The present invention relates to a substrate polishing method of polishing a substrate, such as a wafer, by pressing a polishing tape against the substrate. The substrate polishing method includes: storing an actual polishing condition for a substrate that has been polished in the past and an actual amount of use of a polishing tape under the actual polishing condition in a database (21a), with the actual polishing condition and the actual amount of use associated with each other, searching the database (21a) for an actual polishing condition that matches a preset polishing condition for a polishing-target substrate before polishing of the polishing-target substrate, determining a predicted amount of use of the polishing tape necessary for polishing the polishing-target substrate which is an actual amount of use of the polishing tape associated with the actual polishing condition that matches the preset polishing condition; comparing a remaining amount of the polishing tape to be used for polishing of the polishing-target substrate with the determined predicted amount of use; and when the remaining amount of the polishing tape is equal to or larger than the predicted amount of use, polishing the polishing-target substrate by a polishing module (4A, 4B).

One array of grindstones is used for in-feed grinding and creep-feed grinding. Therefore, it is not necessary to position a chuck table that is holding a plate-shaped workpiece with respect to two different arrays of grindstones. As a result, a period of time required to grind the plate-shaped workpiece can be shortened. Furthermore, lower surfaces of the grindstones are used for the in-feed grinding, whereas side surfaces of the grindstones are used for the creep-feed grinding. Consequently, the amount by which the grindstones are worn can be smaller than that in a case where the plate-shaped workpiece is ground to a predetermined thickness in only the in-feed grinding or the creep-feed grinding.

One array of grindstones is used for in-feed grinding and creep-feed grinding. Therefore, it is not necessary to position a chuck table that is holding a plate-shaped workpiece with respect to two different arrays of grindstones. As a result, a period of time required to grind the plate-shaped workpiece can be shortened. Furthermore, lower surfaces of the grindstones are used for the in-feed grinding, whereas side surfaces of the grindstones are used for the creep-feed grinding. Consequently, the amount by which the grindstones are worn can be smaller than that in a case where the plate-shaped workpiece is ground to a predetermined thickness in only the in-feed grinding or the creep-feed grinding.

Provided is a grinding apparatus that can efficiently and accurately measure the position of a work surface of a workpiece without preliminary preparations. Included are: a work table (14) configured to hold a workpiece (W); a grinding wheel (10) configured to grind the workpiece (W) while rotating; and a detection sensor (20) configured to detect the position of a work surface of the workpiece (W) in contact with the work surface, and relative positions of the detection sensor (20) and the work table (14) are changed by a manual operation, and the detection sensor (20) is brought into contact with the workpiece (W) to measure the workpiece (W). Consequently, it is possible to omit preliminary preparations for measurement such as creation of an NC program, initial settings, and operation confirmation and perform a highly efficient measurement with a significantly reduced time for the preliminary preparations.

The invention relates to a sample carrier for a sample (70). Said sample carrier comprises a supporting base (10), a carriage (20) having a receiving region (30) for the sample (70), the carriage (20) being supported on the supporting base (10), a guide (40), the carriage (20) being movably arranged along the guide (40), and a disc (60) that is rotationally movable about an axis of rotation (50), said disc being operatively connected to the carriage (20), wherein a center (65) of the disc (60) is located outside of the axis of rotation (50).

The invention relates to a sample carrier for a sample (70). Said sample carrier comprises a supporting base (10), a carriage (20) having a receiving region (30) for the sample (70), the carriage (20) being supported on the supporting base (10), a guide (40), the carriage (20) being movably arranged along the guide (40), and a disc (60) that is rotationally movable about an axis of rotation (50), said disc being operatively connected to the carriage (20), wherein a center (65) of the disc (60) is located outside of the axis of rotation (50).

Disclosed herein is a grinding wheel including a wheel base to be fixed to a spindle, a plurality of abrasive members fixed to the wheel base, and a plurality of grinding water supply holes for supplying a grinding water to the abrasive members. Each abrasive member is formed as a segment abrasive having an outer surface extending downward from the lower surface of the wheel base so as to be inclined radially outward. The plural abrasive members are arranged annularly at given intervals. The plural grinding water supply holes are formed on the lower surface of the wheel base in the vicinity of the abrasive members so as to each correspond to the abrasive members in the condition where each grinding water supply hole lies on a line connecting the corresponding abrasive member and the axis of rotation of the wheel base.

Disclosed herein is a grinding wheel including a wheel base to be fixed to a spindle, a plurality of abrasive members fixed to the wheel base, and a plurality of grinding water supply holes for supplying a grinding water to the abrasive members. Each abrasive member is formed as a segment abrasive having an outer surface extending downward from the lower surface of the wheel base so as to be inclined radially outward. The plural abrasive members are arranged annularly at given intervals. The plural grinding water supply holes are formed on the lower surface of the wheel base in the vicinity of the abrasive members so as to each correspond to the abrasive members in the condition where each grinding water supply hole lies on a line connecting the corresponding abrasive member and the axis of rotation of the wheel base.

A manufacturing method for a substrate wafer, including: a wafer having a first and second main surface; forming a flattening resin layer on second main surface; with the flattening resin layer adsorbed and held as a reference surface, grinding or polishing first main surface as a first processing; removing flattening resin layer from the wafer; with the wafer's first main surface subjected to the first processing adsorbed and held, grinding or polishing second main surface as a second processing; with the second main surface subjected to second processing adsorbed and held, further grinding or polishing first main surface as a third processing; with first main surface subjected to third processing adsorbed and held, further grinding or polishing second main surface as a fourth processing to obtain a substrate wafer, wherein first processing and/or third processing is executed such that the wafer has a central concave or central convex thickness distribution.

A manufacturing method for a substrate wafer, including: a wafer having a first and second main surface; forming a flattening resin layer on second main surface; with the flattening resin layer adsorbed and held as a reference surface, grinding or polishing first main surface as a first processing; removing flattening resin layer from the wafer; with the wafer's first main surface subjected to the first processing adsorbed and held, grinding or polishing second main surface as a second processing; with the second main surface subjected to second processing adsorbed and held, further grinding or polishing first main surface as a third processing; with first main surface subjected to third processing adsorbed and held, further grinding or polishing second main surface as a fourth processing to obtain a substrate wafer, wherein first processing and/or third processing is executed such that the wafer has a central concave or central convex thickness distribution.