Double-sided polishing apparatus and method for double-sided polishing of workpieces

The apparatus addresses the challenge of measuring polishing pad thickness in real-time during double-sided polishing by using a distance sensor to calculate pad thickness on both platens, ensuring continuous operation and accurate shape determination.

JP2026091183APending Publication Date: 2026-06-03SPEEDFAM CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
SPEEDFAM CO LTD
Filing Date
2024-11-22
Publication Date
2026-06-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional double-sided polishing apparatuses face challenges in accurately determining the thickness of polishing pads during the polishing process, necessitating the workpiece to be stopped for measurement, and existing methods fail to measure the thickness of pads attached to both the upper and lower platens separately.

Method used

A double-sided polishing apparatus equipped with a distance sensor on one platen to detect the distance to a carrier and the other platen, allowing for real-time calculation of the thickness of polishing pads on both platens using a pad thickness calculation unit, while the workpiece is being polished.

Benefits of technology

Enables the simultaneous detection of polishing pad thickness on both the upper and lower platens during the polishing process, ensuring accurate shape determination without interrupting the operation.

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  • Figure 2026091183000001_ABST
    Figure 2026091183000001_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a double-sided polishing apparatus that can detect the thickness of the polishing pad attached to the lower platen and the thickness of the polishing pad attached to the upper platen during double-sided polishing of a workpiece. [Solution] A double-sided polishing apparatus 1 comprises a lower platen 11 to which a lower polishing pad 17 is attached and an upper platen 12 to which an upper polishing pad 18 is attached, and polishes both sides of a workpiece W held on a carrier 15 between the lower platen 11 and the upper platen 12. The apparatus includes a distance sensor 31 provided on the upper platen 12 that can detect the distance to the carrier 15 and the distance to the lower platen 11 during double-sided polishing of the workpiece W, and a pad thickness calculation unit that calculates the thickness of the upper polishing pad 18 using the distance from the distance sensor 31 to the carrier 15, and calculates the thickness of the lower polishing pad 17 using the distance from the distance sensor 31 to the carrier 15 and the distance from the distance sensor 31 to the lower platen 11 during double-sided polishing of the workpiece W.
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