rc are selected to be of a certain relationship.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical planarization polishing machine that includes a means for the detection of planarization end point is described. The chemical mechanical planarization polishing machine includes a workpiece carrier to hold and rotate a semiconductor wafer workpiece. The semiconductor wafer workpiece is placed in contact with a rotating polishing pad onto which an abrasive slurry is dispensed. A light emitting means directs a beam of light onto the workpiece carrier. The beam of light is reflected to a positional sensing means that detects variation in the position of the reflected beam of light as the workpiece vibrates due to irregularities in the surface of the workpiece. The positional information of the variation of the reflected beam of light is transferred to a calculating means that will determine the planarization end point from changes in magnitude and frequency of the positional information and a predetermined relationship between the vibration of the workpiece and the planarization end point.

Abstract: There is provided a grinding apparatus which assures that a polishing cloth is automatically exchanged with a new one for a short time while suppressing the generation of abrasive grain and cut chips.

Abstract: A system for polishing a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising a wafer polishing assembly for polishing a face of a semiconductor wafer at a polishing rate and a polishing uniformity, the wafer polishing assembly including a platen subassembly defining a polishing area, a slurry supply system delivering a slurry to the polishing area, and a polishing head selectively supporting a semiconductor wafer and holding a face of the semiconductor wafer in contact with the platen subassembly; and an optical measurement system measuring film thickness at multiple different locations on the wafer face while the wafer is under a liquid, wherein drying of the wafer is avoided while the measurements are taken.

Abstract: The present invention is a planarizing machine for use in chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers that has a moveable platen, a polishing pad, a wafer carrier, and a wafer separator. The polishing pad is positioned on the platen, and it has a planarizing surface with an operational zone upon which the wafer may be planarized. The wafer carrier holds a wafer and is positionable opposite the polishing pad to engage the wafer with the operational zone of the polishing pad. The wafer separator engages either the polishing pad, the wafer, or the wafer carrier to urge a portion of the wafer away from the pad.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus which comprises a polishing mechanism for polishing a wafer taken out from a cassette, an attaching-detaching device for attaching to and detaching the wafer from the polishing mechanism, a device for cleaning the polished wafer, and a transportation device for transporting the wafer between the cassette, polishing mechanism, attaching-detaching device, and cleaning device. These devices are arranged individually in compartments. A working chamber is divided into a plurality of compartments by means of partitioning devices. A device for polishing a workpiece is set in one of the compartments. The apparatus is also provided with communication devices for internally connecting the adjacent compartments which are divided by the partitioning devices. The apparatus may further comprise devices for individually controlling the respective internal pressures of the compartments or a device for generating an air flow in the form of a laminar flow in each of the compartments.

Abstract: A compact polishing apparatus requires less operating space than a conventional polishing apparatus generally used for polishing semiconductor wafers. The present apparatus has a swing shaft to provide a swing motion to a pressing device including a top ring member. There are three ranges of swing motion, i.e. a polishing range which is a small motion range used for polishing a wafer within the confined area of a turntable, a receiving range which is a medium motion range used for loading/unloading of a wafer in an area beyond the turntable, and a standby range which is a large motion range used for moving the top ring member to a standby or rinsing position in an area beyond the turntable. Because of the swing-based arrangement of the components in the present apparatus, isolation of critical components is easily achieved, thus resulting in low maintenance costs and long service life of the present apparatus. These advantages offer significant cost savings in the management of polishing operations.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer has a reduced height compared with conventional polishing apparatuses. The height reduction is achieved by disposing a drive motor for rotating a top ring below a turntable, and by making a swing shaft for loading/unloading of the workpiece hollow to accommodate a rotating shaft for transmitting rotation from the motor to the top ring.

Abstract: A retaining device retains a workpiece to allow the workpiece to slide against a polishing pad located on a polishing board opposed to the retaining device. The retaining device includes a plate including a permeable portion and a seal portion having a lower permeability and provided around an outer periphery of the permeable portion. By absorbing air toward a first surface of the permeable portion, the workpiece is attached and attracted to a second surface of the permeable portion opposite to the first surface. The retaining device further includes a retainer ring provided on an outer peripheral portion of the plate for preventing an outer edge of the workpiece from being overhung by polishing; and a backup ring located between the plate and the retainer ring for putting the retainer ring into pressure contact with the polishing pad. Since the workpiece can be attached and attracted to or released from the plate by a simple operation, the time required for retaining the plate is shortened.

Abstract: A system and method for chemically and mechanically polishing a semiconductor wafer having a substrate and a surface film. A wafer mounting device, which may include a vacuum chuck, holds the semiconductor wafer without requiring that the wafer have a central aperture. The mounting device and wafer are moved with an orbit-within-an-orbit motion while a tape transport mechanism applies an abrasive polishing tape to the surface film of the moving wafer to polish one surface of the wafer to a flatness of less than two microns. The system determines the thickness of the wafer surface film during the polishing process with a real time measurement device such as an ellipsometer, or by determining a work-performed factor and calculating an estimated film thickness from the work-performed factor. Finally, the system automatically controls the polishing process to stop polishing the semiconductor wafer when the wafer surface film achieves a predefined planarization.

Abstract: A polishing head for chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus includes a carrier plate having concentric, integral, cylindrical walls, an annular piston fitting within the outer of the cylindrical walls and a second piston fitting within the inner cylindrical wall and engaging the annular piston. Each piston defines a chamber with the carrier plate and the chambers are isolated from each other by a seal. Pneumatic fittings supply air or vacuum to each chamber. The second piston includes a cylindrical side wall and an integral bottom plate. The bottom plate is thicker in the center than at the side wall and the underside of the plate is covered with a wafer adhering layer. A retaining ring is attached to the lower edge of the annular piston. The retaining ring includes a peripheral groove for separating an outwardly extending flange from the main body of the ring. The underside of the ring includes one or more spiral grooves for circulating slurry about a wafer during polishing.

Abstract: An improved and new process for chemical/mechanical planarization (CMP) of a substrate surface, wherein the removed layer thickness is detected, in-situ, without necessity to remove the substrate from the polishing apparatus has been developed. The method comprises monitoring the temperature of the polishing pad or the polished substrate versus polishing time, integrating the polishing temperature change versus polish time curve with polish time, and applying computer stored integration coefficients to the integrated area to derive the removed thickness.

Abstract: The present invention is an endpoint regulator that controls the endpoint in chemical-mechanical planarization of a semiconductor wafer on a polishing pad. The endpoint regulator has a chuck with a mounting surface to which the wafer is attachable, and a spacer connected to the chuck around the periphery of the wafer. The spacer has a polish-stop face that extends axially downwardly with respect to the mounting surface; at least one of the polish-stop face or the wafer mounting surface is selectively spaceable with respect to the other to space the polish-stop face apart from the mounting surface by a distance equal to a desired post-planarization thickness of the wafer. In operation, the polish-stop face engages the polishing pad when the wafer is polished to the desired thickness to substantially prevent further planarization of the wafer.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for uniformly polishing thin films formed on a semiconductor substrate. A substrate is placed face down on a moving polishing pad so that the thin film to be polished is placed in direct contact with the moving polishing pad. The substrate is forcibly pressed against the polishing pad with pneumatic or hydraulic pressure applied to the backside of the substrate during polishing. Additionally, a wear ring is placed on the polishing pad around and adjacent to the substrate and forcibly pressed onto the polishing pad with a downward pressure from a second source so that the wear ring is coplanar with the substrate in order to eliminate edge rounding effects.

Abstract: An apparatus for exposing a substrate chucked on a substrate holder includes a substrate stocking device for stocking a plurality of substrates, a substrate conveying system for picking up the substrate from the substrate stocking device and conveying the substrate to the substrate, holder while chucking a portion of a rear surface of the substrate and a cleaning system for cleaning the rear surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A carrier apparatus for positioning and biasing a substrate against a polishing pad. The carrier apparatus includes a resilient membrane which loads the substrate against the pad. The membrane is configured to create one or more vacuum regions which chuck the substrate to the membrane so that the carrier may move the substrate on and off the polishing pad. In addition, the membrane may be pressurized to dechuck the substrate and allow the substrate to be front loaded or to float on the polishing pad. A retaining ring is directly adhered to the membrane to define a substrate receiving portion of the membrane. The retaining ring limits twisting of the membrane with respect to the substrate. In addition, the membrane is protected from the polishing pad by a right angled and annular shield. The membrane has a circumferential dimple expansion member prevent the center of the membrane from doming during the polishing process.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wafer-polishing apparatus suitably designed to carry out a chemical mechanical polishing operation. The apparatus includes a lower polishing plate assembly, a first rotating mechanism for rotating the first polishing plate assembly, an upper polishing plate assembly, a second rotating mechanism for rotating the upper polishing plate assembly, a pressing mechanism, a conveying mechanism and a discharging mechanism. The lower polishing plate assembly includes a lower polishing plate, a polishing pad, a porous sheet interposed between the lower polishing plate and the polishing pad. The porous sheet has a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm, and is formed of a foaming resin. The upper polishing plate assembly includes an upper polishing plate, a plate-like chuck and a backing pad, a pressure reducing unit, and a cleaning unit.

Abstract: In a wafer polishing method and a device therefor, a surfactant solution is applied to the rear of a wafer by spraying or immersion before the wafer is attached to a holder. Even when the rear of the wafer is hydrophobic, it does not repel the solution and can be entirely covered therewith. Hence, it is possible to enhance the even polishing of the wafer while insuring the holding of the wafer. In addition, particles left on the wafer after polishing are easily removed in a cleaning step to follow.

Abstract: Apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers comprises a housing, a mounting apparatus within the housing for wax mounting a first face of a semiconductor wafer to a first face of a polishing block, and a first semiconductor wafer polisher within the housing for polishing a second face of the semiconductor wafer. The second face of the semiconductor wafer is opposite the first face of the semiconductor wafer. A first transfer mechanism is within the housing for delivering the polishing block and semiconductor wafer from the mounting apparatus to adjacent the first semiconductor wafer polisher. A controller controls operation of the mounting apparatus, the first semiconductor wafer polisher, and the first transfer mechanism.

Abstract: An improved semiconductor wafer carrier (16) holds semiconductor wafer (14) during a CMP process and achieves a more uniform layer of slurry (24) at greater polishing speeds. Carrier (16) directs slurry (24) between semiconductor wafer (14) and conditioning pad (22) and includes wafer holding surface (52) for holding semiconductor wafer (14) as semiconductor wafer (14) contacts conditioning pad (22) and slurry (24). Outer rim portion (56) surrounds semiconductor wafer holding surface (52). A plurality of slurry channels (58) associate with outer rim portion (56) for receiving slurry (24) and directing slurry (24) between semiconductor wafer (14) and conditioning pad (22) for maintaining a uniform layer of slurry (24) between semiconductor wafer (14) and conditioning pad (22).

Abstract: A method of polishing semiconductor wafers and apparatus therefore are described. According to the present invention, a semiconductor wafer mounted on the lower side of a wafer mounting plate may be polished on a polishing pad by the front referenced polishing technique due to a flexibility of the wafer mounting plate to make the same to conform in detail with the backside contour of the wafer under polishing pressure and a selected flexibility differential between a wafer holding region and the outer moving region of the wafer mounting plate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polishing a semiconductor wafer. A polisher includes a supporting plate having a conductive film and a polishing cloth formed on the conductive film of the supporting plate. The polishing cloth has a plurality of openings to expose the conductive film. A wafer holder has a conductive wafer holding surface to hold a semiconductor wafer having current detective patterns and an insulating film covering the current detective patterns. A polishing slurry supply device supplies a polishing slurry including ions to either the polishing cloth or the semiconductor wafer. A current detecting device, connected to the supporting plate and the wafer holder, detects a magnitude of a current flowing across the supporting plate and the wafer holder through the conductive wafer holding surface, the semiconductor wafer held by the wafer holder, the current detective patterns of the semiconductor wafer, the polishing slurry filled in the openings of the polishing cloth, and the conductive film.

Abstract: Apparatus for polishing a side of a thin, flat wafer of a semiconductor material includes first and second polishing heads which each hold a wafer against a wetted polishing surface and which each rotate and oscillate its respective wafer over the polishing surface. When the first polishing head is moved away from the polishing surface to clean, eject, and replace its wafer, the second polishing head occupies the space over the polishing surface normally occupied by the first polishing head so that the polishing surface is used substantially continuously, and not intermittently.

Abstract: A wafer polishing apparatus has a wafer chuck for holding a wafer with a surface to be polished directed upward, the wafer chuck being rotatable by a wafer chuck rotation motor; a pair of nozzles for supplying slurries used as polishing solutions to the wafer; and a polishing head for holding a polishing cloth pad which is smaller in diameter than the wafer. The polishing head is rotated in the same direction as the wafer chuck by a polishing head rotation motor and is also reciprocally moved along the surface of the wafer to be polished by an arm driving motor. The wafer polishing apparatus also has a polishing head load adjusting air cylinder for pressing the polishing cloth pad against the wafer by way of the polishing head.

Abstract: An elastic foamed sheet is disclosed which is usable as waxless polishing backing pads for wafers and capable of producing mirror polish wafers excelling in flatness.

Abstract: An apparatus for chamfering the peripheral edge of a semiconductor wafer to specular finish, consisting of a turn table with an abrasive table surface, and a wafer holder, which holds the wafer firmly by sucking one face of the wafer, turn the wafer circumferentially, and press the wafer edge against the abrasive table surface in a manner such that the edge of the wafer is brought and kept in contact with the table surface in a way such that the triangle formed by the center of the turn table surface, the center of the wafer and said contact point is normal to the turn table surface and the angle formed between the turn table surface and the wafer is at the beginning substantially close to 0.degree. but said angle is continuously or stepwise increased to a value substantially close to 180.degree., and the wafer holder also moves the wafer in a way such that the contact point is moved on the turn table surface.

Abstract: A wafer polishing apparatus includes a wafer polishing assembly having a plurality of wafer carriers for substantially simultaneously polishing a plurality of wafers against a rotating polishing surface. A plurality of wafers to be polished are substantially simultaneously loaded into the plurality of wafer carriers by wafer holding apparatus of an index table. Similarly, a plurality of polished wafers are substantially simultaneously unloaded from the plurality of wafer carriers into wafer holding apparatus of the index table. The wafer carriers are individually computer controlled for exact polishing and different polishing requirements can be met at the same time by different wafer carriers.

Abstract: A spinning plate for substrates has on the surface of its spinning disk a continuous seal that is pressed from below against the edge of the substrate. The substrate can thus be retained by suction on the spinning disk. In order to center the substrate, a pressing element is moved under suction against the edge of the substrate and presses the same against centering stops of supporting blocks.

Abstract: The apparatus is used to remove material uniformly from all regions of a wafer surface that is being polished. This is in contrast to conventional lapping machines which preferentially remove material from the high spots on the surface being polished so as to render the surface planar. The result of the present invention is achieved by providing a downwardly-opening plenum on the underside of a carrier. The opening is covered by a flexible membrane, and when a pressurized fluid is applied to the plenum, the membrane applies a uniform downward pressure across the entire upper surface of a wafer that is being polished. The uniform pressure results in a uniform removal of material all across the wafer. The wafer is typically 680 microns thick and the coating is typically two microns thick. Through use of the apparatus, the thickness of the coating is uniformly reduced to about 0.8 micron while maintaining the uniformity of the coating to within 0.02 micron.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polishing machine having a smaller holding section. In the polishing machine of the present invention, a polishing plate polishes a wafer. A holding section has a concave section. A carrying plate, which is provided in the concave section, holds the wafer. A press mechanism for pressing the carrying plate toward the polishing plate comprises an elastic plate dividing an inner space of the concave section into an upper space, which is formed as an air tight chamber, and a lower space, and allowing the carrying plate to move in the vertical and the horizontal directions by elastic transformation, and a fluid supplying unit for supplying fluid into the upper space for pressurizing. In the polishing machine, the elastic plate is formed into a plate, so that its size in the vertical direction can be small, and the vertical size of the polishing machine also can be smaller.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a glass sheet chamfering machine which is improved such that it is suitable for a partial chamfering for a glass sheet. In the conventional glass sheet chamfering machine, and in carrying out a partial chamfering with this conventional machine, at the moment when one of the two glass sheet shape sensing rollers departs from the end point of the glass sheet, one of the rollers is turned to the direction of the straight edge, so that the chamfering wheel is also automatically turned. Consequently, the chamfering direction is deviated, with the result that the chamfering becomes impossible, or a defective chamfering is generated. The present invention eliminates such conventional disadvantage, by arranging that, even if one of the two rollers departs from the corner, the chamfering wheel is not turned.

Abstract: An apparatus for acquiring, holding, and releasing a wafer includes a soft resilient membrane that covers a horizontal backing plate. The lower face of the backing plate includes a number of recessed areas to which a vacuum can selectively be applied. To acquire a wafer, the wafer is elevated carefully until the upper side of the wafer contacts the lower side of the membrane. Next, a vacuum is applied to the recessed areas which sucks the resilient membrane into the recessed areas so that each recessed area becomes a suction cup that draws the wafer against the membrane. When the vacuum is replaced by ambient pressure, the resiliency of the membrane restores it to its original taut condition thereby releasing the wafer. The same apparatus can be used for uniformly polishing the lower face of the wafer by applying a pressurized fluid to the recessed areas during polishing, which causes the membrane to exert a uniform downward pressure on the wafer.

Abstract: An improved semiconductor wafer carrier provides gimballing motion of the wafer to dynamically align the wafer to a polishing platen. This gimballing motion is achieved by providing a conical receptacle which has a spring friction fit with a spherical button. A torque plate with spring fingers provides the spring friction fit between the conical receptacle on the rotating shaft and the spherical button on the drive plate of the wafer carrier.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing ophthalmic, telescopic, microscopic, etc. lenses, the use of a radiation (e.g., UV or visible light) curable adhesive formulation containing a predominant amount of an acrylic capped organic prepolymer; a lesser amount of an ethylenically unsaturated diluent monomer; a minor amount of a non-reactive releasing agent and a suitable photoinitiator for blocking (bonding) and deblocking (debonding) a lens blank to a support member.

Abstract: Apparatus for coating the surface of an object with a coating material are disclosed. The apparatus comprise a vacuum chuck assembly suitable for holding the object to be coated in a downward, i.e., inverted position, and a coating material applicator movably positioned beneath the vacuum chuck assembly to traverse the surface of the object in a generally parallel direction to the surface. The vacuum chuck assembly provides a means for temperature control as well as a means for establishing a vacuum for holding the object in the inverted position.

Abstract: A magnetic head slider producing apparatus includes a rotary lapping member having a lapping surface, a work member having a surface, and an elastic member fastened to the surface of the work member. The elastic member has [adhesion properties] adhesive characteristics. Magnetic head sliders each have a back surface, and rail surfaces in which magnetic heads are embedded. The back surface of each of the magnetic head sliders is in contact with the elastic member, and the magnetic head sliders are adhesively held by the elastic member [due to the adhesion thereof]. The work member is positioned so that the rail surface of each of the magnetic head sliders comes into contact with the lapping surface of the rotary lapping member.