Abstract: A process and apparatus for conducting an electrically independent current through an anodized web to electro-deposit a coloring agent on the web. A preferred process includes the step of providing a continuous web of anodized aluminum; transferring with a charging plate a coloring current to the web with a charging plate in a first treatment cell over an area of the web sufficient to allow the current to pass through an anodic layer of the aluminum and flow through the web; and electro-depositing coloring agents on the web with the coloring current in a second treatment cell. Optionally, the web may be serially passed through additional treatment cells to apply a variety of different coloring currents to the web whereby the web may be colored with multiple coloring agents and consequently exhibit multiple colors and/or refractive properties.

Abstract: A method for galvanically depositing nickel, cobalt, nickel alloys or cobalt alloys in a galvanic bath includes using electrolytes containing nickel compounds or cobalt compounds. At least one anode and at least one cathode of the bath are subject to periodic current pulses. The IA/IC ratio of the anode current density IA to the cathode current density IC is selected to be greater than 1 and smaller than 1.5. The charge ratio QA/QC=TAIA/TCIC of the charge QA, transported during an anode pulse of duration TA, to the charge QC transported during a cathode pulse of duration TC , is between 30 and 45. A bath for carrying out the method may have contoured anodes, current restrictors, a cleaning device for the electrolyte, and a circulating device with recycling of the electrolyte through nozzles.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for microelectrogravimetrically depositing an electroactive species onto an electrode or a plurality of electrodes. The method comprises dispensing a solution containing the electroactive species from a microdispenser so as to form a hanging drop of the solution. The method further comprises contacting the electrode with the hanging drop of the solution, wherein the electrode is electrically coupled with the microdispenser so as to form an electrochemical cell, and applying a potential to the electrochemical cell. The application of the potential effects deposition of the electroactive species onto the electrode. The method of the invention eliminates the need for immersion of the electrode in a bath, reduces the volume of solution required by a factor of at least 10-100, and avoids uneven depletion of various components of the solution over successive applications.

Abstract: To provide a method of metal plating to give a metal plating coating with excellent luster and high corrosion resistance and wear resistance. This metal plating method includes pulse plating by pulsed electrolysis by periodically applying electric current. The pulsed electrolysis is carried out in condition that the pulse frequency and the current density are controlled so that the ratio of the quantity of deposited lattice per pulse to the height of the lattice is 0.28 or lower, that the duty ratio of the pulse frequency is controlled to be 0.5 or lower, and that the duration of complete pause caused by distortion of pulse waveform is controlled to be one half or longer of the duration of current interruption. The foregoing plating is carried out while fluidizing plating solution to be brought into contact with the object body 5 at a flow rate of 0.04 (m/s) or higher and making the solution evenly flow along the face to be plated.

Abstract: A continuous layer of a metal is electrodeposited onto a substrate having both hydrodynamically inaccessible recesses and hydrodynamically accessible recesses on its surface by a twostep process in which the hydrodynamically inaccessible recesses are plated using a pulsed reversing current with cathodic pulses having a duty cycle of less than about 50% and anodic pulses having a duty cycle of greater than about 50% and the hydrodynamically accessible recesses are then plated using a pulsed reversing current with cathodic pulses having a duty cycle of greater than about 50% and anodic pulses having a duty cycle of less than about 50%.

Abstract: This invention relates to the sphere of plasma electrolyte oxide coating of aluminium alloys. The method incorporates anode-cathode oxide coating in an alkaline electrolyte at a temperature of 15-50° C., using 50-60 Hz frequency alternating current. In the initial stage of the process oxide coating is carried on for 5-90 seconds at a current density of 160-180 A/dm2, then the current density is dropped to 3-30 A/dm2 and the process is continued in a regimen of spontaneous diminution of power demand without on-line adjustment of the regimen until the set coating thickness is achieved. The alkaline electrolyte used is an aqueous solution of alkaline metal hydroxide at 1-5 g/l, an alkaline metal silicate at 2-15 g/l, an alkaline metal pyrophosphate at 2-20 g/l and peroxide compounds at 2-7 g/l (in terms of H2O2—30%).

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for plating a conductive material on a substrate surface in a highly desirable manner. The invention removes at least one additive adsorbed on the top portion of the workpiece more than at least one additive disposed on a cavity portion, using an indirect external influence, thereby allowing plating of the conductive material take place before the additive fully re-adsorbs onto the top portion, thus causing greater plating of the cavity portion relative to the top portion.

Abstract: This invention relates to a bipolar electrochemical process for toposelective electrodeposition of a catalytic substance on an electrically conductive particulate substrate to produce a catalyst, as well as to the catalyst so produced.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved electroplating method, chemistry, and production worthy apparatus for depositing noble metals (e.g., platinum) and their alloys onto the surface of the workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, pursuant to manufacturing a microelectronic device, circuit, and/or component. The reliability of the noble metal material deposited using the disclosed method, chemistry, and/or apparatus is significantly better than the reliability of noble metal structures deposited using the teachings of the prior art. This is largely attributable to the low stress of films that are deposited using the teachings disclosed herein. The metals, which can be deposited, include gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, osmium and alloys containing these metals.

Abstract: In an electroplating apparatus, an electrolytic agent is filled into the portion between an anode and a dummy cathode which is opposite substantially face to face and parallel to the anode, and an electric current is supplied to this portion, thereby suppressing changes in properties of a black film during the period in which plating to a substrate to be processed is stopped. In particular, by applying an electric current to the anode immediately before plating to the substrate is resumed, the film formation characteristics of plating to the substrate can be maximally stabilized. This can reduce the consumption power and dissolution of the anode. This apparatus is particularly effective in copper plating in which the formation of a black film is significant.

Abstract: A structured surface coating is electrochemically deposited on an (electrically conductive) surface of a component. The component to be coated forms the cathode in a galvanic bath. The process current is raised in discrete steps in a nucleation phase during which island formations are deposited on the surface, with brief pauses between each increase of between 0.1 and 30 sec. The process current is then maintained at a constant level, during which the islands grow. The process sequence may be repeated several times.

Abstract: A multilayer engine bearing (10) includes a steel backing (12) having a liner (14) of bearing metal of either copper-lead or aluminum alloys formed on the backing (12). A multilayer overplate (24, 124) is formed on the base lining member (16) and includes at least a first layer (28, 128) electrodeposited from a bath at a first current density to a desired thickness, and at least one additional layer (26, 126) electrodeposited from the same bath but at a different current density and to a desired thickness to yield a composite lamellar overplate structure having layers with differing deposit characteristics, such as hard and soft layers, generated from the same bath at different current densities.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming conductive layers in semiconductor vias by using forward and reverse pulses during the electroplating process which have time intervals between pulses which increase with time and for forming conductive layers in semiconductor channels by using forward pulses during the electroplating process which have time intervals between pulses which also increase with time. This allows fast deposition while reducing the deposition stress to eliminate voids and speeds up the overall manufacturing process.

Abstract: Electroplating methods using an electroplating bath containing metal ions and a suppressor additive, an accelerator additive, and a leveler additive, together with controlling the current density applied to a substrate, avoid defects in plated films on substrates having features with a range of aspect ratios, while providing good filling and thickness distribution. The methods include, in succession, applying DC cathodic current densities optimized to form a conformal thin film on a seed layer, to provide bottom-up filling, preferentially on features having the largest aspect ratios, and to provide conformal plating of all features and adjacent field regions. Including a leveling agent in the electroplating bath produces films with better quality after subsequent processing.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing an electrode for a PEM fuel cell or an electrochemical energy converter, an ion-exchange polymer is applied to one face of an electrode substrate. An electrocatalyst is then applied to the substrate by electrochemical deposition, preferably from a solution containing one or more complexes or salts of the electrocatalyst. The electrochemical deposition occurs by application of a voltage between a pair of electrodes, one of which is the electrode under preparation. The voltage between the two electrodes is controlled by controlling the potential of the working electrode. A pulsed voltage profile is applied across the two electrodes during the electrodeposition process.

Abstract: A conductive electrode wire is passed through a molten salt bath maintained at a temperature above the melting point of the salts. A main electrical power supply passes an electric current between the electrode wire and an anode in the molten salt bath so that a metal coating layer is electrolytically deposited onto the core of the electrode wire. The high temperature of the molten salt bath ensures inter-diffusion of the metals of the core and the coating. This enables diverse coating structures to be obtained by choosing electrolysis and diffusion parameters.

Abstract: A method of electroplating an object to be plated attached to a lower portion of a plating bath constituted by draining used plating solution and supplying new plating solution at every plating procedure. The method has a step of supplying additional current so that the object to be plated always has cathode potential, while the object to be plated is being dipped in the plating bath and electroplating is not carried out.

Abstract: An electrolytic process for metal-coating the pre-cleaned surface of a workpiece of an electrically conducting material, which process comprises:i) providing an electrolytic cell with a cathode comprising the workpiece and an anode comprising the metal for metal-coating of the surface of the workpiece;ii) introducing an electrolyte into the zone created between the anode and the cathode by causing it to flow under pressure through at least one opening in the anode impinge on the cathode; andiii) applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode and operating in a regime in which the electrical current decreases or remains substantially constant with increase in the voltage applied between the anode and the cathode, and in a regime in which discrete gas bubbles are present on the surface of the workpiece during treatment.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of treating metal foil, involving sequentially contacting a metal foil with an acidic solution; placing the metal foil in a nickel treatment bath and applying a current through the nickel treatment bath, wherein the nickel treatment bath contains at least about two plating zones, about 1 to about 50 g/l of an ammonium salt, and about 10 to about 100 g/l of a nickel compound; and applying a nickel flash layer to the metal foil. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a metal foil treated according to the method described above.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell exhibiting an overall conversion efficiency of 13.6% is prepared from a copper-indium-gallium-diselenide precursor thin film. The film is fabricated by first simultaneously electrodepositing copper, indium, gallium, and selenium onto a glass/molybdenum substrate (12/14). The electrodeposition voltage is a high frequency AC voltage superimposed upon a DC voltage to improve the morphology and growth rate of the film. The electrodeposition is followed by physical vapor deposition to adjust the final stoichiometry of the thin film to approximately Cu(In.sub.1-n Ga.sub.x)Se.sub.2, with the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) being approximately 0.39.

Abstract: A process for plating tin or tin alloy onto metal substrates is described. In the process, a metal substrate is placed in an electroplating bath that contains a stannous sulfate and an organic compound additive in which the organic compound has a heterocyclic moiety in an aqueous solution of sulfonic acid. The bath is then subjected to pulse plating conditions that plate a layer of tin or tin alloy onto the metal substrate wherein the tin in the tin layer has a grain size of about 2 .mu.m to about 8 .mu.m. During pulse plating, a current density of about 65 ASF to about 250 ASF is applied to the electroplating bath in a pulsed manner, i.e. the current is cycled on and off during plating. The duty cycle of the pulse is about twenty-five percent to about thirty percent. The duration of the on pulse during the cycle is about 50 .mu.s to about 500 .mu.s.

Abstract: An electrolytic process for simultaneously cleaning and metal-coating the surface of a workpiece of an electrically conducting material, which process comprises: i) providing an electrolytic cell with a cathode comprising the surface of the workpiece and an anode comprising the metal for metal-coating of the surface of the workpiece; ii) introducing an electrolyte into the zone created between the anode and the cathode by causing it to flow under pressure through at least one opening in the anode and thereby impinge on the cathode; and iii) applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode and operating in a regime in which the electrical current decreases or remains substantially constant with increase in the voltage applied between the anode and the cathode, and in a regime in which discrete gas bubbles are present on the surface of the workpiece during treatment.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the application of a control variable having a fractal structure to a body or process. The process of the present invention comprises the steps of generating a control variable having a fractal structure and applying the control variable to a body or process reacting in accordance with the control variable. The process is applicable to electroforming where first, second and successive pulsed-currents are applied to cause the deposition of material onto a substrate, such that the first pulsed-current, the second pulsed-current, and successive pulsed currents form a fractal pulsed-current waveform.

Abstract: A process for producing nanocrystalline materials, and in particular nanocrystalline nickel having an average grain size of less than about 11 nanometers and ternary and quaternary nickel-iron alloys, such as NiFeCr and NiFeCrMn alloys, having a grain size less than about 100 nm is described. The nanocrystalline nickel is electrodeposited onto the cathode in an aqueous acidic electrolytic cell by application of a pulsed D.C. current. The ternary and quaternary Nickel-Iron alloys and other binary, ternary and quaternary alloys may be produced by D.C. electroplating or by pulsed D.C. electroplating. The cell electrolyte also contains a stress reliever, such as saccharin, which helps to control the grain size. The novel products of the invention find utility as wear resistant coatings, hydrogen storage materials, magnetic materials and as catalysts for hydrogen evolution.

Abstract: A thin film semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor layer and an electrically conductive thin film which are formed by an alternate current plating method, and a process for producing thereof.

Abstract: This invention overcomes problems such as pinholes and blisters in making plated coin blanks and similar articles. A ferrous metal blank is electroplated with a strike of nickel, following which a coating of copper is applied at an initial low current density followed by full current density to minimize bridging. The low current density may be about 1/6 to 1/4 of the full current density. Preferably an outer layer of nickel is applied, also at an initial low current density, followed by full current density. Annealing before or after application of the final layer of nickel is advisable. This invention also relates to the resulting coin blank and coins.