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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7811427 | Monolithic structures including alignment and/or retention fixtures for accepting components Permanent or temporary alignment and/or retention structures for receiving multiple components are provided. The structures are preferably formed monolithically via a plurality of deposition operations (e.g. electrodeposition operations). The structures typically in... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7427341 | System for synthesis of electrode array Systems and methods for preparing electrocatalysts are disclosed. The system includes a high temperature synthesis device for preparing an array of electrocatalysts as electrolytic surfaces of working electrodes. At least a portion of the electrolytic surfaces are d... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7357854 | Process for electropolishing a device made from cobalt-chromium The invention is directed to an electropolishing solution for products or devices made from at least in part a cobalt-chromium alloy. The invention is particularly suitable for medical devices or intravascular stents made at least in part of cobalt-chromium. More pa... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7244347 | Method and system to provide electrical contacts for electrotreating processes Systems and methods to provide electrical contacts to a workpiece to facilitate electrotreating processes, including electroplating and electroetching processes are presented. ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7229544 | Multi-cell masks and methods and apparatus for using such masks to form three-dimensional structures Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated via depositions of one or more materials in a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. Selectivity of deposition is obtained via a multi-cell controllable mask. Alternatively, net selective deposition is obta... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7211186 | Method and system to provide electrical contacts for electrotreating processes Systems and methods to provide electrical contacts to a workpiece to facilitate electrotreating processes, including electroplating and electroetching processes are presented. ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7148125 | Method for manufacturing semiconductor power device A semiconductor device, which has a relatively low ON resistance, is manufactured using the following steps. First, a semiconductor wafer that includes a semiconductor layer and a semiconductor element layer, which is located on the semiconductor layer, is formed. T... | 12/12/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7112268 | Plating device and plating method A plating device and a plating method are provided that are capable of enhancing uniformity in plating on a treatment surface of an object to be treated. The plating device includes: a plating solution bath capable of storing a plating solution and having a first el... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7087143 | Plating system for semiconductor materials A workpiece processing station is disclosed. The workpiece processing station has particular applicability in an electroplating process for semiconductor wafers. The apparatus includes a work processing bowl having an outer bowl and an inner cup positioned at a loca... | 08/08/2006 |
| 6916409 | Apparatus and process for electrolytic removal of material from a medical device An apparatus and process is disclosed for the electrolytic removal of metal from a device, such as a medical device. More particularly, the apparatus of the invention includes a mandrel having slots or openings therein to expose portions of a metallic device, such a... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6866763 | Method and system monitoring and controlling film thickness profile during plating and electroetching The present invention provides method of adjusting a thickness profile of a top metal layer of a workpiece using a processing solution. A thickness profile control member is included that has at least first and second regions that will allow for processing at respec... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6864589 | X/Y alignment vernier formed on a substrate A two dimensional vernier is provided along with a method of fabrication. The two dimensional vernier has a reference array patterned into a substrate, or a material overlying the substrate. An active array is patterned into photoresist overlying the substrate or th... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6802946 | Apparatus for controlling thickness uniformity of electroplated and electroetched layers An apparatus which can control thickness uniformity during deposition of conductive material from an electrolyte onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate is provided. The apparatus has an anode which can be contacted by the electrolyte during deposition of the co... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6627064 | Method for removing the hard material coating applied on a hard metal workpiece and a holding device for at least one workpiece A hard material layer deposited on a hard metal work piece is removed by electrolytic passivation in which a maximum current density equal to at least 0.01 A/cm2 is generated on the work piece at the beginning of the layer removal process. The ... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6610190 | Method and apparatus for electrodeposition of uniform film with minimal edge exclusion on substrate A system for depositing materials on a surface of a wafer or removing materials from the surface of a wafer includes an electrode, a shaping plate, a liquid solution contained between the electrode and the wafer surface, and electrical contact members con... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6572742 | Apparatus for electrochemical fabrication using a conformable mask An electroplating method includes forming a layer, the forming of the layer includes: a) contacting a substrate with a first article, the first article includes a support and a conformable mask disposed in a pattern on the support; b) electroplating a fir... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6540899 | Method of and apparatus for fluid sealing, while electrically contacting, wet-processed workpieces A method and apparatus for fluid sealing the underside of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer and the like, during wet-processing such as electrodeposition and the like, employing an elastomeric encased ring of flexible fingers against which the pe... | 04/01/2003 |
| 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 |
| 6402923 | Method and apparatus for uniform electroplating of integrated circuits using a variable field shaping element An electrochemical reactor is used to electrofill damascene architecture for integrated circuits. A shield is used to screen the applied field during electroplating operations to compensate for potential drop along the radius of a wafer. The shield establ... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6287434 | Plating cell apparatus for x-ray mask fabrication A method and apparatus are provided for the electroplating on only one side of a substrate immersed in an electroplating bath using a device which holds the substrate to be plated in spaced relation to an inhibitor electrode of the device. To fabricate x-... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6258226 | Device for preventing plating of material in surface openings of turbine airfoils A method for preventing the deposition of material in an opening near a surface of an article, and a masking insert therefore. The method and insert are particularly suited for preventing the plating of a metal, such as platinum, on turbine airfoils or tu... | 07/10/2001 |
| 6251235 | Apparatus for forming an electrical contact with a semiconductor substrate The present invention is directed to an apparatus for plating a surface of a semiconductor workpiece (wafer, flat panel, magnetic films, etc.) using a liquid conductor that makes contact with the outer surface of the workpiece. The liquid conductor is sto... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6251257 | Apparatus and method for electrochemically etching grooves in an outer surface of a shaft The present invention is directed to an apparatus 245 and method of etching grooves 235 in a shaft 175. In one embodiment, a cathode 250 is provided for electrochemically etching grooves 235 in an outer surface 215 of the shaft 175 to form a fluid dynamic... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6168691 | Device for electrochemical treatment of elongate articles A method and a device are described for the electrochemical treatment of elongate articles, preferably bars. The article 10 is clamped at one end by means of a clamp 3 and is introduced into a hollow chamber that has a longitudinal axis, in an electrode 3... | 01/02/2001 |
| 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 |
| 6120657 | Device for transmitting electric current to disc elements in surface-coating thereof A device for evenly distributed electrical current transmission to a disc element when electroplating the disc element includes a closed loop of an elongated, elastic, electrically conducting body contacting one side of the disc element at least at its ou... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6071388 | 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... | 06/06/2000 |
| 6004828 | Semiconductor processing workpiece support with sensory subsystem for detection of wafers or other semiconductor workpieces A semiconductor processing workpiece support which includes a detection subsystem that detects whether a wafer or other workpiece is present. The preferred arrangement uses an optical beam emitter and an optical beam detector mounted along the back side o... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5997701 | Galvanic deposition cell with a substrate holder The invention relates to an apparatus for the galvanic deposition of a metal layer on a substrate and comprises a substrate holder connected to a drive shaft that extends in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. The cathode current is s... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5871626 | Flexible continuous cathode contact circuit for electrolytic plating of C4, TAB microbumps, and ultra large scale interconnects A cathode contact device is provided for providing particle deposition from an anode source onto a target surface of a working piece. The working piece has a first electrically conductive continuous contact surrounding the target surface. The cathode cont... | 02/16/1999 |
| 5785826 | Apparatus for electroforming The present invention includes an apparatus and method for continuously adjusting the anode/cathode distance for controlling uniformity of deposition. The entire cathode head is mounted on a lead screw which, when manually turned, moves the cathode head i... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5744019 | Method for electroplating metal films including use a cathode ring insulator ring and thief ring Multiple-layer thin film devices are deposited by electroplating on an otherwise substantially clean substrate wafer. The composition of the electroplated alloy layers is maintained substantially uniform using a cathode assembly on which the substrate waf... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5723028 | Electrodeposition apparatus with virtual anode An electrochemical etching step in a semiconductor device fabrication process increases the radius of curvature of edges of metal lines deposited on the semiconductor device. The metal lines are fabricated by forming a mask, electrodepositing the metal, a... | 03/03/1998 |
| 5702574 | Jig for coating rotor blades A method of and apparatus for producing abrasive tips on compressor or turbine rotor blades by electrolytic or electroless deposition in which the blades are mounted in a hollow jig with the tips of the blades extending through sealed openings in the jig ... | 12/30/1997 |
| 5660699 | Electroplating apparatus An electroplating apparatus has a cathode base for supporting a substrate, and a clamper for clamping a peripheral edge portion of the substrate against the cathode base. A plating solution is supplied onto the substrate so that the surface of the substra... | 08/26/1997 |
| 5620581 | Apparatus for electroplating metal films including a cathode ring, insulator ring and thief ring Multiple-layer thin film devices are deposited by electroplating on an otherwise substantially clean substrate wafer. The composition of the electroplated alloy layers is maintained substantially uniform using a cathode assembly on which the substrate waf... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5607561 | Apparatus for abrasive tipping of integrally bladed rotors The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming abrasive surfaces on the tips of a plurality of workpieces such as the tips of gas turbine airfoil blades. The method broadly comprises the steps of providing a mechanical masking device ... | 03/04/1997 |
| 5589043 | Mask for plating metals and method of construction thereof A two-part reusable mask to protect objects to be plated. The mask can be used for painting, chemical treatment or other treatments. By adjusting the shape of the mask, any object can be plated. In the case of coins or medallions, a two sided mask is form... | 12/31/1996 |
