Polishing apparatus

A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of an object using a relative frictional movement between said object and a polishing cloth, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of plates each having substantially flat top and bottom surfaces and a side surface and each having at least one object to be polished, respectively, secured to its substantially flat bottom surface;
• a support member surrounding said plurality of plates by way of respective predetermined gaps therebetween;
• and
• a plurality of holding means each one being comprised of essentially a non-shrinkable and flexible member and having an outer peripheral edge connected to said support member and an inner peripheral edge connected to the side surface of a respective one of said plurality of plates and being provided for maintaining said at least one object parallel to the surface of the polishing cloth;
• wherein an intersecting point P, formed by extension of imaginary lines along the cross section of opposite sides of said holding means, being defined by the following equation:
• D=(A/B)d
• wherein:
• A is the horizontal distance between the intersecting point P and the attaching position of said holding means to said plate;
• B is the horizontal distance between the attaching positions of said holding means to said plate and to said head section;
• D is the vertical distance between the intersecting point P and the attaching position of said holding means to said plate;
• and d is the vertical distance between the vertically staggered attaching positions of said holding means to said plate and to said head section.

A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of an object to be polished using a relative frictional movement between said object and a polishing cloth, said apparatus comprising:

• a plate having substantially flat top and bottom surfaces and a side surface and having at least one object to be polished secured to the bottom surface;
• a head section surrounding said plate with a predetermined gap therebetween;
• fluid pressure applying means, disposed in an inner space of said head section, for applying fluid pressure to the substantially flat top surface of said plate;
• and
• holding means comprising a flexible member and having an outer peripheral edge attached to an inner wall surface of said head section and an inner peripheral edge attached to the substantially flat top surface of said plate and being disposed in said inner space and movable in a pressure applying direction, for holding said at least one object secured to the substantially flat bottom surface of said plate in coincidence with the surface of the polishing cloth, the attaching position of said holding means on the side surface of said plate being set substantially at the same height as or at a point lower than the attaching position of said holding means on the inner wall surface of said head section;
• wherein an intersecting point P, formed by extension of imaginary lines along the cross section of opposite sides of said holding means, being defined by the following equation:
• D=(A/B)d
• wherein:
• A is the horizontal distance between the intersecting point P and the attaching position of said holding means to said plate;
• B is the horizontal distance between the attaching positions of said holding means to said plate and to said head section;
• D is the vertical distance between the intersecting point P and the attaching position of said holding means to said plate;
• and d is the vertical distance between the vertically staggered attaching positions of said holding means to said plate and to said head section.