A bonded abrasive wheel is disclosed comprising a plurality of abrasive particles disposed in a binder, a first grinding surface, a second surface opposing the first grinding surface, and an outer circumference. The wheel comprises a rotational axis extending through a central hub and a circuit configured as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) unit coupled to the abrasive wheel. The circuit comprises an antenna configured to communicate with one or more external devices and comprising a first end and a second end, wherein antenna has a radius of curvature about an axis along at least a portion thereof such that the first end is disposed adjacent to but is spaced from the second end, and an integrated circuit (IC) operably coupled to the antenna and configured to store at least a first data.

A lapping method of a MAMR head slider includes a first lapping process: controlling the lapping plate to spin at a first speed, and controlling the MAMR head slider to move at a first moving speed, and applying a first force to the MAMR head slider; and a second lapping process: controlling the lapping plate to spin at a second speed that is lower than the first speed, and controlling the MAMR head slider to move at a second moving speed that is lower than the first moving speed, and applying a second force that is lower than the first force to the MAMR head slider; and the second lapping process includes a final lapping process section, and the second force in the final lapping process being zero. In such a way, lapping marks on the ABS are reduced to improve the roughness and the reliability.

A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen to support a polishing pad, a conditioner head to hold a conditioner disk in contact with the polishing pad, a motor to generate relative motion between the polishing pad and the conditioner disk so as to condition the polishing pad, an in-situ acoustic monitoring system having an acoustic sensor to receive acoustic signals from the conditioner disk, and a controller configured to analyze a signal from the acoustic sensor and determine a characteristic of the conditioner disk or conditioner head based on the signal.

An intelligent polishing system provides improvements to the polisher itself as well as networking capability enabling remote control and monitoring of multiple polishers. One or more electronic devices ensure that a user of the intelligent polisher operates the polisher to achieve optimum results. Such devices may include a polishing timer, a downward pressure sensor, or a tachometer to measure speed. The system may further include a memory for storing operational parameters or performance characteristics of the intelligent polisher for later downloading or retrieval. The same or a different memory may store calibration information to ensure that intelligent polisher operates within predetermined limits. Such operational parameters, performance characteristics or calibration information include RPM, polishing time, downward force or inlet air pressure. The system may further include a plurality of intelligent polishers, each in communication with a server enabling remote monitoring or control of the polishers through a computer or mobile device.

A system for monitoring one or more of an abrading tool, a consumable abrasive product and a workpiece, the system can optionally comprise: a data storage device; a sensor; a communication unit; a consumable abrasive product that is attachable to and detachable from the abrading tool and configured to abrade the workpiece; a computing system comprising one or more computing devices configured to: receive a first data from the communication unit regarding the sensor, the first data indicative of at least one operating parameter of one or more of the abrading tool, the consumable abrasive product and the workpiece; identify if the at least one operating parameter falls outside a predetermined operating parameter range; and if the at least one operating parameter falls outside a predetermined operating parameter range, store a second data based upon the first data in the data storage device.

A system for monitoring one or more of an abrading tool, a consumable abrasive product and a workpiece, the system can optionally comprise: a data storage device; a sensor; a communication unit; a consumable abrasive product that is attachable to and detachable from the abrading tool and configured to abrade the workpiece; a computing system comprising one or more computing devices configured to: receive a first data from the communication unit regarding the sensor, the first data indicative of at least one operating parameter of one or more of the abrading tool, the consumable abrasive product and the workpiece; identify if the at least one operating parameter falls outside a predetermined operating parameter range; and if the at least one operating parameter falls outside a predetermined operating parameter range, store a second data based upon the first data in the data storage device.

A grinding apparatus grinds a workpiece by rotating the workpiece held by main spindles and a grinding wheel held by a wheel spindle, and by relatively moving the grinding wheel toward and away from the workpiece. The grinding apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects a rotational phase of the workpiece; a second detection unit that detects a grinding resistance moment at a grinding point between the grinding wheel and the workpiece, or detects a drive current of a rotary drive unit of the workpiece or a rotary drive unit of the grinding wheel; a storage unit that stores the grinding resistance moment or the drive current in a manner associated with the rotational phase; and a determination unit that determines a slip between the workpiece and the main spindles based on the grinding resistance moment or the drive current at a current rotational phase, and on the grinding resistance moment or the drive current at the same phase as the current rotational phase of a previous time.

A polishing apparatus includes an acoustic sensor, a sound collector, an analyzer, a feature quantity calculator, and an end point calculator. The acoustic sensor detects the polishing sound of an object. The sound collector collects a polishing sound detected by the acoustic sensor. The analyzer performs frequency analysis on the power spectrum of the polishing sound with a predetermined time resolution. The feature quantity calculator calculates an arithmetic value of the power spectra having a preset time difference of the power spectra as a polishing feature quantity by using the analysis data provided by the analysis performed by the analyzer. The end point calculator determines a polishing end point of the object based on the change in the feature quantity.

The present invention improves versatility of a film thickness measuring device. The trigger sensor 220 includes a proximity sensor 222 and a dog 224, and outputs a trigger signal indicating that a polishing table 110 makes one revolution. The eddy current sensor 210 measures a film thickness of a subject to be polished 102 at a timing based on the trigger signal output from the trigger sensor 220. The dog 224 is disposed in an opposite region 250 located at the opposite side of a rotation axis C.sub.W of the top ring 116 with respect to a rotation axis C.sub.T of the polishing table 110. Further, the eddy current sensor 210 and the proximity sensor 222 are disposed at the polishing table 110 so as to be located in the opposite region 250 when the trigger signal is output from the trigger sensor 220.

The present invention improves versatility of a film thickness measuring device. The trigger sensor 220 includes a proximity sensor 222 and a dog 224, and outputs a trigger signal indicating that a polishing table 110 makes one revolution. The eddy current sensor 210 measures a film thickness of a subject to be polished 102 at a timing based on the trigger signal output from the trigger sensor 220. The dog 224 is disposed in an opposite region 250 located at the opposite side of a rotation axis C.sub.W of the top ring 116 with respect to a rotation axis C.sub.T of the polishing table 110. Further, the eddy current sensor 210 and the proximity sensor 222 are disposed at the polishing table 110 so as to be located in the opposite region 250 when the trigger signal is output from the trigger sensor 220.