Double-side polishing process with reduced scratch rate and device for carrying out the process

A process for producing semiconductor wafers comprising

• double-sided polishing of semiconductor wafers between two rotating, upper and lower polishing plates, which are covered with polishing cloth, while supplying an alkaline polishing abrasive with colloidal solid fractions;
• said semiconductor wafers being guided by carriers which have circumferential gear teeth and said carriers are rotating by complementary outer gear teeth and inner gear teeth of the polishing machine;
• the following process steps are simultaneously carried out during the polishing of the semiconductor wafers:
• (a) spraying at least one of the two sets of gear teeth of the polishing machine at least from time to time with a liquid which substantially comprises water;
• and
• (b) feeding the alkaline polishing abrasive continuously to the semiconductor wafers in a closed supply device;
• and
• guiding the polishing abrasive without pressure, via a covered, rotating polishing-abrasive ring channel attached to the upper polishing plate, to the semiconductor wafers.