Development of the 'Super-Dimpler' for preparation of a thin specimen for TEM observations of the machined surfaces.

在用透射电子显微镜进行观察时，我们花了大量的时间来制备薄膜样品，因为薄膜必须足够薄才能通过电子束传输，而且表面必须是平坦的。尤其是陶瓷通常具有化学稳定性，因此采用离子稀释法制作其透射电子显微镜样品。本研究在实验的基础上，研制了一台具有亚微米位置控制机构的自动抛光机，建立了一种仅用机械减薄的无损伤样品制备工艺。首先，对一些传统减薄方法(出现、用金刚石磨料抛光、用调光器抛光)产生的表面损伤进行了评估。磨削表面和调光抛光表面都存在严重的残余应力，晶界和晶界均有裂纹。而且钻石抛光表面有许多划痕。在此基础上，设计并开发了一种基于无应变机械力化学抛光新概念的“超级调光器”。遵循其加工机理；在抛光液中以高于10^4rpm的速度旋转的圆盘靠近样品并保持它们之间的分离。溶液中的磨料在圆盘和试件之间流动，高速抛光试件表面。用氧化铝磨料抛光表明，磨料是在非接触状态下进行的。这意味着使用机械力化学抛光的凹陷图案处理是可用的。在未来，我们可以在短时间内制备出表面无损伤的薄膜样品用于透射电子显微镜的观察。

In observation using, transmission electron microscope(TEM), we spent a lot of time to prepare thin film specimens, for they must be thin enourgh to be transmitted by electron beam and their surfaces need to be flat. Especially ceramics is usually chemically stable, so tfiat the ion-thinninc, method is used for making, its TEM specimens. However, this method has many problems, such as a damaging and rouaheriing at the surface by the ion beam attackin.In this research, we make on an experimental basis a auto-polishin, machine with submicron position control mechanism and establish a preparation technolooy of damage-free specimen for TEM observation only by mechanical thinninal thinning.First of all, surface damage, e morpholo, , y produced by some conventional thinning methods (ariseding, polishing with diamond abrasive, and polishing by a dimpler) are estimated usincr TEM. Both the ground surface and the dimpler polished surface has severe residual stress with a crack both in grains and grain boundaries. And the diamond polished surface has many scratches. Therefore these methods are not suitable for makinc, TEM specimens.Then, a 'Super Dimpler' using a new concept on basis of the strain-free mechanochemical polishincr is designed and developed. Its processing mechanism is followed ; A disk rotating, at above 10^4 rpm in a polishing solution is approached to a specimen with keeping them apart. Abrasive in solution flowing between the disk and the specimen at high speed polish the specimen surface.Polishing with alumina abrasive showed that removine, proceeded in the non-contact state. This means that the dimple pattem processing, using mechanochemical polishing, is available. For the future, we can prepare thin film specimens for TEM observations which have no surface damage at short processing, time.