2024-12-20 to 2025-01-02: Reduced Holiday Operations

Dear Birck Research Community,

The Purdue winter recess begins effective Friday afternoon December 20th and concludes Thursday morning, January 2. The university is officially closed during this time. As we have done in past years, the Birck Nanotechnology Center will remain available for research but will be unstaffed and hazardous gasses will be unavailable. Lab work may otherwise proceed, though any fume hood work must be done with someone else present in the same laboratory or cleanroom bay (the "buddy" system). Click the link above to get more detail about equipment conditions and rules.

Refer to the Material and Process Compatibility page for information on materials compatible with this tool.
Equipment Status: Set as UP, PROBLEM, or DOWN, and report the issue date (MM/DD) and a brief description. Italicized fields will be filled in by BNC Staff in response to issues. See Problem Reporting Guide for more info.

Status	UP
Issue Date and Description
Estimated Fix Date and Comment
Responding Staff

iLab Name: C - ASAP-1 IPS Digital Sample Preparation System
iLab Kiosk: BRK Packaging and Assembly Core
FIC: Walter Leon-Salas
Owner: Mihailo Bradash
Location: BRK 2221
Maximum Wafer Size: 4"/100 mm

Overview

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Note: the following is quoted from ULTRA TEC's documentation

General Description

ASAP-1® IPS is a digital sample preparation system for the decapsulation, thinning and polishing of packaged wafer-level devices.

Drawing on ULTRA TEC’s market knowledge and long-standing leadership in electronic sample preparation, IPS is ‘device centric’ – designed to meet the non-destructive, high yield and survivability needs of micro-electronic components.

IPS’ Touch Screen OS has been designed from the ground-up to control all aspects of the sample preparation process. Advanced programming drives IPS’s deep sub-micron axes of motion. The machine vision monitor provides an unique ‘always-live’ image of the device, along with key navigational and process information.

The touch-off tool control provides Z-position at pre-defined locations and pressures – enabling package and die tilt to be corrected quickly and accurately. Tool height variations are automatically-calibrated.

Selected area preparation

"Selected Area Preparation (SAP) has long been established as a low damage machining method, with the use of relatively low spindle speeds, in conjunction with the floating head providing very low temperature rises. This is in stark contrast with high speed 'mills' which introduce excess vibration, ultrasonics, and process temperature rises -- generally requiring either a cooling bath to be in position at all time, or even a constant high flow of coolant to avoid device overheating. SAP is almost always a ‘wet process’ . However the coolant required is minimal."

The use of ULTRA TEC’s patented 'float down' head approach has enabled several hundred customers to achieve high quality polished surfaces, ready for analysis. High yields have been shown using analog ASAP-1® equipment for thinning silicon to less than 20 micron target RST. The move to higher accuracy digital systems allows for routine thinning of extremely thin substrates at even low single-digit RST’s. The move to larger flip chips mounted on PCB substrates requires inherent design for 3D sample prep. Sample Preparation developments have been driven by the industry's push for both smaller RST’s – for optimal backside imaging and attenuation – and the need for improved uniformity, to satisfy the latest analytical techniques.

• “A Straightforward Guide to the Sample Preparation of Curved & Warped IC's”; TEC Note #16, 2015 • “Backside Failure Analysis Techniques: What’s The Gain Of Silicon Getting Thinner”; Boit, Schafer et al; ESREF 2014 • “The State of the Art in Backside Sample Prep”; Jim Colvin, EDFA Vol 4, No.2, 2002 • “Packages Have Become the New IC’s”; Jim Colvin, EDFA Volume 16, Issue 4, November 2014

Specifications

Suits all sizes of die - package, wafer and board-level
Real Time Video Monitor with system parameter
Touchscreen control with physical joystick & controls
Rigidized Table Assembly and closed-loop, high-torque, motor control enhances the machining of tough and hard materials
X, Y and Z axes all have deep sub-micron accuracy
Accurately decaps, then thins substrate and polishes
Patented Floating Head provides a true polishing action -- yields polishing quality & high survivability
Intuitive menus provide a powerful, easy to use, system
USB Flash Driveinterface for preparation recipe storage
Short set-up and process times
Accurate die-tilt adjustment ‘on the fly’
Bench-top & Quiet in Operation

Z-Vertical Direction Precision	0.04 microns (40 nanometers)
Table Precision (X& Y Travel)	0.2 microns (200 nanometers)
Table Travel Amplitude	100mm x 100mm
Polishing Method	Patented ASAP-1 Float-down head, with Z-lock, enhanced with electronic sensors and tool patterns
Video	Real-time machine vision with 6.5 inch video monitor. External Video Output (NTSC)
Programming Input Method	Touchscreen with joystick and 3 physical rotary encoders
Machine Vision	Real-time Video of overlaid with stage and process variables.
Tilt Control	Computer-aided 2-circle tilt control, ULTRACOLLIMATOR Measurement (option)
Force Control	1000grams (max) with 1 gram precision. Overall accuracy +/- 10 grams
Recipe Load & Save	USB Port, for removable flash drive (up to 2Gb)
Z Position Touch-off Method	Mechanical Positioning with Force-feedback (option) sensors.
X & Y Position	LASER Targeting
Power Consumption	300 Watts Maximum in use
Power Requirements	Universal: 100-120VAC; 200-240VAC
Footprint	19 inches (480mm) Width x 25 inches (635 mm) Depth x 22 Inches (560mm) Height

Tool Overview

Instructions

Graphics

Operator Controls

Floating polishing head assembly.
Floating head lock knob.
USB Slot for storing recipes
Real time camera view
Operator input screen. (Touch Sensitive)
Emergency OFF button
XYZ control joystick
Dual purpose input knob
1. X axis manual/micro move
2. Manual table speed adjust
Dual purpose input knob
1. Y axis manual/micro move
2. Manual tool speed adjust
Z axis micro move
Power button
spindle shown with tool inserted

Operator Input Screens

Instructions	Graphics
Screen Title: ASAP - 1 Initialization Screen Menu Label: NA Displays during initial power up routine. Touch screen with stylus to exit.
Screen Title: Menu Menu Label: NA To access this menu, press located in the upper left corner of any operator screen.
Screen Title: Load/Save Recipes Menu Label: Load-Save and Tool Dia This screen loads after power ON initialization screen is touched. This displays machine default settings loaded on power up. This screen displays current machine settings after changes.
Screen Title: Load-Save and Tool Diameter Select Menu Label: Not directly accessible from the menu To access this screen, first navigate to Load/Save Recipes screen shown above. Then click . This screen is used only to select tool diameter.
Screen Title: Set Scan Start/Endpoints Menu Label: Start/Endpoints This screen is primarily used to define the area to be thinned/polished. is essentially the same as pressing Run on the Run screen allows the user to interrupt the system while it is running, and will allow table moves and resetting of Start/End points. are temporary coordinate holders. You can store X,Y positions of interest to return to later.
Screen Title: 3D Menu Label: 3D/Tilt This screen is used to manage auto tilt and curvature parameters.
Screen Title: Menu Label: Illumination/Cam Mode/Text Text overlay contrast on real time camera view can be adjusted. Control of camera mode is achieved on this screen. This screen is used to manage power to the laser indicator. This screen also controls the display of the text overlay on the real time camera display
Screen Title: Table Travel Pattern Select Menu Label: Patterns Pattern selection defines the motion of the polishing tool over the area to be thinned/polished.
Screen Title: Run Menu Label: Run Process This screen is used to control the process start and stop. Checking the Timer box will force the process to stop when the timer has reached 0 remaining seconds. Checking the Trip box will ...? Checking the Zstop box will ....? Vac En is not used on this tool
Screen Title: Menu Label: Z Force Feedback
Screen Title: Keypad Menu Label: Keypad This screen is used to enter numerical values directly into parameters Can be used to move the stage to absolute coordinates Press , then enter coordinate, then press axis label / / Can be used to move the stage using reletive coordinates Press , then enter coordinate, then press axis label / /

Safety Precautions

This device produces visible laser radiation. To prevent injury to your eyes, never look directly into the laser.

Sample Requirements and Preparation

Click here to expand...

The Automated Selected Area Polisher (ASAP-1-IPS) is designed to thin and polish small selected areas (windows) in electronic packages and wafer-level dies. The resultant thinned component is transparent to infra-red light, thus enabling backside failure analysis to be carried out on the (front side) circuitry in the device.


Typical Applications
Mechanical Decapuslation	Wafer Thinning	Failure Analysis
Images from http://www.ultratecusa.com

Standard Operating Procedure

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Turn Power ON

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Instructions

Graphics

Generally, turning the machine on only requires pressing the Green Power
button on the lower right of the control panel.

The Green button will light up
The input screen will power on
The real time camera view will power on
The illumination light will power on
The polishing head will move to the top of travel
After the tool quits moving and "Wait for RESET Initialization" is no
longer shown on the real time camera view, use the stylus to touch
anywhere on the input screen.
The input screen now displays the Load/Save Recipes screen and is
ready for normal use.
The tool requires three things for power ON. Two of which are
normally already in the correct state.
- Toggle switch on back of tool in the down position
- Emergency button on front panel released
- Green power button engaged

Sample mounting

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Your sample needs to be mounted flat and rigid to the sample holder. Assuming mounting technique meets these two criteria, there is no preferred method. Below are a couple common mounting techniques used regularly.

Bond small samples to glass slide using Crystal Bond 555-HMP, then use clamps to hold slide in place.
1. Place glass slide on hot plate and heat to 80 degrees C.
2. Spread a small amount of Crystal Bond 555-HMP over the area where sample will be mounted.
3. Press sample firmly down onto Crystal Bond and allow assembly to cool to room temperature.
4. Place assembly onto sample holder and use mechanical clamps to hold the glass slide in place.
Bond sample directly to the sample holder using Crystal Bond 555-HMP.
1. Remove the sample holder from the ASAP-1 tool.
2. Place on hot plate and heat to 80 degrees C.
3. Spread a small amount of Crystal Bond 555-HMP over the area where sample will be mounted.
4. Press sample firmly down onto Crystal Bond and allow assembly to cool to room temperature.
5. Mount sample holder back onto the ASAP-1 tool.
Mechanical Clamps
1. Using the threaded holes provided in the sample holder, mount clamps in place as needed. Two options on each side, one closer to the middle, the second further away from center accomodating a wide range of sample widths.
2. The screw that threads into the clamp is used to adjust the clamp for your sample thickness. That screw needs to be adjusted so that it sticks our futher than the sample is thick resulting the the front edge of the clamp making contact with the sample.
3. Tighten the slotted screw until firm.
  1. Be sure to adjust the rear screw on the clamp appropriately based on the sample thickness. You need to have the edge exerting force on the sample top, not exerting clamping force on the glass slide / sample edge.
  2. Be careful not to exert too much force on the sample. Clamping introduces stress on the package/wafer that can result in cracking or warping during the thinning process.


* _Proper contact angle in this image is exagerated for illustrative purposes.

Typical Sample Mounting Technique Examples

Wax Mount to Glass Slide and Mechanically Clamped

Mechanical Clamping for Decapsulation

Image from http://www.ultratecusa.com

Wax Mounting Direct to Sample Holder

Image from http://www.ultratecusa.com

Selected Area Polish of Wafer Backside Process Example

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Set Processing Parameters

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The parameters needed for backside polishing are directly observable and will not require cross sectioning of a sample as is required with decapuslation. The tool can only polish a rectangular area with radiused corners, no other geometry is possible.

Tool rotational speed (2000 rpm recommended starting point)
1. Minimum: 1600 rpm
2. Maximum: 2400 rpm
Table speed (3.5 mm/sec recommended starting point)
Geometry
1. Start Point (μm)
  1. X_start = - (Length of Area to polish in X axis-Tool Diameter) / 2
  2. Y_start = (Length of Area to polish in Y axis-Tool Diameter) / 2
2. End Point (μm)
  1. X_end = (Length of Area to polish in X axis-Tool Diameter) / 2
  2. Y_end = - (Length of Area to polish in Y axis-Tool Diameter) / 2
3. Depth of polish in Z axis (μm)
Processing times
1. As a general rule, the more area to be thinned and polished the longer each step of the process will take, increase processing time accordingly.

Select appropriate tool size and Polishing Force

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Tools can be purchased from the manufacturer at the following link:

https://www.ultratecusa.com/product/sap-tools/

Area to be Polished * Length x Width (mm²)	Tool Diameter (mm)	Suggested Polishing Force ( grams)	Processing factor (seconds/mm²)
up to 4	0.4	5	300
4 to 9	0.7	15	100
9 to 36	1.0	30	25
36 to 81	2.0	100	12
81 to 225	3.0	300	4.0
225 to 625	5.0	500	1.5
625 and up	8.0	900	0.5
Corner radius need not be taken into consideration for calculating area to be polished. To estimate processing time in seconds, based on the tool diameter selected, select the appropriate processing factor and multiply by processing area. Values are typically between 5 and 15 minutes.

Instructions	Graphics
Step 1 - Set the processing timer Navigate to Keypad Screen Press , enter appropriate time in seconds then press .
Step 2 - Set the table rastering speed (3.5 mm/s recommended) Navigate to Keypad Screen Click , enter desired table speed into the field, then click .
Step 3 - Select polishing pattern Navigate to Table Travel Pattern Select screen Click on the radio button below the desired pattern. (ASAP-1 or ASAP-1 X recommended)
Step 4 - Set polishing force Navigate to Keypad Screen Press , enter appropriate force in grams, then press .
Step 5 - Set tool diameter Navigate to Load/Save Recipes screen and press button. Click radio button next to selected tool diameter
Step 6 - Verify above settings are active Navigate to the Load/Save Recipes Screen In the left column review: Time setting Speed setting Selected pattern Force setting In the right column review: Tool Dia: setting

Processing - Four Steps

Click here to expand Process Overview...

This process recipe should be considered a guide, the procedure can be modified to meet your specific needs.
The following procedure should yield a thinned surface with no scratches in a cavity the size of your choosing.

	Tool Type	Application	Coolant/Slurry	Process Time (minutes)
Stage 1	Fine Diamond	Silicon Thinning	Extender Fluid	10 per 50 μm
Stage 2	XYLEM	Pre-polish	Blue diamond paste and extender fluid	10
Stage 3	XYLEM	Intermediate polish	Yellow diamond paste and extender fluid	10
Stage 4	XYBOVE	Final polish	Colloidal Silica	5
* Process times are flexible and you may need to run the polishing steps longer to achieve your desired results.

Click here to expand Processing Stage 1 - Silicon Thinning

Processing Stage 1 - Silicon Thinning

Instructions	Graphics
Step 1 - Mount the selected diameter Fine Diamond tool into the spindle. Make sure to align the flat on the tool shank with the set screw when inserting the tool into the spindle.
Step 2 - Mount the sample to be thinned. Wafer piece mounted backside up onto a glass slide using Crystal Bond 555-HMP and then mechanically clamped to the sample holder shown.
Step 3 - Apply one to two drops of Extender Fluid to the area to be polished.
Step 4 - Gently lower the head into operating position. Be careful, damageto the tool will occur, and you may be held responsible for damages, if you release the locking mechanism and allow the polishing head to drop onto the force sensor.
Step 5 - Define the Start point of the area to be polished. Navigate to the Set Scan Start/Endpoints screen. Make sure the lower right button is indicating the joystick will move the spindle in the Z axis. Z axis will move very slowly Z axis will move quickly Using the joystick, bring the head down until the tool nearly conacts the surface of your sample. Force reading should still be ~0. Press button to change to indicating the joystick will move the table in the X and Y axis. Use the joystick to move the spindle to the upper left corner of area to be polished. Press , then to define the start point of the area to be polished.
Step 6 - Define the End point of the area to be polished. Use the joystick to move the spindle to the lower right corner of area to be polished. Press , then to define the end point of the area to be polished.
Step 7 - Define the center of area to be polished as XY origin (0,0). Press to move the spindle to the center of the start and end points previously defined. If is displayed rather than on the Set Scan Start/Endpoints screen, press and will change to . Press , then to define the center of the area to be polished. You should see the X and Y display values change to 0.
Step 8 - Define the top surface of the sample as the origin, or zero, point for the Z axis. Make sure force sensor is on. Make sure is displayed before continuing.If is not displayed, click to switch joystick control to the Z axis. Using the joystick bring the tool down to the sample surface until 100 gm is reached. Z motion should stop automatically at 100 gm. Displayed on real time camera view. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click and then . The display on real time camera view will update to show Z position as 0. Click , enter 20 into field, then click . The head should lift 20 μm off the sample and force should read ~0. This will allow you to safely start the 5 point tilt auto generate process.
Step 9 - Compensate for sample tilt Navigate to the Set Scan Start/End screen Press to change to Press and the tool will proceed automatically touching off at 5 points within the selected area to polish. Once completes the tool will move to XY 0 and Z at 5 mm above the surface. X and Y tilt values are shown on the real time camera view. Navigate to the 3D/Tilt screen. Press followed by . The motorized tilt stage will move and auto align the stage based on tilt measurement just taken. Press followed by to measure sample tilt. The tool will proceed through the auto tilt measurement process as before. Once auto tilt measurement completes, X and Y tilt values are shown on the real time camera view. The goal is to have these values measure at ~0. You may need to repeat this many times to achieve 0 values in both axis. If you need to repeat, press followed by . The motorized tilt stage will move and auto align the stage based on tilt measurement just taken. Press followed by to measure sample tilt and verify alignment.
Step 10 - Start the spindle (2000 RPM recommended) From the Keypad screen, click , enter desired rotational speed into the field, then click . The spindle will begin rotating at the set speed.
Step 11 - Begin the thinning process Navigate to the Run screen You should see your entered timer value in the Timer section under Set(Sec). Make sure the Timer box is checked, indicating the tool should stop when the Elapsed time equals Set time. Click and the tool will start rastering across the selected area. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click , enter desired depth into field as a negative value, then click . It is recommended to remove a maximum of 50 μm per processing step. While continuing to raster, the head will slowly move down onto the part until the set polishing force is reached. Initially, the tool will try to maintian this set force by moving down in Z. Once Z has reached set point, the tool will hold Z position and continue processing while the applied force fades to zero. The process will stop automatically and position the tool at the end point with Z ~50 μm above final Z depth when the set time has past.
Step 12 - Continuing to thin the sample Since our extender fluid will become saturated with ground material, if you need to thin your sample by more than 50 μm, you should do so in multiple steps. From the Keypad screen click , enter 20 into field, then click . The head should lift 20 μm off the sample and force should read ~0. Use your hand to gently lift the head to the top of travel. Engage the locking handle by rotating the handle clockwise until tight. Make sure the head is locked before removing the support of your hand. Wipe up the used extender fluid using a clean wipe and isopropyl alcohol. Apply another drop or two of fresh extender fluid. Gently lower the head into operating position. Be careful, if you release the locking mechanism and allow the polishing head to drop onto the force sensor, damage to the tool will occur. Return to Step 10 above and continue. Repeat steps 10 through 12 until the desired thinning has been achieved.	Rasing the head Lowering the head

Click here to expand Processing Stage 2 - Pre-polish

Processing Stage 2 - Pre-polish

Instructions	Graphics
Step 1 - Raise the head to allow access to the sample and tool.
Step 2 - Thoroughly clean your sample and realign for pre-polish After the thinning process it is necessary to thoroughly clean your sample to remove large particles that would cause scratches that can't be removed during the pre-polish step. If the sample was removed for cleaning, you must realign and clamp your sample, see these instructions.
Step 3 - Mount the selected diameter Xylem tool into the spindle. Make sure to mount the tool reserved for the blue diamond paste, it will be marked with blue paint on the mounting flat. Make sure to align the flat on the tool shank with the set screw when inserting the tool into the spindle.
Step 4 - Apply a small amount of Blue Diamond paste to the thinned area.
Step 5 - Apply one to two drops of Extender Fluid to the thinned area and spread blue diamond paste.
Step 6 - Gently lower the head into operating position. Be careful, if you release the locking mechanism and allow the polishing head to drop onto the force sensor, damage to the tool will occur.
Step 7 - Define the top surface of the sample as the origin, or zero, point for the Z axis. Since you have changed tools, we must re establish the Z origin. Make sure force sensor is on. Make sure is displayed before continuing. If is not displayed, click to switch joystick control to the Z axis. Using the joystick bring the tool down to the sample surface until 100 gm is reached. Z motion should stop automatically at 100 gm. Displayed on real time camera view. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click and then . The display on real time camera view will update to show Z position as 0. Click , enter 50 into field, then click . The head will lift 50 μm off the sample and force should read ~0.
Step 8 - Move to the center of the selected area Navigate to the Set Scan Start/Endpoints screen Press . The head will move to the defined XY origin.
Step 9 - Change the timer for the polishing process if applicable. If no change needed, skip to next step. (600 seconds in this example) Navigate to the Keypad screen. Click , enter processing time into the field, then click . This will not produce an immediate and noticable result, however it does set the Run timer shown on the Run screen. Follow this step's instructions to reset the timer. Setting the timer, even to the same value, resets the timer. However, the displayed elapse time will not change to 0 until the button is pressed on the Run screen.
Step 10 - Start the spindle (2000 RPM recommended) From the Keypad screen, click , enter desired rotational speed into the field, then click . The spindle will begin rotating at the set speed.
Step 11 - Begin the pre-polishing process Navigate to the Run screen You should see your entered timer value in the Timer section under Set(Sec). Make sure the Timer box is checked, indicating the tool should stop when the Elapsed time equals Set time. Click and the tool will start rastering across the selected area. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click , enter an unreachable depth into field as a negative value, then click . This ensures you are controlled by the timer. While continuing to raster, the head will slowly move down onto the part until the set polishing force is reached. The process will stop automatically and position the tool at the end point with Z ~50 μm above final Z depth when the set time has past.

Click here to expand Processing Stage 3 - Intermediate polish

Processing Stage 3 - Intermediate polish

Instructions	Graphics
Step 1 - Raise the head to allow access to the sample and tool.
Step 2 - Thoroughly clean your sample and realign for intermediate polish After the blue compound it is necessary to thoroughly clean your sample to remove large particles that would cause scratches that can't be removed during the intermediate polish step. If the sample was removed for cleaning, you must realign and clamp your sample, see these instructions.
Step 3 - Mount the selected diameter Xylem tool into the spindle. Make sure to mount the tool reserved for the yellow diamond paste, it will be marked with yellow paint on the mounting flat. Make sure to align the flat on the tool shank with the set screw when inserting the tool into the spindle.
Step 4 - Apply a small amount of Yellow Diamond paste to the thinned area.
Step 5 - Apply one to two drops of Extender Fluid to the thinned area and spread yellow diamond paste.
Step 6 - Gently lower the head into operating position. Be careful, if you release the locking mechanism and allow the polishing head to drop onto the force sensor, damage to the tool will occur.
Step 7 - Define the top surface of the sample as the origin, or zero, point for the Z axis. Since you have changed tools, we must re establish the Z origin. Make sure force sensor is on. Make sure is displayed before continuing. If is not displayed, click to switch joystick control to the Z axis. Using the joystick bring the tool down to the sample surface until 100 gm is reached. Z motion should stop automatically at 100 gm. Displayed on real time camera view. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click and then . The display on real time camera view will update to show Z position as 0. Click , enter 50 into field, then click . The head will lift 50 μm off the sample and force should read ~0.
Step 8 - Move to the center of the selected area Navigate to the Set Scan Start/Endpoints screen Press . The head will move to the defined XY origin.
Step 9 - Change the timer for the polishing process if applicable. If no change needed, skip to next step. (600 seconds in this example) Navigate to the Keypad screen. Click , enter processing time into the field, then click . This will not produce an immediate and noticeable result, however it does set the Run timer shown on the Run screen. Follow this step's instructions to reset the timer. Setting the timer, even to the same value, resets the timer. However, the displayed elapse time will not change to 0 until the button is pressed on the Run screen.
Step 10 - Start the spindle (2000 RPM recommended) From the Keypad screen, click , enter desired rotational speed into the field, then click . The spindle will begin rotating at the set speed.
Step 11 - Begin the intermediate polishing process Navigate to the Run screen You should see your entered timer value in the Timer section under Set(Sec). Make sure the Timer box is checked, indicating the tool should stop when the Elapsed time equals Set time. Click and the tool will start rastering across the selected area. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click , enter an unreachable depth into field as a negative value, then click . This ensures you are controlled by the timer. While continuing to raster, the head will slowly move down onto the part until the set polishing force is reached. The process will stop automatically and position the tool at the end point with Z ~50 μm above final Z depth when the set time has past.

Click here to expand Processing Stage 4 - Final polish

Processing Stage 4 - Final polish

Instructions	Graphics
Step 1 - Raise the head to allow access to the sample and tool.
Step 2 - Thoroughly clean your sample and realign for intermediate polish After the blue compound it is necessary to thoroughly clean your sample to remove large particles that would cause scratches that can't be removed during the intermediate polish step. If the sample was removed for cleaning, you must realign and clamp your sample, see these instructions.
Step 3 - Mount the selected diameter Xbove tool into the spindle. Make sure to mount the tool reserved for the yellow diamond paste, it will be marked with yellow paint on the mounting flat. Make sure to align the flat on the tool shank with the set screw when inserting the tool into the spindle.
Step 4 - Apply one to two drops of Extender Fluid to the thinned area and spread yellow diamond paste.
Step 5 - Gently lower the head into operating position. Be careful, if you release the locking mechanism and allow the polishing head to drop onto the force sensor, damage to the tool will occur.
Step 6 - Define the top surface of the sample as the origin, or zero, point for the Z axis. Since you have changed tools, we must re establish the Z origin. Make sure force sensor is on. Make sure is displayed before continuing. If is not displayed, click to switch joystick control to the Z axis. Using the joystick bring the tool down to the sample surface until 100 gm is reached. Z motion should stop automatically at 100 gm. Displayed on real time camera view. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click and then . The display on real time camera view will update to show Z position as 0. Click , enter 50 into field, then click . The head will lift 50 μm off the sample and force should read ~0.
Step 7 - Move to the center of the selected area Navigate to the Set Scan Start/Endpoints screen Press . The head will move to the defined XY origin.
Step 8 - Change the timer for the polishing process if applicable. If no change needed, skip to next step. (600 seconds in this example) Navigate to the Keypad screen. Click , enter processing time into the field, then click . This will not produce an immediate and noticeable result, however it does set the Run timer shown on the Run screen. Follow this step's instructions to reset the timer. Setting the timer, even to the same value, resets the timer. However, the displayed elapse time will not change to 0 until the button is pressed on the Run screen.
Step 9 - Start the spindle (2000 RPM recommended) From the Keypad screen, click , enter desired rotational speed into the field, then click . The spindle will begin rotating at the set speed.
Step 10 - Begin the Final polishing process Navigate to the Run screen You should see your entered timer value in the Timer section under Set(Sec). Make sure the Timer box is checked, indicating the tool should stop when the Elapsed time equals Set time. Click and the tool will start rastering across the selected area. Click to navigate to the Keypad Screen. Click , enter an unreachable depth into field as a negative value, then click . This ensures you are controlled by the timer. While continuing to raster, the head will slowly move down onto the part until the set polishing force is reached. The process will stop automatically and position the tool at the end point with Z ~50 μm above final Z depth when the set time has past.