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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7311808 | Device and method for increasing mass transport at liquid-solid diffusion boundary layer A device and method for increasing the mass transport rate of a chemical or electrochemical process at the solid and fluid interface in a fluid cell. The device includes a membrane in close contact with surface of the work piece, to separate the process cell into tw... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7303662 | Contacts for electrochemical processing Systems and methods for electrochemically processing. A contact element defines a substrate contact surface positionable in contact a substrate during processing. In one embodiment, the contact element comprises a wire element. In another embodiment the contact elem... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7238092 | Low-force electrochemical mechanical processing method and apparatus The present invention relates to semiconductor integrated circuit technology and discloses an electrochemical mechanical processing system for uniformly distributing an applied force to a workpiece surface. The system includes a workpiece carrier for positioning or ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7153411 | Method for cleaning and polishing metallic alloys and articles cleaned or polished thereby A method of cleaning and polishing an alloy comprising at least one noble metal and at least one non-noble metal, the method including the steps of submerging said alloy in an electrolytic acidic bath comprising at least one chelating or complexing agent including s... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7144490 | Method for selective electroplating of semiconductor device I/O pads using a titanium-tungsten seed layer A method for selective electroplating of a semiconductor input/output (I/O) pad includes forming a titanium-tungsten (TiW) layer over a passivation layer on a semiconductor substrate, the TiW layer further extending into an opening formed in the passivation layer fo... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7136173 | Method and apparatus for end-point detection An apparatus for detecting the end-point of an electropolishing process of a metal layer formed on a wafer (1004) includes an end-point detector. The end-point detector is disposed adjacent the nozzle (1008) used to electropolish the wafer. In one embo... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7128825 | Method and composition for polishing a substrate Polishing compositions and methods for removing conductive materials from a substrate surface are provided. In one aspect, a composition includes an acid based electrolyte system, one or more chelating agents, one or more corrosion inhibitors, one or more inorganic ... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7125477 | Contacts for electrochemical processing Systems and methods for electrochemically processing. A contact element defines a substrate contact surface positionable in contact a substrate during processing. In one embodiment, the contact element comprises a wire element. In another embodiment the contact elem... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7112270 | Algorithm for real-time process control of electro-polishing Method and apparatus for process control of electro-processes. The method includes electro-processing a wafer by the application of two or more biases and determining an amount of charge removed as a result of each bias, separately. In one embodiment, an endpoint is... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7086936 | Linear chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) system and method for planarizing a wafer in a single CMP module A linear chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) belt pad includes a first portion comprised of a first pad material, e.g., polyurethane, and a second portion comprised of a second pad material, e.g., porous rubber. The first portion has a first end and a second end... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7077721 | Pad assembly for electrochemical mechanical processing Embodiments of a processing pad assembly for processing a substrate are provided. The processing pad assembly includes an upper layer having a processing surface and an electrode having a top side coupled to the upper layer and a bottom side opposite the top side. A... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7066800 | Conductive polishing article for electrochemical mechanical polishing An article of manufacture and apparatus are provided for planarizing a substrate surface. In one aspect, an article of manufacture is provided for polishing a substrate including polishing article comprising a body having at least a partially conductive surface adap... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7059948 | Articles for polishing semiconductor substrates Methods, articles of manufacture, and apparatus are provided for depositing a layer, planarizing a layer, or combinations thereof, a material layer on a substrate. In one embodiment, an article of manufacture is provided for polishing a substrate, comprising a polis... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7029365 | Pad assembly for electrochemical mechanical processing Embodiments of a pad assembly for processing a substrate are provided. The pad assembly includes a processing layer having a working surface adapted to process a substrate, a lower layer coupled to and disposed below the processing layer, and an electrode having an ... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6994610 | Method and apparatus for polishing inner an internal surface of an aluminum extrusion hollow shape There is provided an electrolytic integrated polishing apparatus which enables high precision polishing of the internal surface of a long sized cylindrical workpiece such as a metallic tube. The apparatus includes a work supporting unit 13 for disposing the c... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6979248 | Conductive polishing article for electrochemical mechanical polishing An article of manufacture, method, and apparatus are provided for planarizing a substrate surface. In one aspect, an article of manufacture is provided for polishing a substrate including a polishing article having a body comprising at least a portion of fibers coat... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6969817 | Apparatus and method for machining in confined spaces A machining apparatus is provided. The machining apparatus includes a discharge machining head assembly and a slide assembly supporting the head assembly. The machining apparatus also includes an electromagnet configured to support the slide assembly in a position o... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6962524 | 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... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6960282 | Apparatus for cleaning residual material from an article An apparatus in which opposed nozzle assemblies are utilized to clean residual material, such as a metallic paste, from an article, such as a screening mask. Each of the nozzle assemblies has a first set of nozzles for spraying a cleaning agent onto the article in a... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6946062 | Electropolish/grinding means for an inner surface of a long tube The present invention is an electropolishing/grinding device for an inner surface of a long tube, including at least one long tube, one electrode, at least two partitions, one fixed magnet mechanism, one driving apparatus and an axial driven mechanism. The fixed mag... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6843929 | Accelerated etching of chromium A method and associated structure for increasing the rate at which a chromium volume is etched when the chromium body is contacted by an acid solution such as hydrochloric acid. The etch rate is increased by a metallic or steel body in continuous electrical contact ... | 01/18/2005 |
| 6773576 | 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 disposed within ... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6726830 | Steel strip descaling apparatus and a steel strip manufacturing apparatus using the descaling apparatus This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for electrolytic descaling of steel strips. The apparatus comprises electrodes integrated with nozzles having jet openings for dispensing electrolyte onto the surface of the steel strips. By jetting the elec... | 04/27/2004 |
| 6723224 | Electro-chemical polishing apparatus Generally, a method and apparatus for electro-chemical polishing a metal layer disposed on a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, the electro-chemical polishing apparatus generally includes a substrate support having a plurality of contact members, a cathode an... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6660138 | Electropolishing process means for an inner surface of a long tube The present invention is an electropolishing process and device for electropolishing an inner surface of a long tube, especially applied to a long tube of greater than two meters and a diameter range between 0.3 and 5 cm. Wherein, the present invention co... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6660156 | Pipe electropolishing apparatus using an electrolyte heater and cooler A temperature handling subsystem (12) for a pipe electrochemical polishing system (10) has a chiller (46) and associated heat exchanger (44) for cooling the acid electrolyte (24) circulating through a pipe (28) while a cathode (14) is drawn therethrough f... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6599415 | Apparatus and method for electropolishing surfaces A method and apparatus for electropolishing a workpiece without immersing the workpiece in a bath of electrolytic solution. The workpiece is held in an atmospheric environment, while electrolytic solution is discharged from a reservoir in the form of a pl... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6592743 | Production of gas separators for use in fuel cells and equipment used therefor A method for producing a separator integrated with a gas flow channel of fuel cells efficiently at low costs without deteriorating processing accuracy and the like. A plane-facing electrode nozzle 30 is placed oppositely to the face to be processed, which... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6544403 | Method for manufacturing fluid bearing A method for manufacturing a fluid bearing is provided. A mask member having at least two sets of grooves provided at least two places along an axial direction is affixed to an outer surface of an electrode section of a fluid bearing manufacturing tool. E... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6447668 | Methods and apparatus for end-point detection An apparatus for detecting the end-point of an electropolishing process of a metal layer formed on a wafer includes an end-point detector. The end-point detector is disposed adjacent the nozzle used to electropolish the wafer. In one embodiment, the end-p... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6444113 | Method for manufacturing hollow spaces in metallic workpieces The invention relates to a method for manufacturing hollow spaces (5) in metallic workpieces (1), especially in fuel injectors for diesel engines with at least one main bore (3) and at least one supply bore (4), especially for fuel supply, wherein at leas... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6416650 | Apparatus and method of electrochemical polishing by ring-form electrode An apparatus and method of electrochemical polishing a workpiece with ring-form electrode is provided. A mechanism with a tool electrode, a DC power supply and electrolysis-supply tank of the present invention can be installed on the traditional productio... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6325913 | Steel strip descaling apparatus and a steel strip manufacturing apparatus using the descaling apparatus This invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for electrolytic descaling of steel strips. The apparatus comprises electrodes integrated with nozzles having jet openings for dispensing electrolyte onto the surface of the steel strips. By jetti... | 12/04/2001 |
| 6267868 | Method and tool for electrochemical machining An electrode for use in an electrochemical machining process comprising an outer metal skin of corrosion resistant material, an inner core of conductive material, and an insulating coating disposed on an external surface of the outer metal skin. The exter... | 07/31/2001 |
| 6221235 | Removal of sacrificial cores by electrochemical machining A sacrificial cores in castings of metallic or non-metallic materials is made from a metal that can be electrolytically dissolved, and is removed from the casting by electrochemical machining. The sacrificial core may be a hollow shell incorporating an in... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6106690 | Electroplaner An electroplaning technique achieves superior flatness of the face of a wafer. A chuck holds the wafer so the face of the wafer is oriented downwards and lowers it to an electroplaner stage. The electroplaner includes an elongated, horizontally extending ... | 08/22/2000 |
| 6103096 | Apparatus and method for the electrochemical etching of a wafer An electrochemical etching apparatus and method increasing the rate at which material is removed from a substrate such as a metallic surface. The apparatus includes an electrolyte delivery system positioned below and centered beneath the center of the sub... | 08/15/2000 |
| 5865984 | Electrochemical etching apparatus and method for spirally etching a workpiece Disclosed is an electrochemical etching apparatus including a fixture for holding a workpiece; a nozzle, positioned opposite the fixture and facing the workpiece, for impinging an etchant onto the workpiece; and an electrode for applying a voltage between... | 02/02/1999 |
| 5641391 | Three dimensional microfabrication by localized electrodeposition and etching Embodiments of the present invention provide a new method for producing a three dimensional object, particularly suited to microfabrication applications. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate with a conducting interface, an electrode havi... | 06/24/1997 |
| 5639363 | Apparatus and method for mirror surface grinding and grinding wheel therefore An apparatus and a method for mirror surface grinding which enables high quality, stable ELID grinding; and a grinding wheel for electrolytic dressing. The apparatus comprises a grinding wheel 3 having a contact surface 2 for contacting a workpiece 1, an ... | 06/17/1997 |
