Electrochemical and mechanical polishing and shaping method and system

A system for shaping and polishing the surface of a material selected from the group consisting of electrically semi-conductive materials and conductive materials, said system comprising:

• an electrically non-conductive polishing lap adapted to be positioned on the surface of the material;
• an electrode disposed in said polishing lap with said electrode adapted to be placed in spaced-apart juxtaposition with respect to the surface when said polishing lap is positioned thereon;
• a liquid electrolyte disposed between the surface and said electrode, said electrolyte having an electrochemical stability constant such that cathodic material deposition on said electrode is not supported when a current flows through said electrode, said electrolyte and the material;
• and
• control means coupled to said polishing lap and said electrode for simultaneously (i) controllably positioning said polishing lap on the surface while causing relative movement between said polishing lap and the surface, and (ii) causing said current to flow through said electrode while adjusting said current based on (a) adherence to Faraday's Law, and (b) a pre-processing profile of the surface and a desired post-processing profile of the surface, wherein the surface is deterministically shaped and polished.

A method of shaping and polishing the surface of a material selected from the group consisting of electrically semi-conductive materials and conductive materials, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an electrically non-conductive polishing lap with a conductive electrode disposed in a void formed in said polishing lap;
• positioning said polishing lap on the surface such that said electrode is placed in spaced-apart juxtaposition with respect to the surface;
• disposing a liquid electrolyte between the surface and said electrode, said electrolyte having an electrochemical stability constant such that cathodic material deposition on said electrode is not supported when a current flows through said electrode, said electrolyte and the material;
• controllably positioning said polishing lap on the surface while causing relative movement between said polishing lap and the surface;
• and
• causing said current to flow through said electrode while adjusting said current based on (i) adherence to Faraday's Law, and (ii) a pre-processing profile of the surface and a desired post-processing profile of the surface, wherein the surface is deterministically shaped and polished.