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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7393439 | Integrated microfeature workpiece processing tools with registration systems for paddle reactors Tools having mounting modules with registration systems are disclosed. The mounting module includes positioning elements for precisely locating a processing chamber and a transport system that moves workpieces to and from the processing chamber. The relative positio... | 07/01/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7347920 | Production, refining and recycling of lightweight and reactive metals in ionic liquids Lightweight and reactive metals can be produced from ore, refined from alloy, and recycled from metal matrix composites using electrolysis in electrolytes including an ionic liquid containing a metal chloride at or near room temperature. Low electric energy consumpt... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7332062 | Electroplating tool for semiconductor manufacture having electric field control An electroplating tool for providing a metal or metal film on a semiconductor wafer during processing thereof has a wafer chucking mechanism with a conductor or conductors associated therewith. The conductor(s) are electrically connected to a controller that applies... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7285195 | Electric field reducing thrust plate A method and apparatus for an electrochemical processing cell that is configured to minimize bevel and backside deposition. The apparatus includes a contact ring assembly for supporting a substrate, a thrust plate movably positioned to engage a substrate positioned ... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7267749 | Workpiece processor having processing chamber with improved processing fluid flow A processing container (610) for providing a flow of a processing fluid during immersion processing of at least one surface of a microelectronic workpiece is set forth. The processing container comprises a principal fluid flow chamber (505) providing a... | 09/11/2007 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 7204918 | High efficiency plating apparatus and method An improved apparatus for treating plate-like workpieces with a designated chemical solution, including printed circuit boards, includes: (1) a tray for holding the chemical solution, with the tray having an open top which is configured to receive a horizontally-ori... | 04/17/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7183787 | Contact resistance device for improved process control A device for measuring resistances associated with electrical contacts of a contact ring used in a semiconductor wafer electroplating process. The device includes a substrate and a conductive pattern on the substrate. The conductive pattern is electrically contactab... | 02/27/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7122101 | Electrically conductive plastic electrode sealingly embedded in an insulating plastic valve seat A sensor including at least one electrode (3, 4) which is made of electrically conductive plastic and is connected to one end of an electrical conductor (5, 6). The electrode (3, 4) and conductor (5, 6) are surrounded by an insulating hou... | 10/17/2006 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 6969619 | Full spectrum endpoint detection A method of endpoint detection during plasma processing of a semiconductor wafer comprises processing a semiconductor wafer using a plasma, detecting radiation emission from the plasma during the semiconductor processing, and tracking data points representing change... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6881321 | Production, refining and recycling of lightweight and reactive metals in ionic liquids Lightweight and reactive metals can be produced from ore, refined from alloy, and recycled from metal matrix composites using electrolysis in electrolytes including an ionic liquid containing a metal chloride at or near room temperature. Low electric energy consumpt... | 04/19/2005 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 6740164 | Plating apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device Plating apparatus and plating method that can plate more uniformly on a processing surface of a workpiece are provided. The plating apparatus is comprised of a plating solution bathe which is provided with a first electrode held in a state soaked in a plating soluti... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6616817 | Electrodeposition device The invention relates to an electrodeposition device, having two or more emission electrodes that can be connected to a common electrical supply line and an electrically insulating electrode holder, wherein the electrode holder is made of plastic and rece... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6531038 | Cathode arrangement A cathode arrangement having a mounting rail (1) and a cathode plate (2) bonded to the mounting rail (1). Two parallel, flanges extending in its longitudinal direction are formed on the underside (5) of the mounting rail (1). The cathode plate (2) is acco... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6521103 | Plating clamp assembly A plating clamp assembly for use with a plating system including a plating bath and an article transport assembly to selectively engage an article to be plated as the article is moved through the plating bath by the article transport assembly to coat at l... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6478937 | Substrate holder system with substrate extension apparatus and associated method An apparatus and associated method that removes electrolyte solution from a substrate, the apparatus comprises a thrust plate and a substrate extension unit. The thrust plate at least partially defines a spin recess. The substrate extension unit can be di... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6391170 | Anode box for electrometallurgical processes An anode box sized and configured for retaining an anode plate therein is disclosed for use in an electrolytic tank of the type used for electrowinning or electrorefining. The anode box is unitarily formed, thereby rendering the device more resistant to d... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6365019 | Universal fuel basket for use with an improved oxide reduction vessel and electrorefiner vessel A basket, for use in the reduction of UO2 to uranium metal and in the electrorefining of uranium metal, having a continuous annulus between inner and outer perforated cylindrical walls, with a screen adjacent to each wall. A substantially solid... | 04/02/2002 |
| 6355148 | Diaphragm workholding device for ECM A workholder for an ECM process comprises a set of jaws which define an interior workpiece holding region are mounted on the surface of a diaphragm which is movable under air pressure from a flat to a more generally spheroid shape with the injection of pr... | 03/12/2002 |
| 6350385 | Method and apparatus for controlling water system fouling A method and apparatus turbulently exposes water flowing through a water system to a plurality of electrodes of an ion generator and provides a self-contained tank through which water flows. The generally cylindrical containment tank includes a tangential... | 02/26/2002 |
| 6299745 | Flexible substrate plating rack A rack suitable for holding a flexible substrate panel, the rack having a plurality of clamps for providing current to a panel clamped to the rack, the clamps being positioned to uniformly distribute current to the substrate. Seven clamps are used to hold... | 10/09/2001 |
| 6267853 | Electro-chemical deposition system The present invention provides an electro-chemical deposition system that is designed with a flexible architecture that is expandable to accommodate future designs and gap fill requirements and provides satisfactory throughput to meet the demands of other... | 07/31/2001 |
| 6251251 | Anode design for semiconductor deposition An anode assembly including a perforated anode. A perforated anode holder holds the anode. The anode holder includes perforations at least in a bottom wall such that plating solution may flow through perforations in the anode holder and perforations in th... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6231730 | Cathode frame A cathode frame for receiving and retaining a cathode plate for electrowinning and/or electrorefining processes is constructed as an integrally-formed frame body having a base member and side members which provide a continuous channel therethrough for ret... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6228231 | Electroplating workpiece fixture having liquid gap spacer A fixture for supporting a workpiece during electroplating of a metal upon the workpiece in a conductive electroplating bath includes a non-conductive frame member for receiving the workpiece therein. The fixture further includes a current distribution me... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6190530 | Anode container, electroplating system, method and plated object An anode container, electroplating system, method and object so plated. A feature of the invention is that an anode container has an interior cross-sectional area, at or near a lower end thereof, that is larger than an interior cross-sectional area of an ... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6156167 | Clamshell apparatus for electrochemically treating semiconductor wafers An apparatus for electroplating a wafer surface includes a cup having a central aperture defined by an inner perimeter, a compliant seal adjacent the inner perimeter, contacts adjacent the compliant seal and a cone attached to a rotatable spindle. The com... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6156169 | Electroplating anode titanium basket An electroplating anode titanium basket including a fixing section, a resolution section and a surrounding section. The surrounding section can effectively increase the area of the insoluble anode and enhance the load ability of the anode. The increased a... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6146586 | Dual current method and apparatus for sterilization of medical devices In order to completely sterilize all of the surfaces of a medical instrument on which biofilms are apt to form, the device is immersed in a container containing an antibiotic solution in a manner wherein all of the contaminated surfaces are forced into in... | 11/14/2000 |
| 6143146 | Filter system A filter system includes a tank for holding waste water with an inlet port for receiving waste water from an electroplating process, and an outlet port for dispensing filtered water back to the electroplating process. A plurality of anode elements and cat... | 11/07/2000 |
| 6113759 | Anode design for semiconductor deposition having novel electrical contact assembly An anode assembly includes a perforated anode and an electrical contact assembly attached to the anode. A perforated anode holder holds the anode. The anode holder includes perforations at least in a bottom wall such that plating solution may flow through... | 09/05/2000 |
