Chemical mechanical polishing of polycarbonate and poly methyl methacrylate substrates

In recent years, polymeric materials such as polycarbonate (PC) and poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) are replacing silicon as major substrates in microfluidic system fabrication due to the outstanding features like low cost and good chemical resistance. In this study, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of PC and PMMA substrates was investigated. First, four types of slurry were tested. Then, the slurry producing relatively high material removal rate (MRR) and low surface roughness was chosen, and experiments were designed and carried out to investigate the effects of key process parameters. The experimental results show impacts of key CMP process parameters on MRR and surface finish of PC and PMMA substrates. An increase in head load or table speed would cause an increase in surface roughness heights and MRR. The surface quality of the polymers after CMP appeared to be acceptable for most of microelectromechanical system applications as the process conditions were restrained within the process window.