Precision Substrates and Flats
Our main contribution to the substrate user is our ability to produce chemically polished surfaces on crystal quartz, fused quartz, and similar materials. This method involves the preliminary steps of fine lapping and conventional polishing followed by a final step where up to 12 microns of material are removed using a non-abrasive process. This approach is especially beneficial on single-crystal materials because it produces a finished substrate which has the true characteristics of an oriented single crystal. Sub-surface damage is minimized. Our chemical polishing process is equally effective when applied to fused silica and alumina substrates.
Complimenting our chemical polishing process is our ability to produce very thin substrates and to meet close thickness tolerances. We can deliver crystal quartz as thin as 0.001" in some sizes and we regularly produce substrates up to 2.000" square in a variety of materials while holding thicknesses to +/- 0.0001".
We do not suggest that all requirements should be so extraordinarily thin, nor is it necessary to hold such a close thickness tolerance, but isn't it nice to know that if you need it, Boston Piezo-Optics can supply it?
