Potential of micro fabrication by magnetic polishing for surface quality control

In recent years, the establishment of an ultimate machining method for realizing further ultra precision, ultra smoothness, and ultra micronization is becoming increasingly essential in the manufacture of various microdevices, which are functional structures. This need demand is particularly strong in the areas of object electronics, mechatronics, biology, and medicine. The accuracy sought ranges from normal such as profile accuracy and surface roughness to surface properties of the machined surface. Surface properties include microshapes (e.g ., microbumps, twists, etc.) on the machined surface, and general surface properties such as surface roughness, work damaged layer, particles adhered to the surface, and nuclear pollution. Machining technologies that are currently available for forming surfaces include removal machining such as cutting, grinding, polishing, press forming, and rolling. Numerous physical and chemical methods such as surface evaporation, sputtering, and etching are also applied. We have been conducting studies on creating and controlling the surface properties of various functional parts by the generation of ultra smooth surfaces using ELID grinding 1–3) and by applying semiconductor device wafer chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technologies. This paper describes a study on a magnetic polishing method, that can be applied freely to surface properties, and which has excellent maintenance and control of the protrusion of abrasives. The investigation of the potential of surface control and microfabrication using this method is also described. Principle of magnetic polishing