Accuracy of detection of a fly out of a substrate from a polishing head is improved. A substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing table 350 to which a polishing pad 352 for polishing the substrate is attachable, a polishing head 302 for holding and pressing the substrate against the polishing pad 352, a retainer member disposed surrounding the polishing head 302, a retainer member pressurization chamber disposed adjacent to the retainer member, an arm 360 for holding and turning the polishing head 302, and a slip out detector 910 for detecting a fly out of the substrate from the polishing head 302 based on a turning torque of the arm 360 or based on a flow rate of a fluid supplied to the retainer member pressurization chamber.

One exemplary embodiment relates to a device for the robot-assisted machining of surfaces. According to one example, the device has a carrier structure, a motor, a linear actuator, and a machining head. The machining head is coupled to the carrier structure by means of the linear actuator and has a drive shaft for directly or indirectly driving a rotatable tool. The device also has a flexible shaft, which couples a motor shaft of the motor to the drive shaft of the machining head.

One exemplary embodiment relates to a device for the robot-assisted machining of surfaces. According to one example, the device has a carrier structure, a motor, a linear actuator, and a machining head. The machining head is coupled to the carrier structure by means of the linear actuator and has a drive shaft for directly or indirectly driving a rotatable tool. The device also has a flexible shaft, which couples a motor shaft of the motor to the drive shaft of the machining head.

A grinding method includes a first grinding step of executing grinding feed of a rough grinding unit and grinding the workpiece to a predetermined thickness while supplying grinding water with a first grinding water amount that allows suppression of wear of grinding abrasive stones and a second grinding step of, after executing the first grinding step, promoting dressing of the grinding abrasive stones to prepare for processing of the next workpiece through executing grinding feed of the rough grinding unit and grinding the workpiece to the finished thickness while supplying the grinding water with a second grinding water amount that increases wear of the grinding abrasive stones and promotes self-sharpening through reduction relative to the first grinding water amount.

A grinding method includes a first grinding step of executing grinding feed of a rough grinding unit and grinding the workpiece to a predetermined thickness while supplying grinding water with a first grinding water amount that allows suppression of wear of grinding abrasive stones and a second grinding step of, after executing the first grinding step, promoting dressing of the grinding abrasive stones to prepare for processing of the next workpiece through executing grinding feed of the rough grinding unit and grinding the workpiece to the finished thickness while supplying the grinding water with a second grinding water amount that increases wear of the grinding abrasive stones and promotes self-sharpening through reduction relative to the first grinding water amount.

A mechanism for polishing includes a polishing member, an eccentric member coupled to the polishing member, and a driving member coupled to the eccentric member. The driving member drives the eccentric member to rotate to move the polishing member to reciprocate in the one-dimensional direction, so that when a relative position between the polishing mechanism and the workpiece is fixed, the polishing member polishes a workpiece by translating a polishing surface. A method for the polishing process, applied by a polishing device, is also disclosed. By using the polishing mechanism, the entirety of the polishable surface of the workpiece can be covered, and collapsed edges of the workpiece are avoided.

A method of detecting a polishing endpoint includes storing a plurality of library spectra, measuring a sequence of spectra from the substrate in-situ during polishing, and for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching library spectrum from the plurality of library spectra to generate a sequence of best matching library spectra. Each library spectrum has a stored associated value representing a degree of progress through a polishing process, and the stored associated value for the best matching library spectrum is determined for each best matching library spectrum to generate a sequence of values representing a progression of polishing of the substrate. The sequence of values is compared to a target value, and a polishing endpoint is triggered when the sequence of values reaches the target value.

A method of detecting a polishing endpoint includes storing a plurality of library spectra, measuring a sequence of spectra from the substrate in-situ during polishing, and for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching library spectrum from the plurality of library spectra to generate a sequence of best matching library spectra. Each library spectrum has a stored associated value representing a degree of progress through a polishing process, and the stored associated value for the best matching library spectrum is determined for each best matching library spectrum to generate a sequence of values representing a progression of polishing of the substrate. The sequence of values is compared to a target value, and a polishing endpoint is triggered when the sequence of values reaches the target value.

A polishing device has a substrate stage which holds a substrate Wf, a processing head which processes a surface of the substrate Wf, an indentation detecting system which detects a position of an indentation in the substrate Wf, a movement mechanism which moves the processing head in a radial direction of the substrate stage, and a rotation mechanism which rotates the substrate stage, and the indentation detecting system has a fluid injection nozzle configured to inject a fluid to a circumferential edge portion of the substrate Wf when the substrate Wf is held on the substrate stage, a fluid measuring device which measures a physical quantity which is pressure or a flow rate of the fluid, and a position detector which detects the position of the indentation formed in the circumferential edge portion of the substrate Wf based on a change in physical quantity.

A polishing device has a substrate stage which holds a substrate Wf, a processing head which processes a surface of the substrate Wf, an indentation detecting system which detects a position of an indentation in the substrate Wf, a movement mechanism which moves the processing head in a radial direction of the substrate stage, and a rotation mechanism which rotates the substrate stage, and the indentation detecting system has a fluid injection nozzle configured to inject a fluid to a circumferential edge portion of the substrate Wf when the substrate Wf is held on the substrate stage, a fluid measuring device which measures a physical quantity which is pressure or a flow rate of the fluid, and a position detector which detects the position of the indentation formed in the circumferential edge portion of the substrate Wf based on a change in physical quantity.