Polishing or grinding method, processing method of optical element, processing method of fluorite, polishing or grinding apparatus, polishing and/or grinding apparatus for optical element, apparatus for processing surface of optical element, and lens

Abstract

During grinding and polishing of an optical element made of a crystalline material such as fluorite, tarnish and a reaction with diamond polishing abrasive grains included in processing liquid are prevented. To this end, processing liquid supplied to a processing region of a surface to be processed and processing liquid supplied to a non-processing region are divided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A polishing method comprising: 
 supplying liquids functionally different from each other to a processing region which is processed with a tool and a non-processing region, respectively.    
     
     
         2 . A polishing method of a surface to be processed of an object, the method comprising: 
 dividing the surface to be processed into a region to be processed by a processing tool and a region other than the region to be processed; and    supplying different processing liquids according to the divided region.    
     
     
         3 . A polishing method comprising: 
 separately supplying a processing liquid which includes polishing abrasive grains to a region to be processed by a processing tool of an object and a processing liquid without the polishing abrasive grains to a region other than the region to be processed.    
     
     
         4 . A processing method of an optical element comprising: 
 supplying liquids functionally different from each other to a region to be processed by a tool of the optical element and a region other than the region to be processed, respectively.    
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the optical element is fluorite.  
     
     
         6 . A processing method of an optical element comprising: 
 using a processing tool having a processing area which is small relative to a processed area of a surface of the optical element; and    supplying liquids functionally different from each other to a region to be processed by the processing tool and a region other than the region to be processed, respectively.    
     
     
         7 . A processing method of an optical element comprising: 
 supplying a liquid having a polishing function to a processed surface of the optical element and a liquid having a dry-protecting function to a region other than the processed surface of the optical element.    
     
     
         8 . A processing method of an optical element comprising: 
 supplying a liquid having a dry-protecting function to a region other than a processed surface of the optical element.    
     
     
         9 . A processing method of an optical element by polishing, the method comprising: 
 keeping a region other than a processed surface of the optical element in a non-dry state during processing.    
     
     
         10 . A processing method of an optical element by polishing, the method comprising: 
 keeping a region other than a region processed by a tool of the optical element wet during processing.    
     
     
         11 . A processing method of an optically functional surface of fluorite comprising: 
 keeping a region other than a region processed by a tool for processing the optically functional surface of the fluorite in a non-dry state during processing.    
     
     
         12 . A processing method of an optically functional surface of fluorite comprising: 
 supplying a liquid for dry-protecting to a region other than a processed region on the optically functional surface during processing the optically functional surface.    
     
     
         13 . A processing apparatus for polishing an optical element comprising: 
 a plurality of supplying means for supplying processing liquid to a surface to be processed of the optical element.    
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the kind of the processing liquid supplied by the supplying means for supplying processing liquid differs according to the region on the processed surface to which the processing liquid is applied.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising dividing means for dividing the processing liquid.  
     
     
         16 . A processing apparatus for polishing an optical element comprising: 
 first processing-liquid-supplying means for supplying processing liquid to a region to be processed of the optical element;    dividing means for dividing a region other than a region processed by the tool on the surface of the optical element; and    second processing-liquid-supplying means for supplying processing liquid to a region other than the processed region.    
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 13  to  16 , wherein the optical element is fluorite.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for processing a surface of an optical element comprising: 
 supplying means for supplying a plurality of processing liquids functionally different from each other to the surface to be processed of the optical element; and    mixture preventing means for preventing the plurality of processing liquids from mixing.    
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the mixture preventing means is compressed air.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for processing a surface of an optical element comprising: 
 means for supplying processing liquids functionally different from each other to the surface to be processed of the optical element and for independently recovering the processing liquids.    
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to any one of  claims 18  to  20 , wherein the optical element is fluorite.  
     
     
         22 . A fluoride lens prepared by a process comprising: 
 supplying a first processing liquid to a portion to be processed by a processing tool and supplying a second processing liquid to a region other than the portion to be processed by the processing tool during processing of an optical surface of the lens.