Abstract
Local area polishing has been done by using a newly-developed fine pressure controlling machine. Fine pressure yielded by repulsive magnetic force between an electromagnet and permanent one, has proved to be excellent polishing performance on the optical glass. Polishing rate at any point on the workpiece should depend on the shape of a pad as well as the polishing condition, such as relative motion of polishing pad and workpiece. In the present study focusing on the reduction of surface waviness in the order of nanometer, the effects of pad shape on the polishing characteristics are experimentally and analytically examined. It is found that the profile of polished surface can be controlled by the shape of the polishing pad, and that the developed technique is very effective in the modification of the surface profile in nanometer scale.
