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:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 25, 2000
Kunihiko Sakurai, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Satoshi Wakabayashi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Tetsuji Togawa, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Ebara Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides a polishing apparatus comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface, a substrate carrier having an axis about which the substrate carrier is rotatable. The substrate carrier includes a plurality of substrate holders positioned around a circle about the axis of the substrate carrier and spaced apart from each other at equal angular distances, with each of the substrate holders being adapted to hold a substrate and bring it into contact with the polishing surface. The apparatus further comprises a substrate loading device laterally spaced apart from the polishing table, in which device a substrate is picked up by one of the substrate holders which is positioned at the substrate loading device, and a substrate unloading device laterally spaced apart from the polishing table, in which device one of the substrate holders which is positioned at the substrate unloading device releases a wafer onto the unloading device. The substrate carrier is indexably rotated about the stated axis in such a manner that one of the substrate holders is selectively positioned at the loading device, while another substrate holder is positioned at the unloading device and at least one of the other substrate holders is positioned over the polishing surface.