Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8038856 | Method and apparatus for fluid processing a workpiece A method of fluid sealing a workpiece is provided. The method includes placing a workpiece on a ring, engaging at least one engagement feature of the ring with at least one retaining feature defined by the member and flexing the member to provide a force to the at l... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7780825 | Substrate gripper with integrated electrical contacts A substrate holding and transporting assembly is disclosed. The substrate holding and transporting assembly includes a base plate and a pair of clamps connected to the base plate in a spaced apart orientation, the spaced apart orientation of the pair of clamps enabl... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7727366 | Balancing pressure to improve a fluid seal A method and apparatus for fluid sealing a workpiece retained by a workpiece holder are described. A pressure differential can be formed across a fluid seal to counteract fluid attempting to penetrate the fluid seal, which can contaminate the underside of the workpi... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7601248 | Substrate holder and plating apparatus The present invention is to provide a substrate holder which can effect a more complete sealing with a sealing member and makes it possible to take a substrate out of the substrate holder easily and securely, and also a plating apparatus provided with the substrate ... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7566390 | Wafer support apparatus for electroplating process and method for using the same A multi-layered wafer support apparatus is provided for performing an electroplating process on a semiconductor wafer (“wafer”). The multi-layered wafer support apparatus includes a bottom film layer and a top film layer. The bottom film layer includes a wafer p... | 07/28/2009 |
| 7416648 | Image sensor system for monitoring condition of electrode for electrochemical process tools A system for use in manufacturing semiconductor devices, is provided. The system includes an electrochemical processing tool and an image sensor. The electrochemical processing tool includes an electrode located at a central region of a platen. The electrode is adap... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7384522 | Ergonomic loading apparatus for electroplating processes A loading apparatus for use in electroplating processes includes a container designed to sealingly receive a plurality of airfoil blades fitted with gaskets. Each fitted airfoil blade is disposed in contact with a plurality of electrical contact assemblies having a ... | 06/10/2008 |
| RE40035 | Modular ceramic oxygen generator A ceramic oxygen generator is described which is capable of modular construction to permit the oxygen generation capacity to be expanded. An ionically conducted ceramic electrolyte is formed into a series of rows and columns of tubes on a tube support member and lik... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7294243 | Contact assemblies for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces and method of making thereof Contact assemblies for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces. The contact assembly (400) can comprise a support member (410) that includes an inner wall (412) which defines an opening (414) configured to receive the wor... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7264699 | Workpiece holder for processing apparatus, and processing apparatus using the same An inexpensive workpiece holder having high reliability and a processing apparatus equipped with the workpiece holder are provided, in which damage caused by oxygen in the air is prevented. The holder comprises: a ceramic body which has an electrode and a heater cir... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7255492 | Electro-optic surface mount light pipe and connector A method includes providing a light pipe having a metallized end surface, and soldering the metallized end surface of the light pipe to a surface of a substrate. Other embodiments are described and claimed. ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7214297 | Substrate support element for an electrochemical plating cell A contact ring for an electrochemical plating system is provided. The contact ring includes an annular substrate supporting member, a plurality of radially positioned conductive substrate contact pins extending from the substrate supporting member, an annular conduc... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7211178 | Fixture for electro-chemical machining On a fixture for electro-chemical machining for the production of long, curved cavities (11) in a component (12), the working electrode (3) of the electro-chemical machining tool (1) is connected to a guide body (1a) which m... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7208070 | Stent manufacture The present invention provides improvements in methods for the manufacture of stents. Specifically, the invention provides methods wherein stents are placed on jigs of various designs which facilitate manufacture, stents carried by the jigs are immersed in liquid ba... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7204920 | Contact ring design for reducing bubble and electrolyte effects during electrochemical plating in manufacturing A contact ring for use in electroplating of a substrate material is constructed such that fluid (e.g., electrolyte) is allowed to flow radially away from the axis of a toroidal support ring, thus preventing the trapping of fluids between the substrate and the toroid... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7195989 | Electrochemical fabrication methods using transfer plating of masks Three-dimensional structures are electrochemically fabricated by depositing a first material onto previously deposited material through voids in a patterned mask where the patterned mask is at least temporarily adhered to a substrate or previously formed layer of ma... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7172184 | Substrate carrier for electroplating solar cells A carrier for use in processing of a plurality of wafers or other substrates includes a support frame on which the wafers are mounted and in one embodiment at least one auxiliary frame for holding the substrates on the support frame. A plurality of clips extend from... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7138039 | Liquid isolation of contact rings Embodiments of the invention may further provide a contact ring for an electrochemical plating system. The contact generally includes a substrate receiving member having a substrate support surface formed thereon, a plurality of electrical contact pins extending fro... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7136562 | Light guide plate with a reflective means and process for forming the same A process for forming a light guide plate with a reflection film includes: (a) providing a light guide plate (30), which has a light input surface (303) with light incident portions (3032), a bottom surface (304), a light output surface (... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7097749 | Plating rack with rotatable insert A processing rack, such as for electroplating, which minimizes shelf areas of an article during processing of the article and during removal of the article from a processing bath and which allows easy mounting of articles on the rack and demounting of articles from ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7087144 | Contact ring with embedded flexible contacts A contact assembly for supporting a substrate in an electrochemical plating system, wherein that contact assembly includes a contact ring and a thrust plate assembly. The contact ring includes an annular ring member having an upper surface and a lower surface, an an... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7070688 | Electroplating tool and method for selective plating A tool for electroplating a portion of the surface of each of a plurality of pieces includes a first plate having a plurality of holes, and a second plate having a plurality of retaining elements. Each of the holes is configured to receive a piece that is to be elec... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7067045 | Method and apparatus for sealing electrical contacts during an electrochemical deposition process An apparatus for securing a substrate in an electrochemical deposition system is provided. The apparatus generally includes a substrate support member adapted to receive the substrate and a thrust plate assembly adapted to exert a downward force on the substrate. Fo... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7045045 | Workpiece holder for processing apparatus, and processing apparatus using the same An inexpensive workpiece holder having high reliability and a processing apparatus equipped with the workpiece holder are provided, in which damage caused by oxygen in the air is prevented. The holder comprises: a ceramic body which has an electrode and a heater cir... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7025862 | Plating uniformity control by contact ring shaping An apparatus for providing an electrical bias to a substrate in a processing system is described. The apparatus generally includes a conductive annular body defining a central opening. The conductive annular body may have a substrate seating surface adapted to recei... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7021476 | Jig and a method and apparatus of applying a surface treatment to a member on the jig A jig (10) is provided for holding an elongate member (56) to be surface treated. The jig (10) comprises a beam (12) and a plurality of hangers 14 spaced apart along the beam (12). The hangers (14) have supports (9... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7022211 | Semiconductor wafer holder and electroplating system for plating a semiconductor wafer A semiconductor wafer holder including first and second holding members between which a semiconductor wafer is held. The second holding member includes a second conductive element placed in contact with a first conductive element of the first holding member and the ... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6966976 | Electroplating panel with plating thickness-compensation structures An electroplating panel having a strip of components to be electroplated. The components are spaced apart from one another along an edge of the strip. The panel includes a main buss and a plating thickness-compensation structure electrically connecting the main buss... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6962649 | Contact assemblies, methods for making contact assemblies, and machines with contact assemblies for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces Contact assemblies for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces. The contact assemblies can comprise a support member that includes an inner wall which defines an opening configured to receive the workpiece and a plurality of contacts. The individual... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6939448 | Contact assemblies, methods for making contact assemblies, and plating machines with contact assemblies for plating microelectronic workpieces Contact assemblies, electroplating machines with contact assemblies, and methods for making contact assemblies that are used in the fabrication of microelectronic workpieces. The contact assemblies can be wet-contact assemblies or dry-contact assemblies. A contact a... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6911127 | Contact assemblies, methods for making contact assemblies, and plating machines with contact assemblies for plating microelectronic workpieces Contact assemblies, electroplating machines with contact assemblies, and methods for making contact assemblies that are used in the fabrication of microelectronic workpieces. The contact assemblies can be wet-contact assemblies or dry-contact assemblies. A contact a... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6911128 | Device for decontamination of water The invention relates to a device for the decontamination of water, particularly of heavy metals and/or arsenic and/or their compounds, by means of electrolysis, wherein the water to be purified is fed through a receptacle and passes by electrodes of different polar... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6908540 | Method and apparatus for encapsulation of an edge of a substrate during an electro-chemical deposition process An electro-chemical deposition method and apparatus that encapsulates a substrate's edge to prevent deposition thereon is generally provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a contact ring, one or more electrical contact pads disposed on the contact ring a... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6855235 | Anode impedance control through electrolyte flow control Embodiments of the invention generally provide an electrochemical plating cell having an electrolyte container assembly configured to hold a plating solution therein, a head assembly positioned above the electrolyte container, the head assembly being configured to s... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6849167 | Electroplating reactor including back-side electrical contact apparatus An apparatus for electroplating a workpiece is disclosed in which the apparatus includes a workpiece holding structure. The workpiece holding structure includes a workpiece support having at least one surface that is disposed to engage a front side of the workpiece ... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6843897 | Anode slime reduction method while maintaining low current Embodiments of the invention generally provide an electrochemical plating cell having an electrolyte container assembly configured to hold a plating solution therein, a head assembly positioned above the electrolyte container, the head assembly being configured to s... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6695961 | Carrier serving to supply current to workpieces or counter-electrodes that are to be treated electrolytically and a method for electrolytically treating workpieces The invention relates to carriers serving to supply current to workpieces to be treated electrolytically or counter-electrodes and a method for the electrolytic treatment of workpieces. The carriers according to the invention comprise at least three elong... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6673219 | Transverse conveyor for electrodes The invention relates to a transverse conveyor for electrodes used in the production of metals. This transverse conveyor consists of a transfer device, located below the electrodes to be transferred and which device moves back and forth on a horizontal pl... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6673218 | Cathode cartridge for electropating tester A cathode cartridge (N) for an electroplating tester includes a cathode conductor (10) that conducts electricity to a surface (Wa) to be plated of a silicon wafer (W) as an object to be plated, a first insulator (20) that covers a front side of the silico... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6663765 | Method and device for the manufacture of the medical expanding stents Method and device for manufacturing of expandable cylindrical metal meshes for use in expandable stents and in particular for customized manufacturing. The method includes determining the type and size of the stent to be implanted, electrochemically formi... | 12/16/2003 |
