Lawrence Welk, the bandleader who entertained millions of Americans over a generation of broadcasting his TV show, once received a patent: for a music-themed design of an ashtray.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 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 |
| 7374644 | Conductive polishing article for electrochemical mechanical polishing Embodiments of a ball assembly are provided. In one embodiment, a ball assembly includes a housing, a ball, a conductive adapter and a contact element. The housing has an annular seat extending into a first end of an interior passage. The conductive adapter is coupl... | 05/20/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7169269 | Plating apparatus, plating cup and cathode ring A plating apparatus (10) provided with: a plating vessel (61a to 61d) having a cylindrical side wall (361) for containing a plating liquid; a substrate holding mechanism (74a to 74d) for generally... | 01/30/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7118658 | Electroplating reactor A reactor for electroplating a workpiece includes a vessel having a ring contact arranged to support a workpiece in a horizontal orientation. In an embodiment of the invention, an electrode is arranged below the ring contact, and a pressing member is arranged above ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7048838 | Ion exchange membrane electrolyzer The invention provides an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer ensuring a satisfactory circulation of electrolyte, high electrolytic efficiency and great ridigity. An anode chamber partition in a flat sheet form is joined to a cathode chamber partition in a flat sheet... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7045041 | Ion exchange membrane electrolyzer The invention provides an ion exchange membrane electrolyzer. An electric current is passed through at least one electrode while the electrode is in contact with a plurality of comb-like flat leaf spring tags extending at an angle from a flat leaf spring form of ret... | 05/16/2006 |
| 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 |
| 6841047 | Electrolysis cell, in particular for the electrochemical preparation of chlorine The invention relates to an electrolysis cell comprising an anode frame (26), an anode (24), a cation-exchange membrane (34), a gas diffusion electrode (32), a current collector (10) and a cathode frame (12), with the anode ... | 01/11/2005 |
| 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 |
| 6569302 | Substrate carrier The invention relates to a substrate carrier for holding substrates, especially semiconductor wafers. Good sealing of the wafer surface and electrical contact are made possible in that the substrate carrier has a first and a second part having a central o... | 05/27/2003 |
| 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 |
| 6497800 | Device providing electrical contact to the surface of a semiconductor workpiece during metal plating Substantially uniform deposition of conductive material on a surface of a substrate, which substrate includes a semiconductor wafer, from an electrolyte containing the conductive material can be provided by way of a particular device which includes first ... | 12/24/2002 |
| 6495007 | Methods and apparatus for holding and positioning semiconductor workpieces during electropolishing and/or electroplating of the workplaces A wafer chuck for holding a wafer during electropolishing and/or electroplating of the wafer includes a top section, a bottom section, and a spring member. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the top section and the bottom section are ... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6495006 | Bipolar ion exchange membrane electrolytic cell The present invention has an object of providing a bipolar type ion exchange electrolytic cell which is capable of minimizing the anode-cathode distance by a movable system which has a low electric resistance and which is simple and inexpensive, thereby t... | 12/17/2002 |
| 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 |
| 6478936 | Anode assembly for plating and planarizing a conductive layer A particular anode assembly can be used to supply a solution for any of a plating operation, a planarization operation, and a plating and planarization operation to be performed on a semiconductor wafer. The anode assembly includes a rotatable shaft dispo... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6471835 | Clamping device for electrochemical cell The invention relates to an electrode assemblage clamping device for an electrode comprising two parallel, essentially flat and rectangular electrode members, and at least one current supply rod/conductor bar, arranged between and in conductive contact wi... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6406610 | Electro-plating method and apparatus using a cathode having a plurality of contacts Electro-plating apparatus 1 has an electro-plating bath 2 containing electrolyte 3, an anode configuration immersed in electrolyte 3 being a planar anode 4 and an arcuate solid anode 5. In use, a continuous web of flexible substrate 6 (onto both side of w... | 06/18/2002 |
| 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 |
| 6325903 | Parallel action holding clamp for electroplating articles A holding clamp device, for releasably holding a thick planar article over ground, comprising: an elongated main arm member, defining first and second opposite end portions; a pair of first and second tubular bar members, each defining an outer end portio... | 12/04/2001 |
| 6312572 | Electrolyzer The present invention provides an ion exchange membrane type electrolyzer, which comprises electrodes at opposed positions via an ion exchange membrane, spacers are mounted in dot-like arrangement on openings of electrode surface to maintain spacing betwe... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6309520 | Methods and apparatus for processing the surface of a microelectronic workpiece A reactor for plating a metal onto a surface of a workpiece is set forth. The reactor comprises a reactor bowl including an electroplating solution disposed therein and an anode disposed in the reactor bowl in contact with the electroplating solution. A c... | 10/30/2001 |
| 6267856 | Parallel action holding clamp for electroplating articles A holding clamp device, for releasably holding a thick planar article over ground, comprising: an elongated main arm member, defining first and second opposite end portions; a pair of first and second tubular bar members, each defining an outer end portio... | 07/31/2001 |
| 6254744 | Holder for a mother plate The invention relates to a holder to be used during the stripping of a metal deposit produced on the surface of a mother plate in electrolytic refining, which mother plate has a supporting bar (12) fixed at one edge of the plate for supporting the mother ... | 07/03/2001 |
| 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 |
| 6197171 | Pin contact mechanism for plating pin grid arrays An apparatus and process for electroplating a pin grid array device having a plurality of pins, the pins having a side surface and an extremity. The apparatus comprises a contact plate defining a plane and having a plurality of electrically conductive fle... | 03/06/2001 |
| 6193863 | Product conveyance mechanism for electroplating apparatus A product conveying mechanism is provided for an electroplating device which electroplates a thin-wall ribbonlike product such as a printed wiring board given to be plated. It suspends the product from the upper part thereof nipped with a jig supported la... | 02/27/2001 |
| 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 |
| 5976331 | Electrodeposition apparatus for coating wafers An apparatus may be used to deposit metal or conductive layers upon semiconductor wafers using an electrochemical process. The apparatus comprises a housing for retaining a first electrode (e.g., anode) and a second electrode (e.g., cathode), in a fixed s... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5725745 | Electrode feeder for plating system A high speed electrical plating apparatus employing a moving fluid and a tubular anode. The tubular anode contains pellets of the material being plated so as to make up for those utilized during the plating process. The electrodes are configured in such a... | 03/10/1998 |
| 5679240 | Anode for the electrolytic winning of metals and process The anode comprises a substantially horizontal carrying bar, which is disposed outside the electrolyte and serves to supply electric current. Two substantially parallel metal surfaces (anode grids) are electrically conductively connected to the carrying b... | 10/21/1997 |
| 5472592 | Electrolytic plating apparatus and method An apparatus (10) for electrolytic plating of a substrate (44) includes a tank (14) in which a shaft (30) is centrally mounted for rotation about a first axis (28). The shaft carries an arm (40), on the distal end (112) of which is rotatably mounted a fix... | 12/05/1995 |
| 5456812 | Device for silverizing water A device for silverizing water comprises an electrode head provided with two electrodes of which at least one electrode is a silver containing electrode, means for supplying current to said electrodes, a housing provided with a cavity, and connecting mean... | 10/10/1995 |
| 5108572 | Electrolytic furnace An electrolytic furnace comprises refractory concrete elements (1) which are loosely mounted on rails (6) arranged in a tank (6) and which support carbon elements (2) and metal bars (3). The refractory concrete elements (1) on the one hand and the carbon ... | 04/28/1992 |
| 5100525 | Spring supported anode The present invention resides in an expandable anode assembly which comprises an anode riser and anode surfaces on opposite sides of the anode riser. Each anode surface comprises multiple anode sheets. Each anode sheet is supported by spring connectors wh... | 03/31/1992 |
| 5094735 | Plating workstation support In a preferred embodiment, a plating workstation support having a central conductive copper core which is covered with a protective layer of 316 stainless steel or titanium for corrosion resistance. Conventional plastic coated workstations are removably a... | 03/10/1992 |