Shortcomings associated with insufficient control of a conventional CMP-process are obviated by providing an CMP-apparatus configured to complement a constant force (to which a workpiece that is being polished is conventionally exposed) with a time-alternating force and/or means for measuring an electrical characteristic of the CMP-process. The time-alternating force is applied with the use of a system component that is electrically isolated from the workpiece and that is disposed in the carrier-chick in which the workpiece is affixed for CMP-process, while the electrical characteristic is measured with the use of a judiciously-configured reservoir in which the used fluid is collected. The use of such CMP-apparatus.

An automatic grinding machine with positioning effect has a body, at least two positioning sets, and a processing set. The body has a base, a grinding mount, a drive device, and a fixture. The base has a chamber. The at least two positioning sets are connected to the body and each positioning set has a displacement device and an optical module. The displacement device is mounted in the chamber. The optical module is disposed on the displacement device and is moved relative to the grinding mount by the drive device to position locations of the grinding mount and a probe card. The processing set is electrically connected to the drive device and the fixture of the body and the displacement device and the optical module of each positioning set, and has a computer control interface.

A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a carrier head to a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish an overlying layer on the substrate, an in-situ acoustic monitoring system, and a controller. The in-situ acoustic monitoring system includes an acoustic signal generator to emit acoustic signals and an acoustic signal sensor that receives acoustic signals reflected from the surface of the substrate. The controller is configured to detect exposure of an underlying layer due to the polishing of the substrate based on measurements from the in-situ acoustic monitoring system.

This document provides a method of operating a floor grinding machine 100. The method comprises providing a grinding machine 100 comprising a frame 101, a motor 102 and at least one grinding element 1, causing the motor to drive the grinding element so as to rotate at a rotational speed, while in contact with a floor surface to grind, polish or mill the floor surface, determining an actual value of a motor operating parameter, determining a nominal value of the motor operating parameter, comparing the actual value of the motor operating parameter with the nominal value of the motor operating parameter, if a difference between the actual value of the motor operating parameter and the nominal value of the motor operating parameter exceeds a predetermined difference threshold, determining at least one grinding parameter to be adjusted, and causing the at least one grinding parameter to be adjusted.

This document provides a method of operating a floor grinding machine 100. The method comprises providing a grinding machine 100 comprising a frame 101, a motor 102 and at least one grinding element 1, causing the motor to drive the grinding element so as to rotate at a rotational speed, while in contact with a floor surface to grind, polish or mill the floor surface, determining an actual value of a motor operating parameter, determining a nominal value of the motor operating parameter, comparing the actual value of the motor operating parameter with the nominal value of the motor operating parameter, if a difference between the actual value of the motor operating parameter and the nominal value of the motor operating parameter exceeds a predetermined difference threshold, determining at least one grinding parameter to be adjusted, and causing the at least one grinding parameter to be adjusted.

Generating a recipe for a polishing process includes receiving a target removal profile that includes a target thickness to remove for locations spaced angularly around a center of a substrate, storing a first function providing substrate orientation relative to a carrier head over time, storing a second function defining a polishing rate below a zone of the zone as a function of one or more pressures of one or more zones of the carrier head, and for each particular zone of the plurality of zones, calculate a recipe defining a pressure for the particular zone over time. Calculating the recipe includes calculating an expected thickness profile after polishing from the second function defining the polishing rate and the first function providing substrate orientation relative to the zone over time, and applying a minimizing algorithm to reduce a difference between the expected thickness profile and the target thickness profile.

A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.

A method of accurately detecting an end point of substrate polishing using an acoustic sensor is disclosed.

The method includes: detecting an acoustic event occurring with polishing of a substrate and outputting the acoustic event as acoustic signals; generating power spectra from the acoustic signals, each of the power spectra indicating a spectrum of a sound-pressure level; generating a power spectrum map indicating a temporal change in power spectrum by arranging the power spectra in a time-series order; and detecting a polishing end point of the substrate based on a change in the sound-pressure level in the power spectrum map.

A substrate processing apparatus of accurately detecting an end point of substrate polishing using an acoustic sensor is disclosed.

The substrate processing apparatus for polishing a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad, includes: an acoustic sensor configured to detect an acoustic event occurring with polishing of a substrate and output the acoustic event as acoustic signals; a power-spectrum generator configured to generate power spectra from the acoustic signals, each of the power spectra indicating a spectrum of a sound-pressure level; a map updating device configured to generate a power spectrum map indicating a temporal change in power spectrum by arranging the power spectra in a time-series order; and an end-point determiner configured to detect a polishing end point of the substrate based on a change in the sound-pressure level in the power spectrum map.

In one embodiment, a vibration barrel polishing method using a vibration barrel polishing system that includes a polishing tank having a bottom surface therein and a polishing jig capable of holding a workpiece and rotatable around a rotation axis is provided. This method includes a step of supporting the polishing jig in the polishing tank in a state in which a lowermost portion of the polishing jig is separated from the bottom surface, a clearance d between the lowermost portion of the polishing jig and the bottom surface being greater than or equal to a grain diameter of a polishing medium, a step of causing the polishing medium to flow in the polishing tank, and a step of rotating the polishing jig around the rotation axis in the state in which the lowermost portion of the polishing jig is separated from the bottom surface.