A chuck table in an edge trimming apparatus includes a ring table that sucks and holds a lower surface of an outer circumferential part of the wafer by a wafer suction surface and a base table that holds the ring table in such a manner that the wafer suction surface is exposed. The base table includes a support surface that supports a lower surface of the ring table held by a ring table holding mechanism and a communicating port that is formed in the support surface and causes the wafer suction surface to communicate with a suction source. The ring table has a wafer suction hole having an opening in the wafer suction surface in such a manner as to be capable of connecting to the communicating port. The wafer suction surface is planarized by grinding the wafer suction surface by an abrasive stone.

A tray apparatus adapted to attach to a saw table with an article placed on the tray that is trimmed by a table saw, the tray includes a base planar structure having a first side portion and a second side portion. The first side portion is adapted to attach to the table saw table, the base further includes first and second margins, the first margin further includes a fence to help retain the article and the second side providing a support for the article. Also, a sliding bridge structure is suspended over the second side portion, wherein the sliding bridge structure is slidably engaged to the first and second margins, the sliding bridge operationally providing a rest for the article.

The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method. The polishing apparatus includes a holding stage (4), a polishing head (14), and a control device (1). The control device (1) includes a determination section (1d) that determines a removal of the film (F). The determination unit (1d) determines the removal of the film (F) when a rotational torque value is stabilized at a set torque value.

A method of forming a component having an airfoil includes the steps of a) molding an airfoil preform such that it has an airfoil extending radially, and between a leading edge and a trailing edge, with at least one of the leading and trailing edges being formed with a mold flash, b) machining away the mold flash, c) moving a cutting tool having at least one grinder with a notch along the at least one of the preform leading edge and trailing edge, the notch having side surfaces that will form the at least one of the leading edge and trailing edge on the airfoil preform and d) moving the cutting tool in conjunction with a cam moving through a cam path to control the position of the at least one grinder along the at least one of leading and trailing edges. A machining assembly is also disclosed.

A method of forming a component having an airfoil includes the steps of a) molding an airfoil preform such that it has an airfoil extending radially, and between a leading edge and a trailing edge, with at least one of the leading and trailing edges being formed with a mold flash, b) machining away the mold flash, c) moving a cutting tool having at least one grinder with a notch along the at least one of the preform leading edge and trailing edge, the notch having side surfaces that will form the at least one of the leading edge and trailing edge on the airfoil preform and d) moving the cutting tool in conjunction with a cam moving through a cam path to control the position of the at least one grinder along the at least one of leading and trailing edges. A machining assembly is also disclosed.

Provided is a method of chamfer machining a silicon wafer which makes it possible to increase the number of machining operations that can be performed using a chamfering wheel used for helical chamfer machining in the case of obtaining a small finished wafer taper angle. The method in which helical chamfer machining is performed so that the finished wafer taper angle of an edge portion in the one silicon wafer is within an allowable angle range of a target wafer taper angle .sub.0 includes a first truing step; a first chamfer machining step; a step of determining a groove bottom diameter .sub.A of the fine grinding grindstone portion; a second truing step using a second truer taper angle .sub.2; and a second chamfer machining step. The second truer taper angle .sub.2 is made larger than the first truer taper angle .sub.1.

Some embodiments are directed to a wafer polishing tool. The wafer polishing tool includes a first polisher, a second polisher downstream of the first polisher, a third polisher downstream of the second polisher, and a fourth polisher downstream of the third polisher. The first polisher receives a wafer having a front side and a back side with integrated circuit component devices disposed on the front side of the wafer, and polishes a center region on the back side of the wafer. The second polisher receives the wafer via transporting equipment and buffs the center region of the back side of the wafer. The third polisher receives the wafer via the transporting equipment and polishes a back side edge region of the wafer. The fourth polisher receives the wafer via the transporting equipment and buffs the back side edge region of the wafer.

A method of detecting an abnormality in polishing of a substrate is provided. The method includes: rotating the substrate; pressing a polishing tool against an edge portion of the substrate to polish the edge portion; measuring a position of the polishing tool relative to a surface of the substrate; determining an amount of polishing of the substrate from the position of the polishing tool; calculating a polishing rate from the amount of polishing of the substrate; and judging that an abnormality in polishing of the edge portion of the substrate has occurred if the polishing rate is out of a predetermined range.

This invention provides a method for growing monocrystalline silicon by applying Czochralski method comprising forming a melt of silicon-containing materials in a crucible and pulling the melt for monocrystalline silicon growth, which is characterized by, introducing a gas containing argon during formation of the melt, and, applying a magnetic field during the pulling step. This invention also provides a method for producing a wafer based on the above monocrystalline silicon.

A polishing apparatus polishes a periphery of a substrate by bringing a polishing tool into sliding contact with the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a substrate-holding mechanism configured to hold a substrate and rotate the substrate, a polishing mechanism configured to press a polishing tool against a periphery of the substrate so as to polish the periphery, and a periphery-supporting mechanism configured to support the periphery of the substrate by a fluid. The periphery-supporting mechanism is configured to support a surface of the substrate from an opposite side or the same side of the periphery of the substrate.