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US 2003/0164301 A1Published application
Electro-plating apparatus & method
AssigneeTDAO Limited
InventorJohn Michael Lowe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electroplating station S has head 1 with anode 2, to one side of which there is located an electrically-neutral wall 3. A passageway 4 for electrolyte 5 is between anode 2 and wall 3. Guide 7 of wall 3, serrations 9 and mesh 11 enhance and maximise the production of streamwise vortices, to cause substantial increase in the ion flow which overcomes boundary layers and results in additional deposition of copper onto the web.
Claims24
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- a. an inlet channel for directing an electrolyte stream to a target;
- b. a control circuit controlling the amount of reduction, and/or rate thereof, of ions in selected regions of said target;
- and
- c. a vortices baffle positioned in the vicinity of said regions, thereby enhancing the creation of vortices upon impingement of the stream with the said regions in order to increase the ion reduction rate.
1 more element
A method of electroplating comprising the steps of:
- a. directing a stream of electrolyte to a target region;
- b. controlling the amount of reduction, and/or rate thereof, of ions in selected regions of the target;
- c. measuring the current flowing to said target region;
- d. controlling the current applied to said target region;
- and
- e. swirling said electrolyte to enhance the creation of vortices upon impingement of the stream with said regions thereby increasing the ion reduction rate.
3 more elements
A method of electroplating comprising the steps of:
- a. providing an electrolyte channel which includes:
- a first wall, a second wall, a first electrode positioned between said walls, and a substrate contact area between said walls and above said first electrode;
- b. positioning a second electrode adjacent to said substrate contact area;
- c. positioning a vortices baffle within said electrolyte channel;
- d. flowing a stream of electrolyte through said electrolyte channel;
- and
- e. moving a substrate larger than said substrate contact area across said second electrode and said substrate contact area, such that only a portion of said substrate is in contract with said electrolyte at any given time.
4 more elements
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- a. means to direct an electrolyte stream to a target;
- b. means to control the amount of reduction, and/or rate thereof, of ions in selected regions of said target, said control means comprising:
- i. means to measure the current flowing to said regions of said target, and
- ii. means to control the current applied to said regions, and
- c. mesh means for location in the electrolyte stream to produce and/or enhance the creation of cortices upon impingement of the stream with the said regions in order to increase the ion reduction rate.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.