ABSTRACT

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Lapping or polishing is one of the technologies that advanced along with the

history of humankind. Recently, with increasing demands for functional

enhancement, ultralapping or polishing has been recognized as a critical

technology for the functional materials of the precision machinery compon-

ents, optical components, and electronic components. For instance, in line with

the rapid progress in miniaturization and high integration in electronic com-

ponents, the dimensional accuracy of the components is shifting from on the

order of micrometers (106 m) to nanometers (109 m). Ultraprecision polishing is a technology that accurately produces geomet-

rically dimensional shapes in the nanometer order. These functional materials

or components should be produced to a completely smooth mirror surface to

work as functional materials. This chapter deals with the ultraprecision

polishing technology to produce a complete smooth surface, or damage-free

surface without any affected layer or strain, which are the basic requirements

for the functional materials. Also mentioned in this chapter are the applica-

tions of the polishing technology to the fabrication of such components.