Reel-to-reel substrate tape polishing system
AssigneeSuperPower, Inc.
InventorsVenkat Selvamanickam, Michael T. Gardner, Raymond D. Judd, Martin Weloth, Yunfei Qiao
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Abstract
Disclosed is a reel-to-reel single-pass mechanical polishing system (100) suitable for polishing long lengths of metal substrate tape (124) used in the manufacture of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) coated tape, including multiple instantiations of a polishing station (114) in combination with a subsequent rinsing station (116) arranged along the axis of the metal substrate tape (124) that is translating between a payout spool (110a) and a take-up spool (110b). The metal substrate tape obtains a surface smoothness that is suitable for the subsequent deposition of a buffer layer.
Claims16
A process for the continuous single pass multistage surface polishing of a metal tape comprising
- a] providing an unpolished metal tape
- b] providing a polishing chamber comprising a multiplicity of surface treatment units, each unit comprising a polishing station and a rinsing station
- c] continuously feeding the unpolished metal tape into the polishing chamber
- d] sequentially passing the metal tape through a series of surface treatment units where each successive surface treatment unit further polishes a surface of the tape with the aid of a slurry polishing medium comprising an abrasive material and water;
- and
- e] retrieving polished metal tape from the chamber.
A reel-to-reel single-pass continuous mechanical polishing system suitable for polishing long lengths of metal substrate tape used in the manufacture of HTS-coated tape comprising multiple instantiations of a polishing station in combination with a subsequent rinsing station arranged along the axis of the metal substrate tape that is continuously translating between a payout spool and a take-up spool whereby the metal substrate tape experiences a series of polishing events utilizing a slurry polishing medium comprising an abrasive material and water and cleaning events to progressively diminish its surface roughness and achieve a surface smoothness that is acceptable for depositing a buffer layer in the manufacture of HTS-coated tape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.