Development of an AC electric field-applied tribochemical polishing technology to promote high-efficiency polishing for glass substrates (image analysis of dynamical slurry behaviours and polishing characteristics under AC electric field)

This paper deals with the investigation conducted on the mechanism of the polishing technology, to which AC electric field is applied. For the analysis of the slurry dynamical behaviors, we used a digital image processor. In this research, we have also worked to develop a novel high-efficiency polishing technology applying AC electric field for the glass substrates for IT devices. When AC electric field was applied to, the slurry behavior was found to have better stability than the one without AC electric field. Furthermore, good polishing rates were obtained under high-relative rotation speed between the glass substrates and polishing pad. This suggests that the friction heat generated between the glass substrate and polishing pad, which promote tribochemical reactions, improves polishing rate. This latest polishing technology makes the removal rate two times better than the conventional polishing and produces excellently smooth surface.