A polishing apparatus has a polishing pad, a top ring for holding a semiconductor wafer, and a vertical movement mechanism operable to move the top ring in a vertical direction. The polishing apparatus also has a distance measuring sensor operable to detect a position of the top ring when a lower surface of the top ring is brought into contact with the polishing pad, and a controller operable to calculate an optimal position of the top ring to polish the semiconductor wafer based on the position detected by the distance measuring sensor. The vertical movement mechanism includes a ball screw mechanism operable to move the top ring to the optimal position.

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing a component surface by abrading the component surface using an abrasive surface. The apparatus comprises an abrasive surface which is rotatable about an axis extending parallel to said component surface. A support is provided for moving the abrasive surface or the component surface along a computer-generated toolpath and for applying a force between the abrasive surface and the component surface. The support increases the force between the abrasive surface and the component surface from a minimum force to a maximum force as the distance along the toolpath increases to maintain constant material removal from the component surface.

A bench grinder safety and monitoring system for maintaining worker safety while using a bench grinder having a contactor wheel, a tool rest proximate the contactor wheel defining a tool rest gap and having a tongue guard proximate the contactor wheel defining a tongue guard gap. The system includes a first optical sensor situated within in the tool rest gap having an emitter portion coupled to the tool rest adjacent a first side of the contactor wheel and a receiver portion coupled to the tool rest adjacent a second side of the contactor wheel, the emitter portion configured to project a beam of light across the tool rest gap toward the receiver portion. A controller in data communication with the receiver portion of the first optical sensor, is configured to determine if the light beam is received by the receiver portion and, if so, to de-energize the motor.

A polishing apparatus has a polishing pad, a top ring for holding a semiconductor wafer, and a vertical movement mechanism operable to move the top ring in a vertical direction. The polishing apparatus also has a distance measuring sensor operable to detect a position of the top ring when a lower surface of the top ring is brought into contact with the polishing pad, and a controller operable to calculate an optimal position of the top ring to polish the semiconductor wafer based on the position detected by the distance measuring sensor. The vertical movement mechanism includes a ball screw mechanism operable to move the top ring to the optimal position.

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.

A polishing system for polishing a component has a polishing device that has a housing, a polishing tool, and at least one pressure applicator configured to apply a pressure on the polishing tool to engage the polishing tool with the component. The polishing system further includes a holder to position the polishing device relative to the component and a controller configured to transmit a control signal to the at least one pressure applicator to apply a predetermined amount of pressure on the polishing tool. The polishing device further includes a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure signal indicative of an amount of pressure being applied by the at least one pressure applicator and the holder. The polishing system further includes a component monitoring device that is configured to generate a process signal indicative of a material removal rate from the component.

Disclosed is a substrate polishing method comprising placing a substrate into a substrate polishing apparatus, rotating each of the substrate and a polishing pad of the substrate polishing apparatus, allowing a bottom surface of the substrate to contact a top surface of the polishing pad, and determining whether the polishing pad would benefit from maintenance. The polishing pad includes a plurality of annular regions that are homocentric with a central point of the top surface of the polishing pad. The step of determining whether the polishing pad would benefit from maintenance includes ascertaining a state of the bottom surface of the substrate, and selecting one of the plurality of annular regions by using information about the state of the bottom surface of the substrate. The one of the plurality of annular regions would benefit from maintenance.

The disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an ophthalmic device, comprising machining to provide a predetermined surface on a part and which corresponds to an initial ophthalmic surface, the machining comprising: selecting (130) a machining tool having a cutting edge; selecting (140) the initial ophthalmic surface of the ophthalmic device intended to be manufactured; providing (150) a determined kinematics of the machining tool which is function of the initial ophthalmic surface and of a wear parameter of the cutting edge; machining (160) the predetermined surface according to the determined kinematics of the machining tool; wherein the wear parameter is function of at least a distance travelled by the cutting edge for machining the predetermined surface and/or a friction time between the cutting edge and the part which is machined.

Disclosed is a substrate polishing method comprising placing a substrate into a substrate polishing apparatus, rotating each of the substrate and a polishing pad of the substrate polishing apparatus, allowing a bottom surface of the substrate to contact a top surface of the polishing pad, and determining whether the polishing pad would benefit from maintenance. The polishing pad includes a plurality of annular regions that are homocentric with a central point of the top surface of the polishing pad. The step of determining whether the polishing pad would benefit from maintenance includes ascertaining a state of the bottom surface of the substrate, and selecting one of the plurality of annular regions by using information about the state of the bottom surface of the substrate. The one of the plurality of annular regions would benefit from maintenance.