Patent ID: 8348720

Claim:
A method for polishing wafers and other substantially thin, rigid materials, comprising the steps of: i. utilizing a lapping apparatus having a rotating flat, lapping platen; at least one pair of rotating pressurized heads; a plurality of wafer carriers, each adapted to receive at least one mounted wafer; a plurality of concentric conditioning rings; at least one wafer to be processed being made from a desired wafer material; and a slurry dispenser containing slurry to be dispensed; ii. removably affixing at least one wafer to the polishing wafer carrier; iii. providing an slurry at a desired flow rate; iv. selecting and setting a polishing downward force; v. selecting and setting a polishing time; vi. selecting and setting a rotational speed for the rotating lapping platen and each rotating pressurized head; vii. continuously conditioning the lapping platen by rotating the plurality of concentric conditioning rings upon the lapping platen with a desired downward force and overhang; and viii. operating the lapping apparatus with the plurality of rotating pressurized heads in counterbalanced pairs rotating in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.