dishing

Dishing is a term with several related meanings across different fields. In general, it can refer to forming a concave shape, the act of serving food, or a surface deformation that takes a dish-like form.

In culinary contexts, dishing up means portioning and presenting prepared food on plates for service. The noun form describes portions or the act itself, as in dishing out servings.

In manufacturing and metalworking, dishing describes forming a flat sheet into a shallow concave shape by pressing, rolling, or drawing. This technique is used to make bowls, sinks, reflectors, and optical components such as telescope mirrors, where a uniform curvature is desired.

In surface finishing and electronics, dishing denotes an undesirable concave deformation of a surface. In semiconductor manufacturing, dishing is a planarization defect where copper near dense features becomes recessed relative to the surrounding dielectric, reducing surface planarity and potentially affecting metallization. This defect is influenced by polishing rates, slurry chemistry, pad condition, and process endpoints, and is mitigated through process optimization and careful control of polishing conditions.

Overall, dishing describes both a deliberate shaping process to create concave forms and unintended concavities that can arise during finishing or fabrication, depending on the context.