System and method for in-situ inspection during metallurgical cross-sectioning

1. A polishing device with an in-situ optical inspection system, the polishing device comprising:

a base;

an arm mounted on a top surface of the base, wherein the arm is moveable in a horizontal plane;

a spindle moveable in a vertical plane, wherein the spindle has a proximal end extending from the arm and a distal end;

a spindle bit attached to the distal end of the spindle configured to hold a metallurgical sample;

a rotatable wheel underlying the spindle bit having an inner diameter between a center of the rotatable wheel and an inner circumference, wherein the rotatable wheel has a top surface configured to accept a polishing compound, and a transparent outer diameter between the inner circumference and an outer edge of the rotatable wheel; and

an optical system underlying the outer diameter of a bottom surface of the rotatable wheel, wherein the optical system is configured to view images of the metallurgical sample;

wherein the arm and the spindle cooperate to move the metallurgical sample, in the horizontal plane, between a first position overlying the inner diameter of the rotatable wheel for polishing, and a second position overlying the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel for in-situ inspection by the optical system.

2. The polishing device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cleaning system overlying the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel and configured to spray the rotatable wheel with cleaning solution.

3. The polishing device of claim 2 , wherein the optical system is a water immersion optical system with a lens underlying a bottom surface of the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel, wherein the lens is focused on the second position.

4. The polishing device of claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises:

a microscope with a lens, wherein the microscope underlies the rotatable wheel and resides outside an outside edge of the rotatable wheel; and

a mirror that underlies the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel, wherein the mirror has a reflective surface.

5. The polishing device of claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises a camera configured to record the images.

6. The polishing device of claim 3 , wherein the cleaning system provides a continuous stream of water, during the in-situ inspection, between a top surface of the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel and the second position, and between the bottom surface of the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel and the lens.

7. The polishing device of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel is a glass material.

8. The polishing device of claim 4 , wherein the lens is focused on the second position through the outer diameter of the rotatable wheel, and is interposed between the rotatable wheel and the reflective surface of the mirror.

9. A system for performing metallurgical polishing with in-situ inspection, comprising:

means for holding a metallurgical sample against a rotatable wheel having an inner region for polishing the metallurgical sample and a transparent outer region that extends from a circumference of the inner region to an edge of the rotatable wheel;

means for moving the metallurgical sample from a first position over the inner region during a polishing phase to a second position over the transparent outer region during an inspection phase; and

means for recording an image of the metallurgical sample through the transparent outer region at a time during which the metallurgical sample is in the second position.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising means for spraying a cleaning solution on a top surface of the outer region of the rotatable wheel.