The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 06, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 20, 1998
Tetsuji Togawa, Chigasaki, JP;
Nobuyuki Takada, Fujisawa, JP;
Seiji Katsuoka, Atsugi, JP;
Hiroyuki Osawa, Kawasaki, JP;
Ebara Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a turntable having a polishing surface, a top ring for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the polishing surface, and a transferring device for transferring the workpiece between the top ring and the transferring device. The transferring device includes a stage having a support surface for supporting the workpiece, an actuating unit for moving the stage in a vertical direction, and a guide member disposed radially outwardly of the stage and having a guide surface of an inverted conical shape. The centering of the workpiece is conducted by bringing a periphery of the workpiece into contact with the guide surface, and then the workpiece is transferred from the transferring device to the top ring by raising the stage.