The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing a substrate, such as a wafer, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing an edge portion of a wafer with use of a polishing tape. The polishing apparatus includes a substrate holder (1) configured to hold and rotate a substrate (W), and a polishing unit (7) configured to polish an edge portion of the substrate (W) with use of a polishing tape (5). The polishing unit (7) includes: a disk head (12) having a circumferential surface for supporting the polishing tape (5); and a head moving device (50) configured to move the disk head (12) in a tangential direction of the substrate (W) and to bring the polishing tape (5) on the circumferential surface of the disk head (12) into contact with the edge portion of the substrate (W).

A method and an apparatus for processing a peripheral portion of a substrate, such as a wafer, are disclosed. The substrate processing method includes: holding a substrate on a substrate stage; rotating the substrate stage and the substrate about an axis of the substrate stage; directing a laser beam to an edge portion of the rotating substrate to form an annular crack in the substrate; and pressing a polishing tool against the edge portion of the rotating substrate to form a stepped recess in a peripheral portion of the substrate.

Loopback rolls which can transfer and guide a polishing tape (T) in a tangential direction of a pressure contact roll (R) is provided, a top edge face (RG1) and a tapered peripheral edge (RG) having a pair of slant edge faces (RG2) are formed on a periphery of the pressure contact roll, by both of which the polishing tape can be bent into a substantially V-shape in cross section, and a switchable pressure contact mechanism (7) is switchably provided which pressure contacts each of bent portions (T) of the polishing tape, which is bent into the substantially V-shape in cross section by the tapered peripheral edge to one tooth face (B1) or the other tooth face of a bottom land (B) of a worm (W).

A substrate processing apparatus which causes a processing tape to abut against a processing object, including: a tape supply reel configured to supply the processing tape; a tape recovery reel configured to recover the processing tape; a recovery motor configured to apply a torque to the tape recovery reel; a tape feed motor configured to feed the processing tape between the tape supply reel and the tape recovery reel; and a control unit configured to control the tape feed motor, wherein the control unit controls the torque of the recovery motor depending on a change in an outer diameter of a roll of the processing tape wound by the tape recovery reel such that tension applied to the processing tape is constant, using a feed length of the tape fed by the tape feed motor and a thickness of the processing tape.

Method for enhancing sharpness of a cutting tool. A blade portion is cold forged by applying a force to a first side of the blade portion using a form tool projection to form a notch such that a portion of the metal material from the first side of the blade is work hardened and plastically deformed to extend through a plane along which the second side extends. A secondary grinding operation is applied to the second side of the blade portion to remove the portion of the metal material that extends beyond the plane along which the second side extends and sharpen a cutting edge extending between the first and second sides. The form tool projection is a radially extending projection of a rotatable knurl roller which rotates to form a sequence of spaced apart cold forged notches along the cutting edge.

An apparatus for detecting an abnormality in polishing of an edge portion of a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes: a substrate holder configured to rotate the substrate; a pressing device configured to press a polishing tool against the edge portion of the substrate to polish the edge portion; a measuring device configured to measure a position of the polishing tool relative to a surface of the substrate; and a controller configured to determine an amount of polishing of the substrate from the position of the polishing tool, calculate a polishing rate from the amount of polishing of the substrate, and judge that an abnormality in polishing of the edge portion of the substrate has occurred if the polishing rate is out of a predetermined range.

The method is for profiling blades with a belt grinding profiling machine. The blades are mounted into a vise. A vertical position of the template is adjusted by rotating the rotatable knob. The motor is turned on to rotate the grinding belt over the grinding wheel. The guide wheel engages the underside profile of the template. The guide wheel of the template guides movement of the grinding wheel mounted on the common axle by moving the guide wheel along the underside profile of the template. The grinding belt grinds material off the underside of the blade until a portion of the underside profile of the template is copied to the underside of the blade.

According to one embodiment, a polishing device includes a stage holding a wafer, a polishing part polishing a film formed on a circumferential edge portion of the wafer, a detector detecting a residual portion of the film on the circumferential edge portion, a first movable part moving the detector along a surface of the circumferential edge portion; and a controller controlling the polishing part based on a state of the circumferential edge portion detected by the detector.

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.

The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing a substrate, such as a wafer, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing an edge portion of a wafer with use of a polishing tape.

The polishing apparatus includes a substrate holder (1) configured to hold and rotate a substrate (W), and a polishing unit (7) configured to polish an edge portion of the substrate (W) with use of a polishing tape (5). The polishing unit (7) includes: a disk head (12) having a circumferential surface for supporting the polishing tape (5); and a head moving device (50) configured to move the disk head (12) in a tangential direction of the substrate (W) and to bring the polishing tape (5) on the circumferential surface of the disk head (12) into contact with the edge portion of the substrate (W).