Polishing method and holder

Abstract

A polishing method includes a polishing process of polishing a surface to be polished of an object by relatively rotating a holding fixture and a polishing pad with the surface to be polished of the object held on the holding fixture being pressed against and placed in contact with the polishing pad, while supplying a polishing composition onto the polishing pad. During the polishing process, the object held on the holding fixture turns around with the surface to be polished of the object facing the polishing pad to change the orientation of the object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A polishing method comprising a polishing process of polishing a surface to be polished of an object by relatively rotating a holding fixture and a polishing pad with the surface to be polished of the object held on the holding fixture being pressed against and placed in contact with the polishing pad, while supplying a polishing composition onto the polishing pad,
 wherein during the polishing process, the object held on the holding fixture turns around with the surface to be polished of the object facing the polishing pad to change the orientation of the object.   
     
     
         2 . The polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the polishing process includes temporarily stopping an operation to polish the surface to be polished of the object to restart the operation to polish the surface to be polished of the object after changing the orientation of the object. 
     
     
         3 . The polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the object is one of a plurality of objects to be polished held on the holding fixture. 
     
     
         4 . The polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the surface to be polished of the object is a curvilinear surface, and   the surface to be polished of the object is polished while pressing the object against the polishing pad and deforming the polishing pad into a shape conforming to the surface to be polished, which is the curvilinear surface.   
     
     
         5 . The polishing method according to  claim 4 , wherein the polishing process is carried out by disposing a spacer between the holding fixture and the object and placing the surface to be polished of the object in a state of projecting toward the polishing pad. 
     
     
         6 . The polishing method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the surface to be polished of the object is composed of a plurality of surfaces, and   the surface to be polished of the object is polished while pressing the object against the polishing pad and deforming the polishing pad into a shape conforming to the surface to be polished, which is composed of the plurality of surfaces.   
     
     
         7 . The polishing method according to  claim 6 , wherein the polishing process is carried out by disposing a spacer between the holding fixture and the object and placing the surface to be polished of the object in a state of projecting toward the polishing pad. 
     
     
         8 . A holding fixture used in a polishing method of polishing a surface to be polished of an object by relatively rotating the holding fixture and a polishing pad with the surface to be polished of the object held on the holding fixture being pressed against and placed in contact with the polishing pad, while supplying a polishing composition onto the polishing pad, the holding fixture comprising:
 a polishing head for holding the object; and   a rotating mechanism for turning around the object held on the polishing head with the surface to be polished of the object facing the polishing pad to change the orientation of the object.   
     
     
         9 . The holding fixture according to  claim 8 , wherein the rotating mechanism is provided with a rotating table onto which the object is fixed. 
     
     
         10 . The holding fixture according to  claim 9 , further comprising a spacer disposed between the rotating table and the object to project the surface to be polished of the object toward the polishing pad. 
     
     
         11 . The holding fixture according to  claim 9 , wherein the rotating table is arranged so as to project from the polishing head toward the polishing pad. 
     
     
         12 . The holding fixture according to  claim 8 , wherein the polishing head is configured to be able to hold a plurality of objects to be polished.