Work Holder Patents (Class 451/364)
  • Publication number: 20120309277
    Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Hozumi YASUDA, Tetsuji Togawa, Osamu Nabeya, Kenichiro Saito, Makoto Fukushima, Tomoshi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20120309276
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventor: Choon-Goang KIM
  • Patent number: 8323075
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Hisashi Masumura, Koji Kitagawa, Kouji Morita, Hiromi Kishida, Satoru Arakawa
  • Publication number: 20120302145
    Abstract: A polishing jig is provided that is capable of being used with different types, styles, and numbers of optical axes. For example, the polishing jig may be used with a variety of simplex connectors and with duplex connectors of at least first and second types. The first and second types of duplex connectors have different distances between the optical axes of their respective ferrules. The polishing jig may also be used with optical connectors having three or more ferrules having three or more respective optical axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES FIBER IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Tobias Bitter, Frank Weberpals
  • Publication number: 20120293188
    Abstract: An apparatus for, and methods of use for, measuring film thickness on an underlying body are provided. The apparatus may include at least one Impedance Resonance (IR) sensor, which may include at least one sensing head. The at least one sensing head may include an inductor having at least one excitation coil and at least one sensing coil. The excitation coil may propagate energy to the sensing coil so that the sensing coil may generate a probing electromagnetic field. The apparatus may also include at least one power supply, at least one RF sweep generator electrically connected to the excitation coil; at least one data acquisition block electrically connected to the sensing coil; at least one calculation block; and at least one communication block. Methods of monitoring conductive, semiconductive or non-conductive film thickness, and various tools for Chemical Mechanical Polishing/Planarization (CMP), etching, deposition and stand-alone metrology are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: NeoVision, LLC
    Inventors: Yury Nikolenko, Matthew Fauss
  • Publication number: 20120258597
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes contacting a film formed on a semiconductor substrate with a rotating polishing pad which is supported on a turntable, and feeding polishing foam to a region of the polishing pad with which the film is contacted, thereby polishing the film. The polishing foam is obtained by turning the aqueous dispersion into a foamy body. The aqueous dispersion includes 0.01-20% by mass of abrasive grain and 0.01-1% by mass of foam forming and retaining agent, all based on a total mass of the aqueous dispersion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventors: Gaku Minamihaba, Yukiteru Matsui
  • Publication number: 20120252327
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for blasting abrasives that has a simple structure and that solves the problem of abrasives falling when the door for the gateway for the work is opened or closed. The machine for blasting abrasives comprises a chamber 11 for processing, a nozzle 13 that is provided within the chamber 11 for shooting the abrasives (shots) S onto the work W, and a jig 15 for holding the work W at a position facing the nozzle 13. A gateway 17 with a door 19 is formed in the ceiling 11a of the chamber 11. The size of the gateway 17 enables the work W to protrude from the chamber 11 by means of the jig 15 at a position corresponding to the jig 15 that is linearly moving up and down. The door 19 is provided within the chamber 11 so as to seal the gateway by linearly moving up and down and so as to create a vacant plane on the gateway for passing the work by horizontally moving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Sintokogio, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Kobayashi, Takeyoshi Nakata
  • Patent number: 8267745
    Abstract: Methods for holding a workpiece with a hydrostatic pad are disclosed herein. The pad includes hydrostatic pockets formed in a face of the body directly opposed to the wafer. The pockets are adapted for receiving fluid through the body and into the pockets to provide a barrier between the body face and the workpiece while still applying pressure to hold the workpiece during grinding. The hydrostatic pads allow the wafer to rotate relative to the pads about their common axis. The pockets are oriented to reduce hydrostatic bending moments that are produced in the wafer when the grinding wheels shift or tilt relative to the hydrostatic pads, helping prevent nanotopology degradation of surfaces of the wafer commonly caused by shift and tilt of the grinding wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Milind S. Bhagavat, Puneet Gupta, Roland R. Vandamme, Takuto Kazama, Noriyuki Tachi
  • Publication number: 20120208440
    Abstract: A flexure assembly comprising a flexure stack comprising a plurality of individual webs connected together with a force in an x-direction to produce a friction in a z-direction orthogonal to the x-direction between the plurality of webs, the friction holding the plurality of webs in engagement. In some embodiments, the flexure assembly includes a second flexure stack fixedly spaced from the first stack comprising a second plurality of individual webs connected together with a second force in the x-direction to produce a second friction in the z-direction between the second plurality of webs. The flexure assembly may be used, for example, for supporting a workpiece such as a slider row bar in a lapping machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Richard Jonathan Goldsmith, Mark Allen Herendeen, Robert Edward Chapin
  • Publication number: 20120190277
    Abstract: An insert carrier is configured to receive at least one semiconductor wafer for double-side processing of the wafer between two working disks of a lapping, grinding or polishing process. The insert carrier includes a core of a first material that has a first surface and a second surface, and at least one opening configured to receive a semiconductor wafer. A coating at least partially covers the first and second surfaces of the core. The coating includes a surface remote from the core that includes a structuring including elevations and depressions. A correlation length of the elevations and depressions is in a range of 0.5 mm to 25 mm and an aspect ratio of the structuring is in a range of 0.0004 to 0.4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Georg Pietsch, Michael Kerstan
  • Publication number: 20120156966
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a base, a table rotatable on the base, and a plurality of arms extending above the table's top surface and extending laterally for supporting differently sized cylindrical objects above the top surface. An adjustment mechanism simultaneously adjusts the arms rotationally, such that the ends of the arms can be automatically adjusted to support any one of the differently sized objects without further change. A controller is programmed to automatically control the adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism includes a center gear connected to planetary gears on each of the arms, and a center shaft that extends upwardly through a tubular drive shaft, the center shaft being movable between a lowered position where the arms are locked to the table and a raised position where the center gear is fixed to the base such that the arms adjust position when the table is rotated by its drive mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Gary E. Mulder, Gary L. Vander Stel
  • Publication number: 20120135669
    Abstract: Provided is a lapping carrier including a base carrier having a first major surface, a second major surface and at least one aperture for holding a workpiece. The aperture extends from the first major surface through the base carrier to the second major surface. The base carrier includes a first metal or a polymer. At least a portion of the first major surface or at least a portion of each of the first and the second major surfaces includes a polymeric region. In at least a portion of the polymeric region, at least one adhesion promoting layer is interposed between the polymeric region and the base carrier. The adhesion promoting layer includes an inorganic coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Timothy D. Fletcher, Todd J. Christianson, Vincent D. Romero, Bruce A. Sventek
  • Patent number: 8181346
    Abstract: A system for forming a labyrinth seal on a turbine blade has a fixture with a plurality of nozzles for distributing a coolant, a first jaw set for clamping and holding a root portion of the turbine blade in a first orientation, which first jaw set is attached to the fixture and has two members for mating with said root portion of said turbine blade, each of the jaw set members respectively have ridges; and a plurality of grinding wheels for forming the labyrinth seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Krzysztof Barnat, Bernard D. Vaillette
  • Patent number: 8167687
    Abstract: A wafer can be thinned without occurrences of dimples. A support plate 1 has a number of through holes 10. A circuit forming surface of a wafer 2 is adhered to one surface of the support plate by an adhesive member 4, and a dimple prevention member 3 having a thickness of 100 ?m or more and having an adhesive layer 30 on one face is adhered to the other surface, thus the openings at both ends of the through holes 10 are blocked. The support plate is vacuum adsorbed to a support table through the dimple prevention member, and a non circuit-forming face of the wafer is ground/polished to thin the wafer. The dimple prevention member is stripped off, and a solvent is penetrated into the adhesive member through the through holes to detach the wafer from the support plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Nakamura, Atsushi Miyanari, Yoshihiro Inao, Yasumasa Iwata
  • Publication number: 20120100788
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus for polishing surfaces of a wafer, the carrier having: a carrier body arranged between upper and lower turn tables, the carrier body having a holding hole for holding the wafer; and a ring-shaped resin insert arranged along an inner circumference of the holding hole, the resin insert having an inner circumferential surface to be brought into contact with a peripheral portion of the wafer to be held, the method having the steps of attaching, to the holding hole of the carrier body, a base material for the resin insert not having the inner circumferential surface to be brought into contact with the wafer to be held, and performing inner-circumferential-surface-forming processing on the base material for the resin insert to form the inner circumferential surface to be brought into contact with the peripheral portion of the wafer to be held.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taichi Yasuda, Tatsuo Enomoto
  • Publication number: 20120082419
    Abstract: A polishing jig 10 includes a holding member 11 for holding a ferrule 31 when polishing a front end face of the ferrule 31. The holding member 11 is formed by a holding member body 12 having a through hole 121 through which the ferrule 31 is inserted, and protrusions 16 and 17 which are provided on an upper surface of the holding member body 12, for supporting a flange 33 of the ferrule 31 when the ferrule 31 is inserted into the through hole 121.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventor: Yuichi Koreeda
  • Publication number: 20120071067
    Abstract: A retaining ring can be shaped by machining or lapping the bottom surface of the ring to form a shaped profile in the bottom surface. The bottom surface of the retaining ring can include flat, sloped and curved portions. The lapping can be performed using a machine that dedicated for use in lapping the bottom surface of retaining rings. During the lapping the ring can be permitted to rotate freely about an axis of the ring. The bottom surface of the retaining ring can have curved or flat portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Steven M. Zuniga, Charles C. Garretson, Douglas R. McAllister, Jian Lin, Stacy Meyer, Sidney P. Huey, Jeonghoon Oh, Trung T. Doan, Jeffrey Schmidt, Martin S. Wohlert, Kerry F. Hughes, James C. Wang, Danny Cam Toan Lu, Romain Beau De Lamenie, Venkata R. Balagani, Aden Martin Allen, Michael Jon Fong
  • Publication number: 20120058709
    Abstract: A polishing is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, a substrate holding apparatus configured to hold the substrate and to press the substrate against the polishing surface, and a controller. The substrate holding apparatus includes an elastic membrane configured to form a substrate holding surface which is brought into contact with the substrate, a carrier provided above the elastic membrane, at least one pressure chamber formed between the elastic membrane and the carrier, and an infrared light detector configured to measure thermal energy from the elastic membrane. The controller calculates an estimate value of a temperature of the elastic membrane using a measured value of the infrared light detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Makoto FUKUSHIMA, Katsuhide Watanabe, Hozumi Yasuda, Satoru Yamaki
  • Publication number: 20120045969
    Abstract: An apparatus and associated method for polishing a workpiece with a polishing slurry having ceria particulates and silica particulates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Ian Beresford, Robert Lloyd Babcock
  • Patent number: 8113914
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a treating method for brittle member capable of stably holding the brittle member when applying predetermined treatments such as transportation and grinding back surface of a brittle member such as a semi-conductor wafer and separating the brittle member without breakage after finishing required treatment to thereby attaining high thickness accuracy of the brittle member. A treating method for brittle member comprising: a step of removably fixing a brittle member on a flexible glass base plate, a step of treating said brittle member, a step of fixing said brittle member side by holding means, and a step of separating said flexible glass base plate from said brittle member by bending said flexible glass base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: LINTEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Ohashi, Naofumi Izumi
  • Publication number: 20120034849
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Samuel Chu-Chiang Hsu, Yin Yuan, Huanbo Zhang, Gautam Shashank Dandavate
  • Publication number: 20120034848
    Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polisher includes a base, a substrate mounting surface, an annular inner ring and an outer ring. The inner ring has a lower surface configured to contact an upper surface of a substrate positioned on the substrate mounting surface, an outer surface, and an inwardly facing surface extending downwardly from the lower surface and is configured to circumferentially surround the edge of the substrate, the inner ring 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, and the outer ring is vertically movable relative to and independently of the substrate mounting surface and the inner ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Mario David Silvetti, Yin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20120028548
    Abstract: Retaining rings with curved surfaces are described. The curved surfaces prevent damage to a fixed abrasive polishing pad when the retaining ring is used in a polishing process. The curved surfaces are on the bottom surface of the ring, such as along the outer diameter and/or along the sidewalls of channels formed in the bottom of the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Gopalakrishna B. Prabhu, Yin Yuan, Jeonghoon Oh, Gregory E. Menk
  • Publication number: 20120009854
    Abstract: An edge finishing apparatus includes a surface, a fluid delivery device configured to deliver at least one magnetorheological polishing fluid (MPF) ribbon to the at least one well, at least one magnet placed adjacent to the surface to selectively apply a magnetic field in a vicinity of the surface, and at least one holder placed in opposing relation to the surface, the at least one holder being configured to support at least one article such that an edge of the at least one article can be selectively immersed in the MPF ribbon delivered to the at least one well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Charles Michael Darcangelo, Steven Edward DeMartino, Aric Bruce Shorey, Daniel Duane Strong, David Alan Tammaro, Butchi Reddy Vaddi
  • Publication number: 20120001193
    Abstract: A polishing method can process and flatten, in a practical processing time and with high surface accuracy, a surface of a substrate of a Ga element-containing compound semiconductor. The polishing method includes: bringing a Ga element-containing compound semiconductor substrate (16) into contact with a polishing tool (10) in the presence of a processing solution (14) comprising a neutral pH buffer solution containing Ga ions; irradiating a surface of the substrate with light or applying a bias potential to the substrate, or applying a bias potential to the substrate while irradiating the surface of the substrate with light, thereby forming Ga oxide (16a) on the surface of the substrate; and simultaneously moving the substrate and the polishing tool relative to each other to polish and remove the Ga oxide formed on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Sano, Kazuto Yamauchi, Junji Murata, Shun Sadakuni, Keita Yagi
  • Patent number: 8066553
    Abstract: A hydrostatic pad for use in holding a semiconductor wafer during grinding of the wafer by grinding wheels. The pad includes hydrostatic pockets formed in a face of the body directly opposed to the wafer. The pockets are adapted for receiving fluid through the body and into the pockets to provide a barrier between the body face and the workpiece while still applying pressure to hold the workpiece during grinding. The hydrostatic pads allow the wafer to rotate relative to the pads about their common axis. The pockets are oriented to reduce hydrostatic bending moments that are produced in the wafer when the grinding wheels shift or tilt relative to the hydrostatic pads, helping prevent nanotopology degradation of surfaces of the wafer commonly caused by shift and tilt of the grinding wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Milind S. Bhagavat, Puneet Gupta, Roland Vandamme, Takuto Kazama, Noriyuki Tachi
  • Publication number: 20110256808
    Abstract: A high speed polishing device useful for polishing a large number of miniature components, such as multi-layer electronic components, is disclosed. In various embodiments of the present invention, a vertical planetary ball mill or other barrel polishing device is modified to rotate polishing containers having a modified interior cavity structure. This interior cavity provides a smooth, gradually curved interior sidewall that improves circulation within the container during high-speed vertical polishing rotation. The improved circulation results in polishing for a larger number of components placed within the container and in less time than existing polishing container structures. In further embodiments, the containers are rotated around a generally tilted axis positioned at an angle between entirely vertical and horizontal positions. Rotation about a tilted axis further reduces collisions and increases relative polishing movement within the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuanfeng Ma, Linlang Wu, Sheng Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110237161
    Abstract: A system and a method of operating a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system comprises a slurry delivering unit configured for locally varying the supply of slurry while polishing the substrate. To this end, the slurry delivering unit may comprise at least one slurry outlet over a polishing pad of the CMP system, wherein the at least one slurry outlet is controllably movable to distribute slurry over the polishing pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Axel Kiesel, Uwe Stoeckgen, John Lampett, Heiko Wundram
  • Publication number: 20110230123
    Abstract: A polisher, a pressure plate (20) of the polisher, and a method of polishing are disclosed. The pressure plate (20) includes a main body, an air bag (50) mounted to one surface of the main body to adjust a pressure applied from the main body to a polishing object, and a pad (16b) having a ring shape, mounted along a circumference of the one surface of the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Hong Gil Kim, Pan Gi Min
  • Patent number: 8009282
    Abstract: The present invention provides an attachment angle measuring device and an attachment angle measuring method which realize accurate measurement of attachment angle between an axle carrier and an absorber. An attachment angle measuring device measures an attachment angle ? between an axle carrier and an absorber as in the following. A slit light is projected to a first reflection position on an outer peripheral surface of an absorber rod and a reflected light from the first reflection position is received. A slit light is projected to a second reflection position on the outer peripheral surface of the absorber rod different from the first reflection position and a reflected light from the second reflection position is received. A first optical path distance between a projection start position of the slit light and the first reflection position is calculated based on the reflected light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Tohyama, Yuichiro Oka, Koji Tomida
  • Publication number: 20110124271
    Abstract: A carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus, including at least: a carrier base placed between upper and lower turn tables, the carrier base having a holding hole therein, the holding hole holds the wafer sandwiched between the upper and lower turn tables. A ring-shaped resin ring disposed along an inner circumference of the holding hole, the resin ring protecting a chamfered portion by making contact with the chamfered portion of the held wafer, wherein the resin ring has a concave groove on an inner circumference thereof, upper and lower tapered surfaces are formed in the concave groove. A double-side polishing apparatus using the carrier and a double-side polishing method that can reduce the generation of taper in a polished surface and improve the flatness while suppressing the generation of an outer peripheral sag of the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya Sato, Junichi Ueno, Syuichi Kobayashi, Hideo Kudo
  • Publication number: 20110104990
    Abstract: A retainer is used with an apparatus for polishing a substrate. The substrate has upper and lower surfaces and a lateral, substantially circular, perimeter. The apparatus has a polishing pad with an upper polishing surface for contacting and polishing the lower face of the substrate. The retainer has an inward facing retaining face for engaging and retaining the substrate against lateral movement during polishing of the substrate. The retaining face engages a substrate perimeter at more than substantially a single discrete circumferential location along the perimeter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Steven M. Zuniga, Hung Chih Chen
  • Publication number: 20110104995
    Abstract: A carrier for a double-side polishing apparatus comprising at least: a metallic carrier base that is arranged between upper and lower turn tables having polishing pads attached thereto and has a holding hole formed therein to hold a wafer sandwiched between the upper and lower turn tables at the time of polishing; and a ring-like resin insert that is arranged along an inner peripheral portion of the holding hole of the carrier base and is in contact with a peripheral portion of the held wafer, wherein an inner peripheral end portion of the holding hole of the carrier base has an upwardly opening tapered surface, an outer peripheral portion of the ring-like insert has a reverse tapered surface with respect to the tapered surface of the holding hole of the carrier base, and the resin insert is fitted in the holding hole of the carrier base through the tapered surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Ueno, Kazuya Sato, Syuichi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20110081841
    Abstract: Disclosed is a wafer support member including a base substrate, a support adhered at a predetermined width to the edge of the base substrate, the support having a round outermost part, and a coating layer provided on the outermost edge of the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventor: Jae Chel SUNG
  • Publication number: 20110070745
    Abstract: A polishing method includes performing conditioning process of injecting a conditioning agent onto a surface of a non-foam polishing pad arranged on a polishing table at a predetermined pressure, and polishing a surface of a polishing target while supplying a polishing slurry containing oxide particles and a surfactant onto the polishing pad, wherein an average of a residual cerium amount is equal to or smaller than 0.35 at % when a plurality of measurement regions, each 200 ?m? in area including the surface of the polishing pad, in a cross section of the polishing pad are measured after the conditioning process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Yukiteru MATSUI, Satoko Seta, Takatoshi Ono, Hajime Eda
  • Publication number: 20100311312
    Abstract: The double-side polishing apparatus is capable of uniformly polishing a wafer and highly preventing an outer edge of the wafer from being damaged. The apparatus comprises: a lower polishing plate and an upper polishing plate for polishing both sides of the wafer; a carrier having a main body part, in which a through-hole for holding the wafer is formed. Edges of the through-hole in an upper face and a lower face of the carrier are coated with coating layers, which are composed of an abrasion-resistant material and which have a prescribed width and a prescribed thickness. A resin cushion ring, which has a prescribed width and whose thickness is equal to that of the main body part of the carrier, is provided to an inner circumferential face of the thorough-hole. The wafer is held in the resin cushion ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventor: Masanori FURUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20100233945
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicants: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD., FUJIKOSHI MACHINERY CORP.
    Inventors: Hisashi Masumura, Koji Kitagawa, Kouji Morita, Hiromi Kishida, Satoru Arakawa
  • Publication number: 20100233946
    Abstract: A polishing holder for a workpiece end surface comprises a main body and a framework, in which the main body is coupled to a plurality of fixtures used for coupling to polished-to-be workpieces, a periphery of the main body is provided with a ring first supporting portion; a framework, provided with a second supporting portion surrounding an outside of the first supporting portion. Whereby, the second supporting portion limits a deviation region of the first supporting portion to enable the main body to be kept parallel to a polishing surface during a polished end surface of the workpiece is brought into contact with the polishing surface and polished thereby so that the production time and cost of the first supporting portion can be reduced broadly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Inventor: Kow-Je Ling
  • Patent number: 7740525
    Abstract: A device for working of material plates (1), such as glass panes, has a supporting member (25, 26, 29) for the material plate (1) and a tool (12, 18) for working the material plates (1). The supporting member (25, 26, 29) has paired supporting elements (25?, 25?, 26?, 26?, 29?, 29?) with supporting surfaces (27?, 27?, 30?, 30?) facing one another, between which the material plate (1) is held. There are openings (31) for liquid emerging under pressure in the supporting surfaces (27?, 27?, 30?, 30?). The material plate (1), especially the glass pane, is therefore not mechanically supported, as is conventional in the prior art, but uses a liquid film which is formed under pressure in the gap between the material plate (1) and the supporting surfaces (27?, 27?, 30?, 30?) of the supporting elements (25?, 25?, 26?, 26?, 29?, 29?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Inventor: Peter Lisec
  • Patent number: 7738760
    Abstract: An optical polishing fixture for securing one or more optical connectors can include a fixture base having a connector slot for receiving an optical connector and a clamping assembly mounted to the fixture base proximate the connector slot. The connector slot can be defined by at least one side wall defining a side wall plane and the clamping assembly can include a clamp pad moveable relative to the fixture base between a clamping position and a loading position. The clamp pad may move relative to the fixture base at an angle of less than 45 degrees relative to one of (i) a top surface of the fixture base, (ii) a plane perpendicular the side wall plane, or (iii) a plane defined by a portion of the fixture base top surface proximate to the connector slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Domaille Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Brian M. Fredrickson, Greg A. Schumacher, Jill B. Christie, Curtis J. Spinler
  • Publication number: 20100144248
    Abstract: A double-side grinding apparatus is designed to be capable of minimizing thermal expansion of hydrostatic pad members and reducing nanotopography in performing wafer grinding. The double-side grinding apparatus is a double-side grinding apparatus for wafers that can simultaneously grind either surface of a wafer to be ground by pressing a grindstone against either surface of the wafer to be ground while hydrostatically supporting either surface of the wafer to be ground in a noncontact manner. Each hydrostatic supporting unit is formed with a hydrostatic pad member facing the wafer to be ground, and a base member placed on the back surface of the hydrostatic pad member. The hydrostatic pad member is made of a ceramic member, and the base member is made of a metal member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: SUMCO TECHXIV CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyasu FUTAMURA
  • Publication number: 20100112914
    Abstract: A retaining ring has a generally annular body with a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner diameter surface, and an outer diameter surface. The outer diameter surface includes an outwardly projecting flange having a lower surface, and the bottom surface includes a plurality of channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Dan A. Marohl, Ming-Kuei Tseng
  • Publication number: 20100105297
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a cyclic mechanism moving cyclically in a certain direction, a holder moving cyclically by the cyclic mechanism in a direction parallel to an object to be polished, a plurality of polishing pins held on the holder, a magnet member including a first part which is exposed on a front face side of the polishing pin and a second part which is not exposed on the front face side of the polishing pin, a part of the second part being covered with a non-magnetic material, and a polishing member held on the polishing pin by magnetic force of the magnet member and polishing a tip of the object to be polished by the cyclic motion of the cyclic mechanism, wherein a contact area of the polishing member and the polishing pin includes a contact area of the magnet member and the polishing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihiro Ishizuka, Masaharu Suzuki, Yutaka Noda
  • Publication number: 20100035526
    Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus including a table top, a transfer station mounted on the table top, a plurality of polishing stations mounted on the table top, a plurality of washing stations, and a plurality of carrier heads supported by a support member rotatable about an axis. Each washing station is located between a first polishing station and either a second polishing station or the transfer station, and the transfer station and the plurality of polishing stations are arranged at approximately equal angular intervals about the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert D. Tolles, Norman Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Q. Lee
  • Publication number: 20090325467
    Abstract: A wafer can be thinned without occurrences of dimples. A support plate 1 has a number of through holes 10. A circuit forming surface of a wafer 2 is adhered to one surface of the support plate by an adhesive member 4, and a dimple prevention member 3 having a thickness of 100 ?m or more and having an adhesive layer 30 on one face is adhered to the other surface, thus the openings at both ends of the through holes 10 are blocked. The support plate is vacuum adsorbed to a support table through the dimple prevention member, and a non circuit-forming face of the wafer is ground/polished to thin the wafer. The dimple prevention member is stripped off, and a solvent is penetrated into the adhesive member through the through holes to detach the wafer from the support plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Nakamura, Atsushi Miyanari, Yoshihiro Inao, Yasumasa Iwata
  • Publication number: 20090311945
    Abstract: An embodiment of a planarization system for planarizing a substrate includes a planarizing surface and an encircling element formed to at least partially laterally enclose the substrate, wherein the planarizing system is configured to planarize the substrate with the substrate abutting the planarizing surface during a relative lateral movement between the substrate and the planarizing surface. The substrate is at least partially laterally enclosed by the encircling element. The encircling element abuts the planarizing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Inventors: Roland Strasser, Wolfgang Gfrerer
  • Publication number: 20090305617
    Abstract: A support plate for supporting a wafer includes a plurality of through holes piercing the support plate in the thickness direction, and a belt-shaped or island-like flat portion on which the plurality of through holes are not formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakamura, Atsushi Miyanari, Yoshihiro Inao
  • Publication number: 20090264056
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a substrate transferring system. One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate holder comprising a pedestal plate, a basin wall extending from a top surface of the pedestal plate, wherein the basin wall has a substantially leveled top surface, the basin wall and the pedestal plate define a basin configured to retain a liquid therein, and a liquid port opening to the basin, wherein the liquid port is configured to flow a liquid to the basin and allow the liquid to overflow from the basin wall, and a top surface of the overflow liquid in the basin is configured to support a substrate without contacting the basin wall or the pedestal plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Yin Yuan, Stephen Jew
  • Patent number: 7578725
    Abstract: This apparatus includes a unit for adhering an elastic seal to a lens holder, a unit for causing the lens holder, to which the elastic seal is adhered, to hold a lens, a pivotal arm, an arm driving unit for pivoting the pivotal arm, a clamp unit attached to the pivotal arm to be vertically movable to hold the lens holder, and a clamp driving unit for vertically moving the clamp unit. The pivotal arm is pivoted to sequentially adhere the elastic seal to the lens holder and hold the lens by the lens holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Igarashi, Shinichi Yokoyama, Michio Arai, Masahiko Samukawa, Shuichi Sato
  • Patent number: 7542648
    Abstract: There is provided a holder for an optical fiber ferrule end face grinding apparatus that can make good use of a grinding film, in which the number of optical fiber ferrules held by the holder is greatly increased. The holder includes a holder plate including a plurality of insertion holes into which each of the ferrules is inserted. In the holder plate, the insertion holes are arranged in an area of a certain size extending from the center to the periphery thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Seikoh Giken Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Yamada, Takehiko Narita