Abstract: A device is provided for brush electroplating a surface of a workpiece. The device includes an anode generally composed of a metal to be electroplated on the surface of the workpiece. The anode is selectively retained within a cavity formed in a lower surface of a carrier piece composed of a generally electrical non-conductive material. The lower surface of the carrier piece is shaped to conform to at least a portion of the surface of the workpiece. An absorbent material extends over the lower surface of the carrier piece to form a brush. The cover material and lower surface of the anode are spaced from each other to form a chamber. The device also includes an assembly, fluidly connected to the space between the anode and absorbent material, to inject a flow of the electrolytic fluid into the chamber.

Abstract: An ultrasonic agitator (10) for generating turbulence in the vicinity of elongated metal workpieces (12) such as newly formed strands of wire. The system includes a bath (14) that is filled with a cleaning solution (16). The workpiece is introduced into the bath so as to move along a predetermined path of travel. One or more transducers (20, 24) are disposed in the bath to produce ultrasonic waves in the cleaning solution. The transducers are further configured and spaced so that the focal points of the vibrations substantially coincide with the path of travel with the workpiece. The transducers are driven by a signal generator (28) that causes the transducers to vibrate at a frequency between 0.5 and 3.0 MHz. The vibrations of the transducers produce ultrasonic waves that can be used to scrub off contaminants from the surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: This invention is directed to an electrodeposited copper foil having a matte-side raw foil R.sub.tm of about 4 to about 10 microns, an ultimate tensile strength measured at 23.degree. C. in the range of about 55,000 to about 80,000 psi, an elongation measured at 23.degree. C. of about 6% to about 25%, an ultimate tensile strength measured at 180.degree. C. in the range of about 30,000 psi to about 40,000 psi, an elongation measured at 180.degree. C. of about 4% to about 15%, and a thermal stability of less than about -20%. The invention is also directed to a process for making the foregoing foil, the process comprising: (A) preparing an electrolyte solution comprising copper ions, sulfate ions, chloride ions at a concentration of about 1.2 to about 4.5 ppm, at least one organic additive at a concentration of about 0.4 to about 20 ppm, and at least one impurity at a concentration of about 0.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of tinplates comprising electroplating a substrate in a fused-chloride tin plating bath at a temperature of about 150.degree. to 350.degree. C., a current density of about 100 to 500 A/dm.sup.2 in an atmosphere of a non-oxidizing gas. This process may be converted to a process for the manufacture of reflow type tinplates by only changing the bath temperature, and vice versa. For the manufacture of no-reflow type tinplates, the bath is kept at 150.degree. to 232.degree. C., while for the manufacture of reflow type tinplates, the bath is kept at 233.degree. to 350.degree. C. In these cases, the bath includes SnCl.sub.2 and at least one member selected from the group consisting of KCl, NaCl, LiCl and AlCl.sub.3, and may preferably be operated while flowing the bath at a flow rate of about 0.1 m/sec higher.

Abstract: An apparatus plates metal bumps of uniform height on one surface of a semiconductor wafer (32). A plating tank (12) contains the plating solution. The plating solution is filtered (16) and pumped (14) through an inlet (22) to an anode plate (24) within plating cell (20). The anode plate has a solid center area to block direct in-line passage of the plating solution, and concentric rings of openings closer to its perimeter to pass the plating solution. The distance between the inlet and the anode plate is adjustable with supports to create a uniform flow of the plating solution to the surface of the semiconductor wafer for uniform plating of the array of metal bumps (30). The plating cell contains an adjustable sidewall extension (26) to set the proper distance between the anode plate and the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A method for continuously tin-electroplating a metal strip, which comprises the steps of: causing a DC electric current to flow between a metal strip and an anode arranged adjacent to the metal strip while passing the metal strip at a travelling speed of at least 1 m/minute through an acidic tin-electroplating solution containing tin ions and an organic acid within a range of from 4.8 to 98 g/l as converted into sulfuric acid, to form a tin-electroplating layer on at least one surface of the metal strip; and applying an ultrasonic vibration, emitted from at least one ultrasonic vibrator and having an intensity within a range of from 0.01 to 1,000 W/100 cm.sup.2 and a frequency within a range of from 25 to 55 kHz, to the acidic tin-electroplating solution between the metal strip and the anode, thereby removing a diffusion layer of tin ions existing in the acidic tin-electroplating solution adjacent to the surface of the metal strip.

Abstract: A process for electrolytic production of fine-grained, single-phase, metallic alloy powders, especially powders of intermetallic compounds as well as noble metal alloy powders, is described in which powdery metallic precipitates are galvanically produced on the cathode from an electrolytic precipitating bath known in the art, which contains in solution the metals to be precipitated, under electrolysis conditions causing a powder precipitation known in the art. For the production of alloy powders with defined properties, it is determined, first in preliminary tests by gradual increase of the cathode potential with otherwise constant process parameters, the minimum cathode potential at which single-phase alloy powders result and then the powder precipitation is potentiostatically performed in a cathode potential at or above the minimum for the single-phase alloy precipitation.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of surface-treating a half sliding bearing, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a tank which accommodates a surface-treatment solution and an anode of an alloy to be applied to the bearings as a surface treatment; successively and one by one introducing the bearings into the surface-treatment solution; performing the surface treatment in such a manner that the surface layer of the alloy is applied to the surface of the bearings by feeding an electricity between a cathode served by the bearing and the anode via the surface-treatment solution while moving, in the surface-treatment solution, the bearings being introduced into the surface-treatment solution in a state in which the bearings is brought into contact with one another; and successively and one by one drawing out the bearings, which have been applied with the surface treatment, from the tank.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for forming a porous sheet comprising a plurality of porous sheets such as foamed sheet, mesh sheet and nonwoven fabric sheet. These sheets are adhered and layered to each other either by a melting or with an adhesive or by layering without each other with adhering these sheets to each other. Then, the porous sheet thus layered is plated at a high current density by forcibly applying plating liquid to the layered sheet in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto in a plating tank, or by vacuum evaporation while the layered sheet is being transported inside the vapor deposition vacuum container enclosed by a cooking tank through a cooling roller mounted therein. The metallic porous sheet formed according the above-described method is preferably used as the electrode of a battery.

Abstract: Processes for fabricating electrochemical interconnections between semiconductor chip pads and substrate pads. First, pads on a substrate are electrically shorted by depositing a film of conductive metal, conductive bumps are created on the substrate pads, and the pads on the substrate are aligned with pads on a semiconductor chip. Then, by electrochemically depositing metal to the bumps, electrical interconnections are formed between the semiconductor chips pads and the substrate pads. Finally, the film of conductive metal is removed to eliminate the electrical shorting. The resulting electrochemical interconnections are highly reliable and have high tensile strengths.

Abstract: The bulk material is transportable in an electrolyte in the conveying trough of a vibrator conveyor. The perforated conveying trough constitutes one of the two electrodes. According to the invention, the polarity of the conveying trough (21) and of the other electrodes (36 to 39) is reversible. The conveying trough (21) and the other electrodes (36 to 39) may be fastened preferably on common supporting stringpieces (22 to 27), which serve at the same time as power lead for one of the two electrodes and are connected with the central pipe (2). With this design the life of the other electrodes (36 to 39) is lengthened.

Abstract: Process for electroplating and apparatus therefor characterized by guiding just released bubbles to rise up symmetrically between the substrate plate and each of the anode plates so as to cause stable rising currents; providing a pair of passages outside of the bath so as to receive the bath solution overflowing above the upper edges of the bath wall to be jointed with the respective rising currents near the bath bottom; and preventing the descending and turning currents from disturbing just released bubbles near the joint positions of the descending and rising currents.

Abstract: Solar cells are formed of semi-conductor spheres of P-type interior having an N-type skin are pressed between a pair of aluminum foil members forming the electrical contacts to the P-type and N-type regions. The aluminum foils, which comprise 1.0% silicon by weight, are flexible and electrically insulated from one another. The spheres are patterned in a foil matrix forming a cell. Multiple cells can be interconnected to form a module of solar cell elements for converting sun light into electricity.

Abstract: In the electroplating of certain metals, such as zinc, a metal build-up in the electroplating bath occurs due to a higher anode efficiency than cathode efficiency, in the cell, and also due to chemical dissolution of the anode in the electroplating bath. An electrowinning cell is provided to remove metal from the electroplating bath. The electrowinning cell is operated with a current sufficient to remove metal from the bath substantially equal to that chemically dissolved into the bath as well as the build-up due to the difference in the anodic and cathodic efficiencies.

Abstract: A process for electrodespositing a conductive material on a substrate is disclosed which comprises movably mounting the substrate in a first conductive liquid electroplating bath which contains the conductive material, maintaining substantially constant conditions of temperature and liquid circulation in the first bath, passing an electric current through the substrate and the first bath so as to deposit the conductive material on the substrate, periodically transferring the substrate to a second liquid bath, the second bath containing a liquid of the same composition or lower concentrations of dissolved ingredients as compared to the first bath, weighing the substrate when immersed in the second bath and calculating therefrom the weight in air of conductive material deposited, returning the substrate to the first bath, and continuing the plating in a series of stages of plating, weighing in liquid and plating until the desired deposit is built up.Apparatus for carrying on the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of joining a metal member to a resin member comprising electroforming a roughened surface on a metal member, thereby producing a countless number of minute pores on the surface of the metal member. The cross section of each pore is generally in a shape of a dovetail.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for achieving a uniform coating of metal, such as copper, on an insulating strip, such as polyimide. After activating the surface, the strip is passed through a plating cell which includes a pumped solution mixed with a gas to achieve frothing. A high current is supplied to the cathode, so a cooled cathode construction is provided to prevent burning of the strip. Further features of the apparatus include a means for splicing strips, and a cantilever beam cathode contact for improving the physical contact with the strip.

Abstract: Apparatus for plating electrical or electronic components, comprises a plating chamber (2) for receiving electrolyte through which a current is to be passed via a first anode (10) and cathode (13) pair, means being provided to arrange a component (12) to be plated as the cathode of said first pair, means for supplying the plating chamber with electrolyte enriched with plating material, the supplying means including a reservoir chamber (4) for receiving electrolyte through which a current is to be passed via a second anode and cathode pair (21, 22), means being provided to arrange a body of plating material (17) as the anode of said second pair, whereby in use plating material dissolved from the anode of the second pair enriches the electrolyte supplied to the plating chamber (2) and is deposited on the cathode of the first pair.

Abstract: A solution for electroplating gold-copper-zinc alloys. A solution containing excess cyanide and hydroxide ions, gold and copper each in the form of a cyanide complex, and zinc at least partially in the form of a zincate complex. Additives such as conductivity salts, chelating agents, surfactants or wetting agents, brightening agents, and reducing agents may also be present to impart a particular feature or characteristic to the solution. Also, a process for electroplating up to about 20 microns of a gold-copper-zinc alloy upon a substrate using these novel solutions. The alloy is deposited upon a substrate which is immersed in the solution by electroplating at a current density of between about 1 and 15 ASF (0.1 to 1.5 ASDM) at a temperature of about 60.degree. and 120.degree. F. for a sufficient time to obtain the desired thickness. Generally, thicknesses of 5 to 10 microns or more can be obtained without microcracking.