Polishing (SPEC, LPN)

Polishing (SPEC, LPN)Edit

We have one polishing machine, located in D1.P (near mechanical workshop)

Presi Mecapol P320

• General guidelines:

To glue the sample on the holder, use either double-sided tape (~0.2mm thick - not the thinnest, but not too smooth) or crystal bond .
Warning: black wax used for dicing is not appropriate (not strong enough)

Place the sample in the middle of the holder.
Try using circular wafers.
Do not leave empty space between the sample and the holder, because diamond paste may be trapped and pollute flocks with lower diamond grade.

For diamond polishing,

- put a couple of small nuts (1mm3) of diamond paste over the flock, spread with the finger (using glove) and wet the flock with solvent,
OR
- spread diamond suspension all over (flock must be wet). 

During polishing, DO NOT add diamond, but moisten regularly using solvent.

For the reason detailed above, clean thouroughly the wafer and the wafer-holder under water tap between each step, to avoid polution of diamond on the successive flocks.

Clean as well the flocks under water tap, rubbing with hand (gloves) to remove as much residues as possible, and dry manually with clean-room towels (DO NOT RUB). NB: if not dried, the flock warps, unsticks and is screwed up.

Always moisten a lot and regularly, otherwise the grip is too hard, the residues are not evacuated and result is not convenient (not flat, not uniform etc...)
With the SiC paper, the solvent is H2O
With fabric flocks, and diamond solutions the solvent is bought from Presi (mainly ethanol)

• Supply:

Diamond polish:

Either diamond paste to dilute with solvent, or diamond suspension already diluted.
Both are available in the lab. 

SiC polish:

Paper from grade 320 up to grade 1200.

• Technical problem:

For supply or dysfunction of those machines, ask technical supervisor n° 3.nn.nn

• Polishing strategies:

see Struers online recipes login: QuantroPol password: QuantroPol