Appeal 2007-1017
Application 10/204,997
1 requiring initial contact portions of the wafer to be “worn out to
2 a certain extent by the mirror-polishing” (i.e., abraded) until all
3 the surfaces to be polished come into contact with the polishing
4 device. (Hasegawa 1:40-2:4.)
5 20. Thus, Hasegawa expressly teaches one of ordinary skill in the
6 art that polishing causes the semiconductor wafer to be “worn
7 out” (i.e., abraded).
8 21. Hasegawa improves upon the prior art by providing three
9 separate polishing portions so that “the beveled surfaces and the
10 rounded edges [of the edge of the wafer] can be securely
11 pressed against respective polishing portions from the
12 beginning...” (Hasegawa 2:7-41.)
13 22. Thus, Hasegawa’s mirror-polishing process necessarily abrades
14 a predetermined amount of wafer material from the start of the
15 polishing operation.
16 23. Because the wafer surfaces are “pressed against the respective
17 polishing portions” of Hasegawa’s polishing wheel,
18 Hasegawa’s polishing wheel would necessarily be “under a
19 load” by action of the pressing force.
20 24. Hasegawa controls the pressing force (i.e., “the load of the
21 abrasive wheel” on the wafer) by a pushing device that pushes
22 the wafer against the polishing wheel 11, 13. (Hasegawa 4:44-
23 58.)
24 25. Hasegawa’s Figure 3, for example, shows that the orientation of
25 an edge of wafer W, 1a, is actually perpendicular to the
26 polishing device 11.
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