Before a first surface of a substrate is polished using a chemical mechanical process, the substrate is transferred to a modification station. The substrate comprises a side wall connected with the first surface at an edge and a second surface opposite to the first surface and also connected to the side wall. The first surface is substantially flat. The side wall is substantially perpendicular to the first surface. The edge of the substrate is modified at the modification station by removing material from a region of the first surface. The side wall of the substrate is a boundary of the region. The modified edge comprises a modified first surface that tapers within the region towards the second surface. The side wall remains substantially perpendicular to the first surface.

A method of certifying uniform distribution of mechanical pressure comprises an apparatus for moving an object, the apparatus including an arm (410) with a joint (430) for adjusting a fixture (420) having a flat surface area (420a). The fixture includes vacuum suction for holding the object. The method further uses a pressure sensor (450) with a flat surface area (450a), displaying output voltage as a function of mechanical pressure applied. When the sensor is placed on a chuck with vacuum suction, the apparatus moves (460) to bring the flat fixture surface in touch with the flat sensor. Mechanical pressure is applied from the fixture to the sensor; the voltage output of the sensor is monitored to certify uniform distribution of the fixture pressure across the sensor area.

A polishing method is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. A method of polishing a substrate by a polishing apparatus includes a polishing table (100) having a polishing surface, a top ring (1) for holding a substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface, and a vertically movable mechanism (24) for moving the top ring (1) in a vertical direction. The top ring (1) is moved to a first height before the substrate is pressed against the polishing surface, and then the top ring (1) is moved to a second height after the substrate is pressed against the polishing surface.

A rotor polishing device, including a housing with a space therein for holding rotors in need of polishing, an inlet for pumping a polishing lapper into the housing, and a rotational assembly for rotating the rotors during the polishing process. The rotor polishing device is useful for polishing rotors commonly used by rotary screw compression systems.

A workpiece processing method includes a resin coating step of coating a resin on a front surface of a workpiece, a resin curing step of applying an ultraviolet ray to the coated resin to be cured, a resin grinding step of grinding the cured resin with grinding stones to be flattened, and a workpiece grinding step of holding the flattened resin side of the workpiece on a chuck table and grinding the back surface of the workpiece with grinding stones. In the resin grinding step, grinding is performed while cleaning the resin stuck to the grinding stones. Accordingly, it is possible to grind the resin coated on the front surface of the workpiece and the back surface of the workpiece in the same apparatus.

A workpiece processing apparatus which coats a front surface of a workpiece with a resin, the workpiece having devices formed in regions demarcated by a plurality of planned dividing lines formed in a lattice manner. The workpiece processing apparatus includes a cassette mounting base mounted with a cassette housing a plurality of workpieces, a resin coating unit that coats the front surface of the workpiece with the resin, a resin curing unit that cures the resin by applying an external stimulus to the coated resin, a resin grinding unit that flattens the cured resin by grinding the cured resin by a rotating grinding stone, and a conveying mechanism that conveys the workpiece between the units.

Provided is a load cup including a cup having an internal space, a pedestal provided in the internal space, able to be lifted up and down, and loading a wafer onto or unloading a wafer from a polishing head, and a plurality of arrangement parts having a plurality of fastening portions disposed around the pedestal, and moved horizontally in a direction of a center of the pedestal, and arrangement part bodies coupled to the plurality of fastening portions, respectively, and rotated or reciprocated so as to contact a lateral surface of the polishing head, adjusting a center of the wafer to be aligned with a center of the polishing head. A polishing process may then be performed on a layer formed on the wafer.

A polishing method is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. A method of polishing a substrate by a polishing apparatus includes a polishing table (100) having a polishing surface, a top ring (1) for holding a substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface, and a vertically movable mechanism (24) for moving the top ring (1) in a vertical direction. The top ring (1) is moved to a first height before the substrate is pressed against the polishing surface, and then the top ring (1) is moved to a second height after the substrate is pressed against the polishing surface.

A modular gas pallet assembly is disclosed herein, along with a cleaning unit and chemical mechanical polisher having the same. In one example, the gas pallet assembly includes three outlets and two or less inlets. The gas pallet assembly has first and second primary gas conduits secured to a first mounting plate. The second primary gas conduits is split into two branches, each having their own flow control. The modular gas pallet assembly is configured to provide gas towards a base plate of a substrate cleaner, to substrate gripping pins of the substrate cleaner, and to a bottom of a substrate held by the substrate gripping pins of the substrate cleaner.

To perform both buff cleaning of a substrate surface and cleaning of an edge part of the substrate, a cleaning module includes: a rotary table configured to support a circular substrate and have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the substrate; a buff cleaning portion configured to buff clean a front side of the substrate while contacting the front side of the substrate supported by the rotary table; a buff cleaning portion movement mechanism configured to move the buff cleaning portion with respect to the substrate; a buff cleaning portion control mechanism configured to control an operation of the buff cleaning portion movement mechanism; and an edge cleaning portion configured to clean an edge part of the substrate while contacting the edge part of the substrate supported by the rotary table.