Fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool

Abstract

A fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool containing cerium oxide particles each being in the plate shape and having an average particle size in an in-plane direction of the plate-form particles of 10 nm to 200 nm, which are bonded together with a water-soluble polymer.

1 . A fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool for grinding or polishing a substrate, wherein said tool comprises cerium oxide particles having an average particle size of 10 nm to 200 nm and a binder comprising a water-soluble polymer.  
     
     
         2 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the cerium oxide particles in plate form and a ratio of the maximum length in the in-plane direction of the plate-form particle to a thickness thereof is from 2 to 20.  
     
     
         3 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1 , comprising said cerium oxide particles as a main component and further comprising additional oxide particles which are at least one selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide particles, aluminum oxide particles and iron oxide particles.  
     
     
         4 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 3 , wherein said additional oxide particles have an average particle size of 10 nm to 200 nm.  
     
     
         5 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 3 , wherein said additional oxide particles are in the plate form and have a ratio of the maximum length in the in-plane direction of the plate-form particle thereof to a thickness thereof of from 2 to 20.  
     
     
         6 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 3 , wherein a content of the additional oxide particles is from 1 to 50% by weight relative to a weight of the cerium oxide particles.  
     
     
         7 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1 , wherein a content of the water-soluble polymer is from 0.5 to 30% by weight and a content of the cerium oxide particles is from 50 to 99% by weight based on the total weight of the particles and binder.  
     
     
         8 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder further comprises an organic solvent soluble polymer.  
     
     
         9 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the cerium oxide particles have a narrow particle size distribution.  
     
     
         10 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 3 , wherein the zirconium oxide particles, aluminum oxide particles and/or the iron oxide particles have a narrow particle size distribution.  
     
     
         11 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble polymer is a metal alginate.  
     
     
         12 . The fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the metal is an alkali or alkaline earth metal.  
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool, comprising a step of combining cerium oxide particles having an average particle size of 10 nm to 200 nm with a binder comprising a water-soluble polymer.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 dissolving the water-soluble polymer with a solvent to form a solution,    dispersing the cerium oxide particles each being in the shape of a plate into said solution into which the water-soluble polymer is dissolved to form a dispersion,    forming said dispersion into a specific shape to form an intermediate product so that said plate-shaped cerium oxide particles are aligned substantially in a specific direction.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising: combining additional oxide particles which are at least one selected from the group consisting of zirconium oxide particles, aluminum oxide particles and iron oxide particle, each being in the shape of a plate, with the cerium oxide particles.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 removing solvent in the dispersion to increase the concentration of binder and particles in the dispersion,    aligning the orientation of the particles using electrophoresis.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 dissolving the water-soluble polymer with a solvent to form a solution,    dispersing the cerium oxide particles and the additional oxide particles each being in the shape of a plate into said solution into which the water-soluble polymer is dissolved to form a dispersion,    forming said dispersion into a specific shape to form an intermediate product so that said plate-shaped oxide particles are aligned substantially in a specific direction,    removing solvent in the dispersion to increase the concentration of binder and particles in the dispersion,    aligning the orientation of the particles using electrophoresis.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the water-soluble binder comprises a metal alginate.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the metal is an alkali or alkaline earth metal.  
     
     
         20 . A method of increasing the smoothness of a surface of a substrate, comprising contacting the fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1  with the surface of the substrate to smoothen said surface.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the substrate is silica.  
     
     
         22 . A product made by a process comprising contacting the fixed abrasive grinding/polishing tool according to  claim 1  with a surface of the product to smoothen said surface.  
     
     
         23 . The product according to  claim 22 , wherein the smoothened surface of the product is made of silica.