Apparatus and method for polishing objects using thin film of slurry

Abstract

Apparatus and method for polishing objects uses a layer of diamond slurry on a polishing surface of a polishing structure that is formed by dispensing a set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface. The thickness of the layer of diamond slurry is maintained by periodically dispensing another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface of the polishing structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for polishing objects, the method comprising:
 dispensing a set amount of diamond slurry onto a polishing surface of a polishing structure so that a layer of diamond slurry is formed on the polishing surface;   polishing an object on the polishing surface of the polishing structure with the layer of diamond slurry; and   periodically dispensing another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface of the polishing structure so that the thickness of the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface is maintained.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the another set amount of diamond slurry that is periodically dispensed onto the polishing surface is 0.1 milliliters per square inch to 0.2 milliliters per square inch, inclusive, of the diamond slurry, where the square inch is respect to the surface area of the polishing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface includes dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface every ten (10) minutes to twenty (20) minutes, inclusive. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dispensing the set amount of diamond slurry includes spraying the set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface to produce the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dispensing the set amount of diamond slurry includes brushing the set amount of diamond slurry to produce the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface includes dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface to maintain the thickness of the layer of diamond slurry between 7 micrometers to 10 micrometers, inclusive. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface includes spraying the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface at an angle between thirty degrees to fifty degrees, inclusive, from the normal to the surface of the polishing surface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface includes mixing the diamond slurry with compressed air to pneumatically spray the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for polishing surfaces of objects comprising;
 a top-loading structure that is configured to secure an object to be polished;   a polishing structure that provides a polishing surface on which the object secured on the top-loading structure is polished; and   a slurry dispensing system that is configured to dispense a set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface of the polishing structure to form a layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface, wherein the slurry dispensing system is further configured to periodically dispense another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface of the polishing structure to form and maintain a layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface so that the thickness of the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface is maintained.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the another set amount of diamond slurry that is periodically dispensed onto the polishing surface by the slurry dispensing system is 0.1 milliliters per square inch to 0.2 milliliters per square inch, inclusive, of the diamond slurry, where the square inch is respect to the surface area of the polishing surface. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the slurry dispensing system is configured to periodically dispense the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface every ten (10) minutes to twenty (20) minutes, inclusive. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the slurry dispensing system is configured to periodically spray the set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface using a spray nozzle to produce the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the slurry dispensing system is configured to periodically brush the set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface using a brush to produce the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the slurry dispensing system is configured to periodically dispense the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface so that the thickness of the layer of diamond slurry is maintained between 7 micrometers to 10 micrometers, inclusive. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the slurry dispensing system is configured to periodically spray the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface at an angle between thirty degrees to fifty degrees, inclusive, from the normal to the surface of the polishing surface. 
     
     
         16 . The surface of  claim 9 , wherein the slurry dispensing system includes a spray box to mix the diamond slurry with compressed air to pneumatically spray the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions for polishing objects, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors causes a polishing apparatus to perform steps comprising:
 dispensing a set amount of diamond slurry onto a polishing surface of a polishing structure so that a layer of diamond slurry is formed on the polishing surface;   polishing an object on the polishing surface of the polishing structure with the layer of diamond slurry; and   periodically dispensing another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface of the polishing structure so that the thickness of the layer of diamond slurry on the polishing surface is maintained.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the another set amount of diamond slurry that is periodically dispensed onto the polishing surface is 0.1 milliliters per square inch to 0.2 milliliters per square inch, inclusive, of the diamond slurry, where the square inch is respect to the surface area of the polishing surface. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein periodically dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface includes dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface every ten (10) minutes to twenty (20) minutes, inclusive. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein periodically dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface includes dispensing the another set amount of diamond slurry onto the polishing surface to maintain the thickness of the layer of diamond slurry between 7 micrometers to 10 micrometers, inclusive.