Mechanical polishing: View

on front Mechanical polishing

Process characteristics:

Materials

Specify material(s) to polish.

Materials

Available

Specify material(s) to polish.

Roughness

Required RMS roughness of the polished surface (if known).

unconstrained

Thickness removed

Thickness of material to be removed.

unconstrained

Sides processed

either

Equipment

Comments:

The substrate is held on a rotating pad and pressed against a second large rotating grindstone. For the grinding, slurry containing small very hard particles (diamond or boron oxide) is used. The size of the particles used and other parameters, such as rotation speed and contact force, determines the removal rate and eventual roughness of the substrate (small particles = low removal rate = smooth surface). Surface roughness down to optical finish can be routinely achieved.