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: 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: A parts carrier assembly for a grinding machine includes an annular parts carrier and a bearing insert. The annular parts carrier includes an upper surface, a lower surface, an inner edge, an outer edge, and a plurality of loading apertures. The inner edge is configured to engage a driving wheel of the grinding machine. The driving wheel rotates about a central axis resulting in rotation of the parts carrier about an offset axis, which is offset from the central axis. The loading apertures are configured to receive parts to be ground by the grinding machine. The bearing insert includes an inner bearing surface complementary in shape to the outer edge of the parts carrier. The outer surface the parts carrier bears against the inner bearing surface of the bearing insert as the parts carrier rotates about the offset axis.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a laminated polishing pad of the present invention, comprising the steps of: forming a polishing layer by providing a light transmitting region in an opening A of a polishing region; providing an adhesive member X on one side of the polishing layer, wherein the adhesive member X contains a hot-melt adhesive; providing a removable protective member on a part of the adhesive member X corresponding to the light transmitting region; bonding a support layer to the adhesive member X on which the removable protective member is provided; and removing a part of the support layer corresponding to the light transmitting region and also removing the removable protective member to form an opening B.

Abstract: A polishing pad having a polishing layer comprising a thermoset polyurethane foam, wherein about the thermoset polyurethane foam, the Asker C hardness value thereof is 82 or less as a 60-second value, the hardness value being a value after the foam is immersed in water for 24 hours, and further the value of the tensile storage modulus E? (30° C.) thereof at a frequency of 1.6 Hz satisfies the following expression (1): Y<5X?150??(1) wherein Y represents the tensile storage modulus E? (MPa), and X represents the Asker C hardness value (60-second value) after the foam is immersed in water for 24 hours.

Abstract: A method of preparing an edge-strengthened article comprises polishing of an edge of an article having a first edge strength using magnetorheological finishing, wherein after the polishing the article has a second edge strength and the second edge strength is greater than the first edge strength.

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.

Abstract: A method of chemical mechanical polishing a substrate is provided, including: providing a substrate; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, comprising: a polishing layer having a composition and a polishing surface, wherein the composition of polishing layer is selected to exhibit an initial hydrolytic stability; coupled with a sustained hydrolytic instability; a rigid layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; a hot melt adhesive interposed between the base surface of the polishing layer and the top surface of the rigid layer; wherein the hot melt adhesive bonds the polishing layer to the rigid layer; a pressure sensitive platen adhesive layer having a stack side and a platen side; wherein the stack side of the pressure sensitive platen adhesive layer is adjacent to the bottom surface of the rigid layer; and, creating dynamic contact between the polishing surface and substrate to polish a surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing pad is provided containing: a polishing layer; a rigid layer; and, a hot melt adhesive bonding the polishing layer to the rigid layer; wherein the polishing layer exhibits a specific gravity of greater than 0.6; a Shore D hardness of 60 to 90; an elongation to break of 100 to 300%; and, a unique combination of an initial hydrolytic stability and a sustained hydrolytic instability.

Abstract: A structured abrasive article comprises a structured abrasive layer adhered to a major surface of a backing, the structured abrasive layer comprising shaped abrasive composites adhered to the major surface, the shaped abrasive composites comprising milled polycrystalline ceramic abrasive particles retained in a polymeric binder, wherein the milled polycrystalline ceramic abrasive particles have a median particle size D50 of from 3 to 30 microns. In a method of finishing a stone surface, the structured abrasive layer is frictionally contacting with the stone surface; and moved relative to the stone surface under conditions sufficient to finish the stone surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a glass substrate for an information recording medium including a rough polishing step of performing a rough polishing on a glass material containing 0.01 to 2 mass % of cerium oxide; a washing step of washing the glass material after the rough polishing step, so that the cerium content of the glass material surface becomes 0.125 ng/cm2 or less; and a precision polishing step of performing precision polishing on the glass material after the washing step by cyclically using a polishing material containing colloidal silica.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polishing pad for chemical-mechanical polishing. The polishing pad has a porous interface and a substantially non-porous bulk core. Also disclosed are related apparatus and methods for using and preparing the polishing pad.

Abstract: A polishing composition is composed of a filtered diluted liquid obtained through an undiluted liquid-preparing step, an undiluted liquid-filtering step, a diluting step, and a diluted liquid-filtering step. In the undiluted liquid-preparing step, an undiluted liquid is prepared by mixing raw materials for the polishing composition. In the undiluted liquid-filtering step, the undiluted liquid is filtered. In the diluting step, the filtered undiluted liquid is diluted to obtain a diluted liquid. In the diluted liquid-filtering step, the diluted liquid is filtered. The polishing composition is used, for example, for polishing a silicon substrate material to produce a silicon substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing section configured to polish a substrate, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, and a cleaning section configured to clean and dry the polished substrate. The cleaning section has plural cleaning lines for cleaning plural substrates. The plural cleaning lines have plural cleaning modules and plural transfer robots for transferring the substrates.

Abstract: A polishing composition contains abrasive grains and water. 50% by mass or more of the abrasive grains consists of particles A having particle sizes between 40 nm and 80 nm inclusive, and 10% by mass or more of the abrasive grains consists of particles B having particle sizes between 150 nm and 300 nm inclusive. The polishing composition is used to polish a surface of a compound semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a polishing ring assembly suitable for polishing an electrostatic chuck and method of using the same. In one embodiment, the polishing ring assembly has a retaining ring assembly and an electrostatic chuck fixture. The retaining ring assembly includes an inner diameter and a top surface, a plurality of outer drive rings wherein the plurality of outer drive rings are placed on the top surface of the ceramic retaining ring. The electrostatic chuck fixture includes an electrostatic chuck drive plate adjacent to the inner diameter of in the ceramic retaining ring. The electrostatic chuck drive plate has a lock to secure retaining ring assembly with the electrostatic chuck fixture without transferring the weight from one assembly over to the other through the locking mechanism.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the multi-stage grinding of workpieces (20) made of hard mineral materials using a robot (10). To this end, the workpiece (20) is moved into a processing region (21) and measured and/or oriented there by the robot (10). The robot (10) comprises a grinding head (11) by way of which it then takes up a first abrasive (14) preferably from a storage container (30) and starts a first grinding process. After the first grinding process is complete, the robot (10) releases the first abrasive (14) again and then takes up a second abrasive (14), preferably from the same or some other storage container (30). Then the robot (10) starts a second grinding process, and after the latter is complete, releases the second abrasive (14) again. One or more further grinding processes may be provided, but the grinding method can also be finished after the second grinding process.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a semiconductor processing fluid delivery system and a method delivering a semiconductor processing fluid are provided. In aspect, a system for delivering a liquid for performing a process is provided that includes a first flow controller that has a first fluid input coupled to a first source of fluid and a second flow controller that has a second fluid input coupled to a second source of fluid. A controller is provided for generating an output signal to and thereby controlling discharges from the first and second flow controllers. A variable resistor is coupled between an output of the controller and an input of the second flow controller whereby the output signal of the controller and the resistance of the variable resistor may be selected to selectively control discharge of fluid from the first and second flow controllers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for machining flat workpieces in a double-sided machining tool, which has an upper and a lower work disk, wherein at least one of the work disks is rotatingly driven and the work disks each have an annular work surface, wherein the work surfaces amongst themselves limit an also annular work gap, in which at least one carrier is located, which guides at least one workpiece in the work gap, so that the at least one workpiece is machined in a double-sided manner between the work surfaces. The distance between the work disks is measured at at least two radially spaced measurement locations of the work gap and in that, from the measured distances, a distance between the work disks is determined at a location of the work gap representing the thickness of the at least one workpiece machined in the work gap.

Abstract: Among other things, one or more systems and techniques for increasing temperature for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) are provided. For example, a liquid heater component is configured to supply heated liquid to a polishing pad upon which a semiconductor wafer is to be polished, resulting in a heated polishing pad having a heated polishing pad temperature. The increased temperature of the heated polishing pad increases oxidation of the semiconductor wafer, which improves a CMP removal rate of material from the semiconductor wafer due to a decreased oxidation timespan and a stabilization timespan for reaching a stable CMP removal rate during CMP. In this way, the semiconductor wafer is polished utilizing the heated polishing pad, such as by a tungsten CMP process.

Abstract: A semiconductor element producing method is disclosed. In the method, a surface protective tape including a base layer and an adhesive layer (including an intermediate layer) is attached to the front surface of a wafer that has unevenness caused by a polyimide passivation. The wafer is placed on a stage, with the surface protective tape facing the stage. The surface protective tape is heated while being drawn to the stage to flatten the surface of the surface protective tape. A grinding process is performed on the rear surface of the wafer to reduce the thickness of the wafer. A rear surface element structure is formed on the rear surface of the wafer, and the wafer is diced into chips.

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: A chemical mechanical polishing pad includes a polishing layer, a recess being formed in a polishing surface of the polishing layer, the polishing layer including a surface layer that forms at least an inner side of the recess, and a ratio (D1/D2) of an average opening ratio D1(%) to an average opening ratio D2(%) being 0.01 to 0.5, the average opening ratio D1 being an average opening ratio of the inner side of the recess when the polishing layer has been immersed in water at 23° C. for 1 hour, and the average opening ratio D2 being an average opening ratio of a cross section of the polishing layer that does not intersect the surface layer when the cross section has been immersed in water at 23° C. for 1 hour.

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: For an information storage medium a glass substrate is produced in a method including the steps of: polishing a glass substrate with a polishing agent applied thereon; and subsequently, chemically strengthening a major surface of the glass substrate. The polishing agent contains cerium oxide at a purity equal to or larger than 99% by mass for CeO2/TREO, and has an alkaline earth metal content having a total mass equal to or smaller than 10 ppm by mass. The step of polishing is performed with a soft polishing pad to polish the glass substrate.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are quickly attached with vacuum to a rotatable floating workpiece carrier. Fluid pressure in a sealed chamber applies uniform abrading pressure over the full abraded surface of the workpieces. A flexible diaphragm is used to form the sealed chamber and the carrier is rotationally driven by a lug-pin device. The floating carrier is horizontally restrained by a center-post device that provides rigid lateral support against abrading forces. Tilting of the floating carrier is provided by a spherical bearing. The abrading system can be operated at the very high abrading speeds used in high speed flat lapping with raised-island abrasive disks. Vacuum can also be applied to the sealed chamber to quickly move the workpiece away from the abrading surface. A mode of providing rigid parallel-surface abrading of a workpiece can be activated by simply applying vacuum to the sealed chamber.

Abstract: Embodiments of mechanisms for performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process are provided. A method for performing a CMP process includes polishing a wafer by using a polishing pad. The method also includes applying a cleaning liquid jet on the polishing pad to condition the polishing pad. A CMP system is also provided.

Abstract: One or more slider bars are attached to at least one component of a multi-component carrier device. The multi-component carrier device is attached to a lapping arm of a lapping machine and the one or more slider bars attached to the carrier device are lapped. The at least one component of the multi-component carrier device is attached to a grinding/cutting machine. At least one of a grinding operation or a cutting operation is performed on the one or more slider bars.

Abstract: A polishing composition contains: silicon dioxide having an average primary particle diameter of 40 nm or more as calculated from the specific surface area determined by the BET method; a nitrogen-containing water-soluble polymer; and a basic compound. The value of B/A is 1 or more and less than 7,000 and the value of C/A is 5,000 or more and less than 1,500,000 when in one liter of the polishing composition, A is defined as the number of silicon dioxide, B is defined as the number of monomer units of the nitrogen-containing water-soluble polymer, and C is defined as the number of molecules of the basic compound. Alternatively, the value of B/A is 1 or more and less than 7,000 and the value of C/A is 5,000 or more and less than 100,000. The polishing composition is used, for example, for polishing a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method useful for polishing a large number of miniature components such as multi-layer electronic components, within a high speed barrel polishing device, 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.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a perpendicular magnetic recording medium substrate is capable of reducing the waviness of all wavelength components and a recording medium is capable of reducing contact with a magnetic head to improve the flying stability of the magnetic head. The method includes two polishing operations. The first operation includes polishing a substrate having a Ni—P-based alloy underlayer with a first porous material that includes 0.1 wt % to 25 wt % of alumina, titania, silica, and zirconia abrasive while supplying a first slurry liquid including an organic or inorganic acid and a first abrasive to the underlayer of the substrate. The second operation includes polishing a surface of the underlayer polished in the first polishing with a second porous material while supplying a second slurry liquid including an organic or inorganic acid and a second abrasive with a grain diameter smaller than that of the first abrasive.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a platen to hold a polishing pad having a plurality of optical apertures, a carrier head to hold a substrate against the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion between the carrier head and the platen, and an optical monitoring system. The optical monitoring system includes at least one light source, a common detector, and an optical assembly configured to direct light from the at least one light source to each of a plurality of separated positions in the platen, to direct light from each position of the plurality of separated positions to the substrate as the substrate passes over said each position, to receive reflected light from the substrate as the substrate passes over said each position, and to direct the reflected light from each of the plurality of separated positions to the common detector.

Abstract: A substrate capable of achieving a lowered probability of defects produced in a step of forming an epitaxial film or a semiconductor element, a semiconductor device including the substrate, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided. A substrate is a substrate having a front surface and a back surface, in which at least a part of the front surface is composed of single crystal silicon carbide, the substrate having an average value of surface roughness Ra at the front surface not greater than 0.5 nm, a standard deviation ? of that surface roughness Ra not greater than 0.2 nm, an average value of surface roughness Ra at the back surface not smaller than 0.3 nm and not greater than 10 nm, standard deviation ? of that surface roughness Ra not greater than 3 nm, and a diameter D of the front surface not smaller than 110 mm.

Abstract: A substrate capable of achieving a lowered probability of defects produced in a step of forming an epitaxial film or a semiconductor element, a semiconductor device including the substrate, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided. A substrate is a substrate having a front surface and a back surface, in which at least a part of the front surface is composed of single crystal silicon carbide, the substrate having an average value of surface roughness Ra at the front surface not greater than 0.5 nm, a standard deviation ? of that surface roughness Ra not greater than 0.2 nm, an average value of surface roughness Ra at the back surface not smaller than 0.3 nm and not greater than 10 nm, standard deviation ? of that surface roughness Ra not greater than 3 nm, and a diameter D of the front surface not smaller than 110 mm.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are provided for reducing edge damage of a disk during chemical mechanical polishing. The apparatus includes a disk carrier configured to receive a disk, the disk having an outside edge and an inside edge, a raised ring adjacent the outside edge of the disk and extending from a surface of the disk carrier to a height greater than a height of the disk, and a raised column adjacent the inside edge of the disk and having a height greater than a height of the disk. The system includes a disk carrier for receiving a disk, a raised ring adjacent the outside edge of each opening, and plugs insertable into a central opening in the disk and having a height greater than a height of the disk. The method includes providing the apparatus, inserting a disk into the apparatus, and polishing the disk.

Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element having a glass substrate with a rear surface and a front surface that is closer to the driver of the vehicle than the rear surface when the rearview mirror assembly is mounted at a vehicle. The mirror reflective element includes a generally planar principal reflecting portion and an angled reflecting portion, with the angled reflecting portion established at an inboard region of the mirror reflective element. The angled reflecting portion is established by grinding a surface of the glass substrate at the inboard region. A mirror reflector is established at the angled reflecting portion, and a mirror reflector is established at the principal reflecting portion to provide a unit magnification principal reflecting portion of the mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A method for producing a laminated polishing pad, which is free from warpage and does not cause peeling between a polishing layer and a cushion layer during polishing, includes the steps of: laminating a hot-melt adhesive sheet to a surface of a cushion layer with a base material in which a thermoplastic resin base material is provided peelably on one surface of the cushion layer, on which the thermoplastic resin base material is not provided; heating the laminated hot-melt adhesive sheet to be melted or softened; laminating a polishing layer on the melted or softened hot-melt adhesive to prepare a laminate; cutting the laminate to the size of the polishing layer to prepare a laminated polishing sheet; and peeling the thermoplastic resin base material from the laminated polishing sheet.

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: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a laminated polishing pad that can be flatly bonded to a polishing platen even if it is large in size. This laminated polishing pad, comprising a polishing layer and a support layer with an adhesive member interposed therebetween, wherein the polishing layer contains 0.5 to 5% by weight of a hydrophilic substance; the support layer is a layer obtained by integrally molding a cushion layer and a resin film having a thermal dimensional change rate of 1.3 to 12.6%; the laminated polishing pad has a concavely warped form in the polishing layer side; and the laminated polishing pad has an average warp amount of 3 to 50 mm at the peripheral edge of the pad.

Abstract: A tool head capable of introducing deep recesses into hard and brittle material such as glass and glass ceramics is provided. The tool head includes a hollow cylindrical abrasive body merging into a hollow shank. The hollow cylindrical abrasive body has an end face with a central abrasive area at the location of a cylinder axis. The central abrasive area is connected with the inner wall surface of the hollow cylindrical abrasive body by at least one web. The end face of the abrasive body, the web, and at least a portion of the outer wall surface of the abrasive body are covered with abrasive. The hollow shank has at least one opening to the interior between the at least one web and the inner wall surface of the abrasive body.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a polishing pad which has improved dressing properties, while maintaining the hardness; or a polishing pad which does not easily make a scratch on the surface of an object to be polished, while having improved dressing properties. A polishing pad of the present invention is characterized by having a polishing layer that is formed of a polyurethane resin foam or an unfoamed polyurethane resin, and is also characterized in that the polyurethane resin foam or the unfoamed polyurethane resin contains, as starting material components, (A) an isocyanate component, (B) a polyol component and (C) an aromatic compound that has one hydroxyl group and/or an aromatic compound that has one amino group.

Abstract: Hard-material, flat-surfaced workpieces such as semiconductor wafers or sapphire disks are attached with vacuum to the flexible elastomeric membrane of a wafer carrier that allows one surface of the workpiece to be in conformal abrading contact with a moving flat-surfaced abrasive. The elastomeric membrane external wafer attachment surface has a pattern of recessed vacuum grooves and vacuum is supplied to the grooves to firmly attach the rigid-material silicon wafer in flat-surfaced contact with the membrane. The attached wafer seals the vacuum grooves and also provides lateral stiffness to the center portion of the membrane. An outer annular extension of the flexible elastomer membrane maintains the wafer at its original membrane-centered location when abrading forces are applied to the rotating wafer. The rotating wafer peripheral edge does not contact a rigid retaining ring during a wafer polishing procedure.

Abstract: A method of simultaneous double-side polishing of at least one semiconductor material wafer includes disposing each wafer in a respective suitably dimensioned cutout in a carrier plate having a front and rear side. The at least one wafer is polished between an upper polishing plate covered with a first polishing pad and a lower polishing plate covered with a second polishing pad while supplying a polishing agent. The polishing agent is supplied on the front and rear side of the wafer through openings in the upper and lower polishing pads and the upper and lower polishing plates. Each polishing pad has an inner circular region and outer ring shaped region where the quantity of polishing agent emerging from openings in the working gap per unit time in the inner circular region of the polishing pad is different from the quantity that emerges from openings in the outer ring-shaped region.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for polishing a wafer. The apparatus for polishing a wafer include a surface plate, a polishing pad disposed on the surface plate, the polishing pad including a plurality of fixed polishing particles, a head part disposed on the polishing pad, a retainer mounted on an outer surface of the head part, and a dressing part mounted a lower end of the support part, the dressing part having a ring shape.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process which may be automated for the manufacture of stone blocks for use as finished landscape stone blocks from quarry stone. The natural stone is quarried from the quarry and split into rectangular blocks, with squared ends and the top and bottom surfaces are ground with a plurality of grooves and ridges of varying heights. The ridges of varying heights are then removed thereby producing a surface having ridges of uniform height and grooves of uniform depth. The blocks may be used to form an architectural wall. The process is also applicable to pavers, steps and coping stones.

Abstract: Provided is an abrasive agent for substrates that includes, as an abrasive material component in the abrasive agent, cerium oxide as the main component. The abrasive agent for substrates includes soluble silica and cerium oxide. The concentration ratio of the soluble silica, calculated as Si content, and the cerium oxide in the abrasive agent is 0.001:1 to 0.1:1.

Abstract: A polishing head assembly for single side polishing of silicon wafers includes a polishing head and a cap. The polishing head includes a top surface and a bottom surface and defines a longitudinal axis extending therethrough. The cap is positioned coaxially with the polishing head and includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface is spaced from the bottom surface of the polishing head to form a chamber that allows the cap to deflect toward the polishing head.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of polishing silicon wafers, capable of suppressing generation of undesired sounds from carriers and reducing the thickness variation of the wafers after polished. The method is a wafer polishing method in which wafers 20 are polished by supplying a polishing solution to surfaces 30a of a pair of polishing pads 30 positioned above and below carriers 10 each having a circular hole 11 for retaining the wafers 20, the carriers 10 being thinner than the wafers 20; and sliding the polishing pads 30 relatively to the carriers 10, thereby simultaneously polishing both surfaces of the wafers 20 retained in the carriers 10. The method is characterized in that information sourced from the carriers 10 when a difference between the thickness of the carriers 10 and the thickness of the wafers 20 reaches a predetermined value is detected to calculate the thickness of the wafers 20, thereby terminating polishing.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition containing a ceria abrasive, an ionic polymer of formula I: wherein X1 and X2, Z1 and Z2, R2, R3, and R4, and n are as defined herein, and water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 1 to about 4.5. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate contains silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or polysilicon.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new technology which uses a surface modification method for ultra-precision machining, and in particular relates to a particle beam-assisted ultraprecision machining method for single-crystal brittle materials. The invention, the particle beam-assisted ultra-precision machining method for single-crystal brittle materials, can significantly improve machining accuracy, reduce surface finish and greatly reduce tool wear during ultra-precision machining of brittle materials.