A Truing Technique of Flattening Diamond Grains for Fabricating Microstructures with Fine Surfaces

A truing technique that can be used to shape the tip of an electroformed diamond tool into a hemisphere and flatten diamond grains on the tool working surface at the same level as the bond face was developed. A polycrystalline diamond disk whose top surface roughened by electrical discharge machining was partially flattened by grinding was used as a truer. Diamond grains on the tool working surface were successfully flattened along the hemispherical tool profile when the grains mesh size of #1000 was employed. In addition, a grinding test using glasslike carbon as a work material revealed that a surface roughness of less than 50 nm Rz could be obtained in both cases when moving the tool on contour and scanning paths.