The present invention relates to a substrate cleaning apparatus, a polishing apparatus, a buffing apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a machine learning apparatus used for any of these apparatuses, and a substrate cleaning method, which are improved in terms of both performance and throughput. The substrate cleaning apparatus (16) includes: a cleaning tool (77) configured to clean a substrate (W) held by a substrate holder (71, 72, 73, 74); a surface-property measuring device configured to obtain surface data of the cleaning tool (77); and a controller (30) configured to determine a replacement time of the cleaning tool (77) based on the surface data. The surface-property measuring device is configured to obtain surface data of the cleaning tool (77) at at least two measurement points (PA, PB) of the cleaning tool (77) each time a predetermined number of substrates (W) are scrubbed, and the controller (30) is configured to determine the replacement time of the cleaning tool (77) based on a difference in the surface data obtained.

A method cuts semiconductor wafers. The method includes: cutting a semiconductor ingot into a workpiece; and sawing the workpiece into slices using a wire grid having a fixed abrasive grain wire, while moving workpiece towards the wire grid. At a first contact of the workpiece with the wire grid, an initial cutting speed is less than 2 mm/min, coolant flow is less than 0.1 l/h and a wire speed is greater than 20 m/s. The workpiece is then guided through the wire grid until a first cutting depth is reached, and then the coolant flow is increased to at least 2000 l/h. The cutting speed is reduced to less than 70% of the initial cutting speed between the first contact of the workpiece with the wire grid up to a cutting depth of half a diameter of the cylinder, and is then increased.

A method cuts semiconductor wafers. The method includes: cutting a semiconductor ingot into a workpiece; and sawing the workpiece into slices using a wire grid having a fixed abrasive grain wire, while moving workpiece towards the wire grid. At a first contact of the workpiece with the wire grid, an initial cutting speed is less than 2 mm/min, coolant flow is less than 0.1 l/h and a wire speed is greater than 20 m/s. The workpiece is then guided through the wire grid until a first cutting depth is reached, and then the coolant flow is increased to at least 2000 l/h. The cutting speed is reduced to less than 70% of the initial cutting speed between the first contact of the workpiece with the wire grid up to a cutting depth of half a diameter of the cylinder, and is then increased.

The present disclosure provides a grinding cup for detachable connection to the output drive shaft of a grinding machine for grinding buttons on drill bits or cutters. The grinding cup has top and bottom surfaces and consists of a lower grinding section and an upper body section co-axial with the grinding section to form a grinding cup with a centrally disposed recess formed in the bottom surface of the grinding section having the desired profile for the button to be ground. The improvement of the present invention is characterized by the upper body section having a centrally disposed upright drive section sized and shaped to fit within a co-axial recess in a free end of the output drive shaft. The upright drive section has a first support section extending from a top surface of the upper body section and a co-axial drive section on the upright drive section extending from a top surface of the first support section to a free end of the upper drive section. The co-axial drive section has a lower cam portion with an elliptical cross section, shaped and sized to fit within a corresponding pair of lobed grooves in a sidewall of the co-axial recess in the output drive shaft and an upper portion, co-axial with the lower cam portion having a circular cross-section slightly less than the diameter of an upper portion of the co-axial recess in the output drive shaft. Retaining means for detachably connecting the grinding cup to the output drive shaft of the grinding machine are provided on the upright drive section, preferably on or in association with the first support section.

An automated peening method comprising: providing, adjacent a surface of a workpiece, a robotic arm having a peening tool attached thereto; defining a peening area of the surface of the workpiece; calculating a peening path for the peening tool over the peening area, the peening path substantially covering the peening area and comprising a sequence of movement patterns, wherein a geometric variable of one or more of the movement patterns is modified using an output of a random number generator; and controlling the robotic arm to move the peening tool over the surface of the workpiece to follow the peening path.

An automated peening method comprising: providing, adjacent a surface of a workpiece, a robotic arm having a peening tool attached thereto; defining a peening area of the surface of the workpiece; calculating a peening path for the peening tool over the peening area, the peening path substantially covering the peening area and comprising a sequence of movement patterns, wherein a geometric variable of one or more of the movement patterns is modified using an output of a random number generator; and controlling the robotic arm to move the peening tool over the surface of the workpiece to follow the peening path.

A tool sharpener has first and second guide surfaces to respectively support a cutting tool adjacent first and second abrasive surfaces. A drive assembly moves the first and second abrasive surfaces with respect to the first and second guide surfaces. A control circuit directs a user to place the cutting tool against the first abrasive surface using the first guide surface to sharpen a cutting edge of the tool during a first sharpening operation. The control circuit activates an indicator mechanism at a conclusion of the first sharpening operation to direct the user to perform a second sharpening operation in which the user presents the cutting tool against the second abrasive surface using the second guide surface to sharpen the cutting edge.

A tool sharpener has first and second guide surfaces to respectively support a cutting tool adjacent first and second abrasive surfaces. A drive assembly moves the first and second abrasive surfaces with respect to the first and second guide surfaces. A control circuit directs a user to place the cutting tool against the first abrasive surface using the first guide surface to sharpen a cutting edge of the tool during a first sharpening operation. The control circuit activates an indicator mechanism at a conclusion of the first sharpening operation to direct the user to perform a second sharpening operation in which the user presents the cutting tool against the second abrasive surface using the second guide surface to sharpen the cutting edge.

A wafer grinding method includes grinding a central portion of a wafer by using a plurality of abrasive members annularly arranged so as to form a circular ring, thereby forming a circular recess at the central portion of the wafer and simultaneously forming an annular projection around the circular recess, recognizing a height of a grinding unit after grinding the center by using a height recognizing unit and next storing the height recognized above, and grinding an upper surface of the annular projection to a predetermined value for a height of the annular projection previously set by a setting section as a grinding end height where the grinding of the annular projection by the grinding unit is ended.

A wafer grinding method includes grinding a central portion of a wafer by using a plurality of abrasive members annularly arranged so as to form a circular ring, thereby forming a circular recess at the central portion of the wafer and simultaneously forming an annular projection around the circular recess, recognizing a height of a grinding unit after grinding the center by using a height recognizing unit and next storing the height recognized above, and grinding an upper surface of the annular projection to a predetermined value for a height of the annular projection previously set by a setting section as a grinding end height where the grinding of the annular projection by the grinding unit is ended.