Grinding apparatus

A grinding apparatus comprising:

• a holding unit including a chuck table having a holding surface for holding a wafer, the chuck table being rotatable about a rotation axis passing through a center of the holding surface;
• a grinding unit including a spindle having a rotation axis and a grinding wheel mounted at a lower end of the spindle, the grinding wheel having a plurality of abrasive members arranged annularly, wherein when the spindle is rotated to thereby rotate the grinding wheel, the wafer held on the chuck table is ground by the abrasive members of the grinding wheel being rotated;
• an inclination adjusting unit for adjusting an inclination of the rotation axis of the chuck table with respect to the rotation axis of the spindle;
• and
• a touch panel, wherein:
• the abrasive members are adapted to grind the wafer held on the chuck table in a grinding area as a radial area ranging from the center of the holding surface to an outer circumference thereof, and
• the touch panel is adapted to display a target shape input field for inputting information regarding a target sectional shape of the wafer and a present shape input field for inputting information regarding a present sectional shape of the wafer ground in a condition where the inclination of the rotation axis of the chuck table has not yet been changed, wherein the present shape input field includes at least a first present height input field and a second present height input field, and the target shape input field includes at least a first target height input field and a second target height input field, and further wherein the first and second target height input fields are configured and arranged to receive inputs of equal heights as well as inputs of unequal heights;
• the grinding apparatus further comprising:
• a control portion for comparing the information regarding the target sectional shape of the wafer as input into the target shape input field with the information regarding the present sectional shape of the wafer as input into the present shape input field and then controlling the inclination adjusting unit to change the inclination of the rotation axis of the chuck table so that the wafer is ground to obtain the target sectional shape of the wafer, and
• wherein the inclination adjusting unit comprises:
• at least three supporting portions configured and arranged for supporting the chuck table,
• wherein the at least three supporting portions includes at least two moveable supporting portions that each include:
• a threaded rotatable shaft,
• an internally threaded receiving portion that is configured and arranged to receive the threaded rotatable shaft, and
• a sensor seated within the internally threaded receiving portion for detecting a position of the threaded rotatable shaft received within the internally threaded receiving portion.