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US 5,964,651 AGranted
Apparatus for polishing planar substrates through rotating plates
AssigneeHMT Technology Corporation
InventorJohn S. Hose
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for polishing one or more planar substrates, such as magnetic disks, between rotating polishing plates is described. The apparatus is designed to optimize uniformity and flatness of the substrates by maintaining a substantially constant parallel and coaxial alignment between the rotating polishing plates.
Claims14
An apparatus for polishing a planar substrate between rotating plates, comprising
- (a) a support structure,
- (b) a lower polishing plate, rotatable about a first axis and defining a lower polishing plane,
- (c) an upper polishing plate, rotatable about a second axis and defining an upper polishing plane,
- (d) means for rotating said plates independently of one another about said axes,
- (e) adjustable support means interposed between said support structure and a gimbal carried on said upper plate, for supporting a selected portion of the weight of the upper plate along a support axis, when the upper and lower plates are in a polishing condition with one or more substrates disposed therebetween,
- (f) bracing means for preventing the second axis from shifting radially with respect to the first axis when the plates are rotated in a polishing operation, and
- (g) flexible coupling means in said adjustable support means, effective to allow the second axis to remain substantially coincident with the first axis when the plates are rotated, and these axes are offset from the support axis;
- whereby said bracing and coupling means are effective to maintain the planes of said plates in substantially parallel and coaxial alignment when the two plates are rotated.
5 more elements
An apparatus for polishing a planar substrate between rotating plates, comprising
- (a) a support assembly, comprising at least two independent supporting structures operably attached to a central support rod,
- (b) a lower polishing plate rotatable about a first axis and defining a lower polishing plane,
- (c) an upper polishing plate rotatable about a second axis and defining an upper polishing plane,
- (d) means for rotating said plates independently of one another about said axes,
- (e) adjustable support means interposed between said support assembly and a gimbal carried on said upper plate, for supporting a selected portion of the weight of the upper plate along a support axis, when the upper and lower plates are in a polishing condition with one or more substrates disposed therebetween, and
- (f) bracing means for preventing the second axis from shifting radially with respect to the first axis when the plates are rotated in a polishing operation.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.