Abstract: A workpiece holder for rotary grinding machines for grinding semiconductor afers has a rotatable work surface which points toward a rotating grinding tool and on which the semiconductor wafer to be machined is laid, and has piezoelectric elements on which the workpiece holder is axially supported. The piezoelectric elements can be operated independently of one another and, when operated, undergo a change in their linear dimension, an operated piezoelectric element axially raising or lowering the workpiece holder at the point at which it supports the workpiece holder. There is also a method for positioning the workpiece holder.

Abstract: Device is described that reduces the forces needed to release a wafer from a wet polishing surface after polishing. Device comprises attachment adapted to be mounted to a polishing apparatus to permit attachment surface, configured to mate with two regions of the wafer, to tilt relative to the polishing surface. Means for defining adhesive force between attachment surface and one of the two wafer regions, and means for defining adhesive force between attachment surface and other of the two wafer regions which is different than that defined between attachment surface and the one wafer region so as to cause a non-parallel relationship between the one wafer face and polishing surface, are provided. Unbalanced force causes a non-parallel relationship between wafer and polishing pad and facilitates separation and lifting of wafer from polishing surface.

Abstract: A workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is supported on a top ring and polished by an abrasive cloth on a turntable while the top ring is being pressed against the turntable and the turntable and the top ring are being rotated. The top ring is coupled to a top ring drive shaft, coupled to a pressure cylinder for pressing the top ring, and to a motor for rotating the top ring. A spherical bearing is interposed between the top ring and the top ring drive shaft for allowing the top ring to align with the upper surface of the moving turntable. A torque transmitting mechanism is operatively coupled between the top ring and the top ring drive shaft for rotating the top ring in synchronization with the top ring drive shaft.

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: A processing fixture and method of fabricating micromechanical devices, such as digital micromirror devices, that allows fragile structures on wafer 22 to be protected from debris during the saw operation and subsequent cleaning operations. The wafer 22 is attached to a vacuum fixture 26 after partially sawing the wafer 22 to create saw kerfs. The backside of the wafer 22 is then ground down to the saw kerfs 24 to separate the devices 32. Each device 32 is held on the fixture by a vacuum in the headspace above the device 32. In an alternate embodiment the devices are separated by sawing completely through the wafer while in the fixture.

Abstract: Device and method are described that reduce the force needed to release a wafer from a wet polishing surface after polishing. Device comprises attachment, such as a wafer carrier, adapted to be mounted to a polishing apparatus to permit attachment surface, configured to mate with two regions of the wafer, to tilt relative to polishing surface. Means for defining adhesive force between attachment surface and one of the two wafer regions, and means for defining adhesive force between attachment surface and other of the two wafer regions which is different than that defined between attachment surface and the one wafer region so as to cause a non-parallel relationship between the one wafer face and polishing surface, are provided. Unbalanced force, such as a vacuum force communicated to a limited region of the surface of the carrier, causes a non-parallel relationship between wafer and polishing pad and facilitates separation and lifting of wafer from polishing surface.

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: A device for fixing and maintaining a shapeable glass plate (1) in position during its machining. The plate (1) is placed on a support surface (2) and preferably maintained spaced therefrom to allow a usual operating tool to move and act thereon, for example during a chamfering process.

Abstract: An polishing apparatus which can effectively polish a bottom wall of a wafer in a notch portion is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a table for supporting the wafer thereon; a rotary buff having a thickness so that the periphery thereof can enter the notch portion of the wafer, and is rotated around an axis which is parallel with a plane of the surface of the wafer supported on the table; a first rotating member such as a motor for rotating the rotary buff; a linkage for supporting the rotary buff; an adjusting member such as a cylinder device for adjusting the pressure applied to the bottom wall of the wafer in the notch portion from the rotary buff; and a second rotating member for turning the table around a predetermined axis which is approximately parallel with the rotary axis of the rotary buff so that the applied pressure from the rotary buff acts on the bottom wall of the wafer in the notch portion in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the bottom wall.

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: A device is provided for guiding a workpiece or tool during the machining of toric or spherical surfaces. The device includes an axially movable spindle sleeve disposed on the grinding or polishing machine and having first and second ends. A seating chuck has support for supporting one of a lens and a tool. A connecting means is provided for fitting the chuck concentrically to the first end of the spindle support. The connecting means includes a bell-shaped flange. A ball joint connects the support means to connecting means. A roller bellows is non-resilient in the circumferential direction and connects the support means to the bell-shaped flange. The roller bellows is arranged to form a joint chamber for sealing the space in which the ball joint is situated. A pressure fluid line is connected to the joint chamber. A pressure fluid cylinder-piston assembly is disposed coaxially with the spindle sleeve and the spindle sleeve being movable with the piston.

Abstract: A glass substrate is supported on a pedestal in a rotatable cup having an upper opening. The pedestal, which is substantially similar in shape to the glass substrate, has a ridge extending along an outer peripheral edge of an upper surface thereof, for engaging an outer peripheral edge of a lower surface of the glass substrate. After a resist solution to be coated on the glass substrate is applied to an upper surface thereof, the upper opening of the rotatable cup is closed by a cover, and then the rotatable cup is rotated to spread the applied resist solution uniformly over the upper surface under centrifugal forces. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises an inner rotatable cup and an outer rotatable cup, each with its own separate cover. In another embodiment, a pedestal is mounted on the bottom of the inner cup having a vacuum chuck movable therein.

Abstract: A wafer chamfer polishing apparatus with a rotary circular dividing table, wherein the vacuum pump for pneumatically activating the wafer suction cups is mounted on an integral part of the rotary circular dividing table and the drive motors for dynamically activating the wafer suction cups are installed on an independent stationary body.

Abstract: A workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is positioned between a turntable and a top ring and polished by an abrasive cloth on the turntable while the top ring is being pressed against the turntable. The top ring has a retaining ring for preventing the workpiece from deviating from the lower surface of the top ring, and the retaining ring has an inside diameter larger than an outside diameter of the workpiece. The rotation of the turntable imparts a pressing force in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the turntable to the workpiece so that an outer periphery of the workpiece contacts an inner periphery of the retaining ring, and the rotation of the retaining ring imparts a rotational force to the workpiece so that the workpiece performs a planetary motion relative to the top ring in the retaining ring.

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 holding device for holding an optical element to be ground is arranged such that pressure applied to a receiving face of the optical element on the holder base is made different in the radial direction in order to eliminate deformation, positional deviation or inclination of the optical element due to grinding resistances during grinding or due to high-pressure grinding. An elastic member is employed as an elastic member, or a receiving member capable of absorbing the positional deviation, the inclination, or the like of the optical element during grinding thereof is used.