Polishing glass - From basic investigations to industrial applications

A fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and influences in polishing enables the systematic and efficient development of stable polishing processes. The Fraunhofer IPT investigates the basic interactions in chemical-mechanical polishing of glass for more than ten years. This paper shows first results from a recent project on the effects of polishing pads on the material removal rate when polishing different types of glass. Moreover, a process monitoring system is presented as an example for the application of gained knowledge to current issues in full- and sub-aperture polishing.