Patent ID: 8142259

Claim:
A grinding machine comprising: a holding table adapted to hold a workpiece; a grinding unit for grinding the workpiece held on the holding table; and a grinding unit transfer mechanism operative to move the grinding unit in a direction coming close to or moving away from the workpiece; wherein the grinding unit includes, a porous pad having a large number of fine pores opposed to the workpiece held on the holding table, a gel-like slurry storing portion provided on the porous pad storing gel-like slurry therein, and a water supply unit for supplying water between the porous pad and the workpiece; wherein the porous pad contains first superabrasives at least at an outer circumferential portion to rough grind the workpiece, wherein the gel-like slurry contains second superabrasives therein, and wherein the fine pores of the porous pad have a diameter greater than that of the second superabrasives contained in the gel-like slurry, such that the gel-like slurry with the second superabrasives therein passes through the porous pad to finish grind the workpiece.