The present disclosure relates to a vibration polishing device, comprising: a vibration drive for generating an oscillating vibration for polishing samples; a polishing disc which is connected to and can be driven by the vibration drive; and a polishing bowl which is designed to receive a polishing medium and the samples to be polished and is coupled to the polishing disc; wherein the coupling between the polishing bowl and the polishing disc is accomplished by a quick-type coupling for transferring the oscillating vibrations from the polishing disc to the polishing bowl when the vibration polishing device is in operation and thereby to move the sample to be polished in the polishing bowl.

Example systems and methods for detecting movement of a sample subject to a polishing operation in a vibratory polisher. The system includes a sample holder to secure the sample to be polished. A housing supports a platen upon which the sample holder is placed. The platen allows for movement of the sample holder during a polishing operation as the sample holder traverses a polishing fluid distributed about the platen. One or more sensors are arranged about the housing, operable to monitor movement of the sample holder on the platen relative to the housing.

A platen for a metallographic grinder has an outer peripheral rim with an upper surface having a lower height. Also, fingers engaging a specimen are allowed to move laterally (i.e., wobble) to minimize the tipping forces on the specimen during the grinding process. Either one or both of these structures can be employed and results in a much flatter specimen surface for use in subsequent analysis.

A polishing and loading/unloading component module comprises a loading/unloading module in the center and two polishing modules on both sides of the loading/unloading module. The loading/unloading module includes a loading/unloading table module which has two loading/unloading positions in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two polishing modules. The loading/unloading table module can move back and forth between the two loading/unloading positions, or the two loading/unloading positions are provided with loading/unloading table modules apiece, corresponding to the two polishing modules respectively.

A polishing head includes a first ring-shaped member having an opening; a plate-shaped member that closes the opening on an upper side of the first ring-shaped member; a membrane that closes the opening on a lower side of the first ring-shaped member; a back pad adhered to a lower surface of the membrane; and a second ring-shaped member located below the back pad and having an opening that holds a polishing target workpiece. A space formed by closing the opening of the first ring-shaped member by the plate-shaped member and the membrane includes: a central region; and an outer peripheral region partitioned from the central region by a partition, and an inner peripheral edge region of the second ring-shaped member is located vertically below an outer peripheral edge of the outer peripheral region. A polishing apparatus includes the polishing head, and is used in a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a platen that supports a polishing pad and rotates about a first axis extending in a first direction, a polishing head supporting a substrate and disposed on the platen, and a slurry arm capable of supplying slurry onto the platen, wherein the slurry arm includes a slurry arm body disposed on the platen and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a steam bar combined with the slurry arm body and capable of spraying water vapor, and a steam bar power supply capable of applying a voltage to the steam bar such that the steam bar has an electric charge, and the steam bar includes a steam nozzle spraying the water vapor and extending to the platen.