Depositing Predominantly Alloy Coating Patents (Class 205/238)
  • Publication number: 20040123920
    Abstract: The invention includes a sputtering component comprising a sputtering surface. At least 99 atomic % of the sputtering surface consists of a single phase corresponding to a solid solution of two or more elements in elemental form. Additionally, an entire volume of the sputtering component can consist of the single phase corresponding to the solid solution of the two or more elements in elemental form. The invention encompasses methods of forming mixed-metal materials utilizing one or more of a reduction process, electrolysis process and iodide process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Michael E. Thomas, Eal H. Lee
  • Publication number: 20040099340
    Abstract: Methods of providing improved metal coatings or metal deposits on a substrate, improvements in plating solutions that are used to provide such metal deposits and articles of the metal-coated substrates. The solderability of the metal coating is enhanced by incorporating trace amounts of phosphorus in the metal coating to reduce surface oxide formation during subsequent heating and thus enhance long term solderability of the metal coating. The phosphorus is advantageously provided in the metal coating by incorporating a source of phosphorus in a solution that is used to provide the metal coating on the substrate, and the metal coating is then provided on the substrate from the solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Yun Zhang, Robert A. Schetty,, Kilnam Hwang
  • Patent number: 6736954
    Abstract: A metal plating bath and method of plating a metal on a substrate where the metal plating bath contains heteroatom organic compounds that prevent or inhibit the consumption of metal plating bath additives. The metal plating bath additives improve the brightness of plated metal as well as the ductility, micro-throwing power and macro-throwing power of the plating bath. The addition of the additive consumption inhibiting heteroatom organic compounds improves the physical properties of the plated metal as well as the efficiency of the plating process. The heteroatom organic compounds may contain sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen heteroatoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Shipley Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Cobley, Mark J. Kapeckas, Erik Reddington, Wade Sonnenberg, Leon R. Barstad, Thomas Buckley
  • Publication number: 20040055895
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for depositing a noble metal alloy onto a microelectronic workpiece. In one particular aspect of the invention, a platinum metal alloy is electrochemically deposited on a surface of the workpiece from an acidic plating composition. The plated compositions when combined with high-k dielectric material are useful in capacitor structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: Semitool, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhongmin Hu, Thomas L. Ritzdorf, Lyndon W. Graham
  • Patent number: 6635165
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coating workpieces. According to said method, an alloy containing at least phosphorus and nickel is precipitated from an electrolyte to produce a functional, especially corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant metallic coating. The aim of the invention is to provide a means of increasing wear resistance and hardness and improving the anti-corrosion effect with a significantly higher rate of incorporation of elementary phosphorus. To this end, an at least quarternary alloy with the components nickel, cobalt, wolfram and phosphorus is electrolytically precipitated in the form of a coating. The invention also relates to a corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant coating with essentially the following composition: 0.5 to 2.0 wt. % wolfram; 1.0 to 2.0 wt % cobalt; 15 to 20 wt. % phosphorus and at least 10 wt. % nickel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Enthone, Inc.
    Inventors: Klaus L. Wilbuer, Hans H. Urlberger
  • Patent number: 6620304
    Abstract: A bath system for galvanic deposition of metals includes a solution containing at least one metal, especially a precious metal and/or precious metal alloy in the form of a water-soluble salt, at least one water-soluble protein material or amino acid and/or at least one water-soluble sulfonic acid, at least one water-soluble nitro-containing substance, at least one water-soluble surface-active agent and at least one vitamin. The bath system galvanostatically applies high quality layers with uniform quality. The bath system can be kept free of harmful substances such as cyanides, sulfites and hard complexing agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Inventor: Gerhard Hoffacker
  • Patent number: 6599411
    Abstract: In the NiFe electroplating method of the present invention, the atomic percent (at. %) composition of Ni and Fe in NiFe electroplated material is controlled by selection of the duty cycle of the electroplating current during the electroplating process. Generally, for a particular electroplating bath, where the electroplating current duty cycle is greatest the NiFe electroplated material has a higher Fe at. %, and where the electroplating current duty cycle is reduced, a lower Fe at. %. Therefore, electroplated NiFe components from a single electroplating bath can have differing NiFe concentrations where the electroplating current duty cycle is altered. Additionally, NiFe components can be electroplated with a graduated or changing Ni and Fe concentration by altering the electroplating current duty cycle during the electroplating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Dinan, Neil Leslie Robertson, Alan Jun-Yuen Tam
  • Patent number: 6589602
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a highly adhesive surface-coated cemented carbide which comprises a cemented carbide base material and a hard film formed on a surface of the base material, characterized in that both of the hard film at a proximate portion of an interface between the hard film and the cemented carbide base material and the cemented carbide at a proximate portion of an interface contain at least one diffusive element selected from chromium, molybdenum, manganese, copper, silicon and an iron group metal and a method for producing the same by uniformly coating at least part of a surface of the base material with a metal, an alloy, or a compound comprising at least one diffusive element selected from iron group metals, chromium, molybdenum, manganese, copper, and silicon followed by coating the surface with the hard film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Toshiba Tungaloy Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Kitada
  • Patent number: 6582582
    Abstract: An electroplating bath is disclosed that is particularly suited to the electrodeposition of tin, zinc and alloys of the foregoing in a smooth and bright electrodeposit. The disclosed electroplating bath comprises propanedioic acid, diethyl ester, polymer with N-(3-aminopropyl)-1,3-propanediamine, N-(2-carboxy benzoyl) as a brightener additive. In addition, the electroplating bath may also comprise carboxylic acids, ammonium salts, aldehyde compounds and a variety of co-brighteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Inventor: Donald Becking
  • Patent number: 6562218
    Abstract: A reactive solution with an amount of 250 mL is made of distilled water and LiOH·H2O (4M) melted in the distilled water. Then, the reactive solution is put in a flow-type reactor, and is flown in between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode set in the flow-type reactor at a given temperature and a given flow rate. Then, a given voltage is applied between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode with dropping an oxidizer of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into the reactive solution to form a lithium-cobalt oxide thin film on the anode electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshimura, Seung-wan Song, Tomoaki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20030066756
    Abstract: A metal plating bath and method for plating a metal on a substrate. The metal plating bath contains hydroxylamines that inhibit the consumption of additive bath components to improve the efficiency of metal plating processes. The additive bath components are added to metal plating baths to improve brightness of plated metal as well as the micro-throwing and macro-throwing power of the bath. In addition to brighteners, the additive bath components may include levelers, suppressors, hardeners, and the like. The hydroxylamines that inhibit additive consumption may be employed in metal plating baths for plating copper, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, cobalt, cadmium, nickel, bismuth, indium, tin, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and alloys thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: Shipley Company, L.L.C.
    Inventors: David R. Gabe, Andrew J. Cobley, Leon R. Barstad, Mark J. Kapeckas, Erik Reddington, Wade Sonnenberg, Thomas Buckley
  • Patent number: 6537683
    Abstract: A method is described for producing composite multilayer materials which exhibit optimum properties throughout their entire service life. The composite multilayer material comprises a backing layer, a bearing metal layer, an intermediate layer and an electrodeposited overlay, which exhibits a hardness which increases continuously from its surface in the direction of the bearing metal layer. The method provides for the electrodeposition as overlay of a lead-free alloy with at least one hard and one soft component, the current density being modified within the range of from 0.3 to 20 A/dm2 during the deposition process and/or the temperature of the electroplating bath being modified within the range of from 15° C. to 80° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Wiesbaden GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Staschko, Karl-Heinz Gruenthaler
  • Publication number: 20030042147
    Abstract: Methods of forming a nano-supported catalyst on a substrate and at least one carbon nanotube on the substrate are comprised of configuring a substrate with an electrode (102), immersing the substrate with the electrode into a solvent containing a first metal salt and a second metal salt (104) and applying a bias voltage to the electrode such that a nano-supported catalyst is at least partly formed with the first metal salt and the second metal salt on the substrate at the electrode (106). In addition, the method of forming at least one carbon nanotube is comprised of conducting a chemical reaction process such as catalytic decomposition, pyrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, or hot filament chemical vapor deposition o grow at least one nanotube on the surface of the nano-supported catalyst (108).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2001
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert A. Talin, Bernard F. Coll, Kenneth A. Dean, Matthew Stainer
  • Publication number: 20030029728
    Abstract: A process for recovering vanadium contained in inorganic acid solutions by precipitating the vanadium as a solid compound of vanadium and alkali metal or monovalent cation ferricyanide. Separation is carried out electrochemically by depositing the compound on to a metal immersed in the acid solution that contains vanadium, to which a ferricyanide salt of an alkali metal or a monovalent cation has been added. If the inorganic acid present in solution is different from nitric acid, the vanadium can be also separated by direct addition of a ferricyanide salt of an alkali metal or a monovalent cation to the acid solution containing vanadium. The method described allows recovery of vanadium without modifying the initial composition of the solution, except for the concentration of the vanadium dissolved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Benjamin Scharifker, Rossana Arenare
  • Publication number: 20030024822
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the deposition of a silver-tin alloy from an acidic, cyanide-free electrolyte, containing silver ions, tin ions as well as a complexing agent. In order to provide a process which, despite the great differential of potential between silver and tin, makes it possible to simultaneously precipitate both metals to form well-adhering layers which, in addition, have a smooth, matte to silky surface and which are easily soldered, the invention involves the use of, as a further component an aromatic compound with an aldehyde group added to the electrolyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Inventor: Ortrud Steinius
  • Publication number: 20030010645
    Abstract: A damascene process for introducing copper into metallization layers in microelectronic structures includes a step of forming an enhancement layer of a metal alloy, such as a copper alloy or Co—W—P, over the barrier layer, using PVD, CVD or electrochemical deposition prior to electrochemically depositing copper metallization. The enhancement layer has a thickness from 10&mgr; to 100&mgr; and conformally covers the discontinuities, seams and grain boundary defects in the barrier layer. The enhancement layer provides a conductive surface onto which a metal layer, such as copper metallization, may be applied with electrochemical deposition. Alternatively, a seed layer may be deposited over the enhancement layer prior to copper metallization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Applicant: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chiu H. Ting, Igor Ivanov
  • Patent number: 6500327
    Abstract: An Sn—Bi alloy plating bath has a pH about 2.0 to 9.0 and comprises Bi3+ ions, Sn2+ ions, complexing agent (I) and complexing agent (II). Complexing agent (I) can be (a) aliphatic dicarboxylic acids having alkyl groups of 1-3 carbon atoms, (b) aliphatic hydroxymonocarboxylic acids having alkyl groups of 1-3 carbon atoms, (c) aliphatic hydroxypolycarboxylic acids having alkyl groups of 1-4 carbon atoms, (d) monosaccharides, polyhydroxycarboxylic acids produced by partially oxidizing the monosaccharides, and their cyclic ester compounds, and (e) condensed phosphoric acids. Complexing Agent (II) can be (s) ethylenediamineteraacetic acid (EDTA), (t) nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and (u) trans-1,2-cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CyDTA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Saitoh, Tatsuo Kunishi, Yukio Hamaji
  • Patent number: 6497806
    Abstract: A method of producing a roughening-treated copper foil, comprising (A) a copper foil, (B) a composite metal layer, which is formed on a bonding surface of the copper foil and comprises (I) copper, (II) at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum and (III) at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron and zinc, and (C) a roughened layer comprising copper, which is formed on the composite metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Nippon Denkai, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Endo
  • Publication number: 20020175080
    Abstract: The invention is related to a method of plating of a metal layer on a substrate. The method is particularly preferred for the formation of metallization structures for integrated circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Ivo Teerlinck, Paul Mertens
  • Publication number: 20020162752
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic phosphate chemical treatment method capable of improving the reaction efficiency on a metal surface (interface) by preventing the reaction in the solution phase so as to reliably prevent sludge formation during continuous treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeki Matsuda, Shin Nishiya
  • Patent number: 6436546
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method for coating foil comprised of nickel or a nickel alloy by sputtering a layer comprised of a metal compound on the foil in a vacuum. The foil is treated in an argon plasma with a pressure of 1031 3 to 10−2 millibar, for a variable time with a variable rate, and with energy of the plasma ions. A chromium oxide layer or a layer containing chromium oxide is successively sputtered by means of a reactive magnetron atomizing of at least one target comprised of chromium or an alloy containing chromium. The layer is sputtered with at least one atomization source in an argon-oxygen mixture with a pressure of 10−3 to 10−2 millibar. The operating point is constantly maintained in given boundaries and the foil is bonded in a defined thermal contact with a thermal buffer when the foil is being coated. The foil is coated until a given interference color pertaining to an interference of a first or second order is reached on the foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignees: Stork Veco B.V., Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Josephus Gertudis Wilhelmus Pierre Gulikers, Peter Malobabic, Erwin Hochreiter, Klaus Goedicke, Jörn-Steffen Liebig
  • Patent number: 6420053
    Abstract: An article includes a bi-colored metallic coating electrodeposited directly on a metallic cathode, such that a planar surface of the coating exhibits a visual first color when viewed from a first angle to the surface and a visual second and different color when viewed at a second angle to the surface. The electrode position is carried out from a bath which comprises ions selected from the group consisting of molybdenum(VI)-containing ions and (Ni(II)−+Zn(II))− containing ions, wherein the parameters ionic concentration, pH, bath temperature current density and current quantity are so selected that a bi-colored coating is obtained, provided that a current density is applied to the underplate as cathode within the range of 0.005 to 0.5 A/dm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Nickel Rainbow Ltd.
    Inventor: Leonid Levinson
  • Publication number: 20020079232
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for depositing a conductive layer on a substrate having a barrier layer and/or a dielectric layer. Such methods are particularly suitable for depositing an electroplated copper layer on a substrate having small apertures, and preferably very small apertures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Applicant: Shipley Company, L.L.C.
    Inventor: James G. Shelnut
  • Patent number: 6409906
    Abstract: A method and an aqueous electroplating solution for plating tarnish-resistant bluish-white antimony or antimony alloys containing at least one other metal from an aqueous acidic solution having a pH below about 6.0 at a temperature from about 65 to about 140° F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Inventor: Chalo Matta Aoun
  • Patent number: 6391179
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plating apparatus comprising: a plating bath filled with a plating solution; at least an anode in the plating solution; at least a plating object which serves as a cathode in the plating solution, so that the at least plating object is distanced from the at least anode; and at least a dummy cathode in the plating solution, so that the at least dummy cathode is applied with voltage to suppress a substitute-deposition of metal ions in the plating solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Kenta Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20020040852
    Abstract: In order to prevent salt precipitation after plating a wafer surface, the described cleaning process applied to the wafer covered with a plating solution uses a complex former solution or the solution of an acid. The presence of a suitable complex former enhances the solubility of heavy metal ions typically by orders of magnitudes. Hereby a precipitation of salts is avoided. After plating, the wafer is necessarily covered with a plating solution. In a first cleaning step, the solution of the complex former is applied on the wafer surface. This procedure reduces the amounts of plating salts in the solution and keeps the solubility of the remaining salts high at the same time due to a formation of soluble metal complexes. After that step, the wafer is completely covered with clean complex solution. This solution is removed in a following step by a stream of de-ionized water, leading to a clean, water-covered wafer. The drying of the wafer can be performed in a conventional procedure (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Heinrich Barber, Wolfgang Diel, Peter Kritzer
  • Publication number: 20020038764
    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%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Publication date: April 4, 2002
    Inventors: E. Jennings Taylor, Jenny J. Sun, Maria E. Inman
  • Publication number: 20020033341
    Abstract: A smooth layer of a metal is electroplated onto a microrough electrically conducting substrate by immersing the substrate and a counterelectrode in an electroplating bath of the metal to be electroplated and passing a modulated reversing electric current between the electrodes. The current contains pulses that are cathodic with respect to said substrate and pulses that are anodic with respect to said substrate. The cathodic pulses have a duty cycle less than about 50% and said anodic pulses have a duty cycle greater than about 50%, the charge transfer ratio of the cathodic pulses to the anodic pulses is greater than one, and the frequency of said pulses ranges from about 10 Hertz to about 12000 Hertz. The plating bath is substantially devoid of levelers and may be devoid of brighteners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: E. Jennings Taylor, Chengdong Zhou, Jenny J. Sun
  • Patent number: 6354358
    Abstract: To provide a novel casting mold for use in continuous casting, which has long life and excellent heat resistance, yet capable of completely preventing corrosion, which frequently occurs on the lower portion of the casting mold. A continuous casting mold for steel made from copper or a copper alloy, wherein said casting mold comprises a plane in contact with molten steel partly or wholly covered with a tungsten alloy plating containing either or both of nickel and cobalt, and said plating containing tungsten carbide forming a solid solution therewith. To produce the casting mold above, there is used a plating solution containing either or both of a nickel salt and a cobalt salt and a tungstate, together with at least one selected from an oxycarboxylic acid and salts thereof, and at least one type of an organic compound and salts thereof having two or less of carbon atoms within the molecule, provided that its oxidation decomposition potential is lower than that of the oxycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Nomura Plating Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kohei Ishida
  • Publication number: 20020014414
    Abstract: The use of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts of alkyl and alkanol sulfonic acids as additives in pure metal and metal alloy sulfate electroplating baths has a number of unexpected benefits including wider useful current density range, improved appearance and in the case of tin improved oxidative stability. The metals and alloys include but are not limited to tin, nickel, copper, chromium, cadmium, iron, rhodium, ruthenium, iron/zinc and tin/zinc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Inventors: Hyman D. Gillman, Brenda Fernandes, Kazimierz Wikiel
  • Patent number: 6344124
    Abstract: A compositionally modulated material electroplated film is deposited by using at least two source metal anodes in an electroplating apparatus, and changing at least one contact area between an anode an electrolyte. In order to obtain sharp boundaries between successive layers of the film, voltage can be switched from an electroplating substrate to a dummy electrode immediately before the contact area is changed, in order to allow the electrolyte to equilibrate at a new set of solute concentrations, before electroplating on the substrate is recommenced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Parijat Bhatnagar
  • Patent number: 6344123
    Abstract: A compositionally modulated material electroplated film is deposited by using at least two source metal anodes in an electroplating apparatus, and changing at least one power setting of an electroplating power supply. In order to obtain sharp boundaries between successive layers of the film, voltage can be switched from an electroplating substrate to a dummy electrode immediately before the power setting is changed, in order to allow the electrolyte to equilibrate at a new set of solute concentrations, before electroplating on the substrate is recommenced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Parijat Bhatnagar
  • Publication number: 20010054555
    Abstract: A blended solution is made by melting LiOH•H2O into distilled water, and then, Co metallic powders are added into the blended solution to make a reactive solution. The reactive solution is charged into an autoclave, and held at a predetermined temperature. Then, a pair of platinum electrodes are set into the reactive solution, and a given voltage is applied between the pair of platinum electrode. As a result, a compound thin film, made of crystal LiCoO2 including Li element of the blended solution and Co element of the Co metallic powders, is synthesized on the platinum electrode constituting the anode electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshimura, Takeshi Fujiwara, Seung-wan Song, Tomoaki Watanabe, Ryo Teranishi, Kyoo-Seung Han
  • Publication number: 20010050232
    Abstract: MEMS structures are provided that compensate for ambient temperature changes, process variations, and the like, and can be employed in many applications. These structures include an active microactuator adapted for thermal actuation to move in response to the active alteration of its temperature. The active microactuator may be further adapted to move in response to ambient temperature changes. These structures also include a temperature compensation element, such as a temperature compensation microactuator or frame, adapted to move in response to ambient temperature changes. The active microactuator and the temperature compensation element move cooperatively in response to ambient temperature changes. Thus, a predefined spatial relationship is maintained between the active microactuator and the associated temperature compensation microactuator over a broad range of ambient temperatures absent active alteration of the temperature of the active microactuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Inventors: Edward Hill, Robert L. Wood, Ramaswamy Mahadevan
  • Patent number: 6323128
    Abstract: A method for forming a quaternary alloy film of Co—W—P—Au for use as a diffusion barrier layer on a copper interconnect in a semiconductor structure and devices formed incorporating such film are disclosed. In the method, a substrate that has copper conductive regions on top is first pre-treated by two separate pre-treatment steps. In the first step, the substrate is immersed in a H2SO4 rinsing solution and next in a solution containing palladium ions for a length of time sufficient for the ions to deposit on the surface of the copper conductive regions. The substrate is then immersed in a solution that contains at least 15 gr/l sodium citrate or EDTA for removing excess palladium ions from the surface of the copper conductive regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Carlos Juan Sambucetti, Judith Marie Rubino, Daniel Charles Edelstein, Cyryl Cabral, Jr., George Frederick Walker, John G Gaudiello, Horatio Seymour Wildman
  • Patent number: 6309759
    Abstract: A sliding bearing, which comprises a lining and a bismuth or bismuth-alloy overlay having improved compatibility and fatigue resistance is provided. The overlay is characterized by the following orientation. The relative ratio of the X-ray diffraction intensity I[hkl] of the bismuth or bismuth-alloy overlay defined below satisfies the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) the relative ratio of the X-ray diffraction intensity I[hkl] of planes other than the {012} planes is from 0.2 to 5 times as high as the ratio of the X-ray diffraction intensity I[012], namely, 0.2I[012]≦I[hkl]≦5I[012] (b) the relative ratio of the X-ray diffraction intensity I[hkl] of three or more planes other than {012} planes ranges from 0.5 to 2 times as high as the ratio of the X-ray diffraction intensity I[012], namely, 0.5I[012]≦2I[012].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Inventors: Takashi Tomikawa, Hirofumi Michioka, Yoshio Fuwa, Yoshio Shimura, Shigeru Hotta
  • Patent number: 6306276
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the electrodeposition of transition metal and rare earth alloys from aqueous solutions to form thin films. The present invention which comprises the preparation of suitable mixtures of water soluble compounds containing the desired transition metal (TM) and rare earth (RE) elements, establishing appropriate bath conditions and applying specific current densities across the bath solution to cause a film with the desired properties to be deposited on a target substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Inventors: Ken Nobe, Morton Schwartz, Linlin Chen, No Sang Myung
  • Publication number: 20010009724
    Abstract: Deposition of metal in a preferred shape, including coatings on parts, or stand-alone materials, and subsequent heat treatment to provide improved mechanical properties. In particular, the method gives products with relatively high yield strength. The products often have relatively high elastic modulus, and are thermally stable, maintaining the high yield strength at temperatures considerably above 25° C. This technique involves depositing a material in the presence of a selected additive, and then subjecting the deposited material to a moderate heat treatment. This moderate heat treatment differs from other commonly employed “stress relief” heat treatments in using lower temperatures and/or shorter times, preferably just enough to reorganize the material to the new, desired form. Coating and heat treating a spring-shaped substrate provides a resilient, conductive contact useful for electronic applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Publication date: July 26, 2001
    Inventors: Jimmy Kuo-Wei Chen, Benjamin N. Eldridge, Thomas H. Dozier, Junjye J. Yeh, Gayle J. Herman
  • Patent number: 6183619
    Abstract: The use of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts of alkyl and alkanol sulfonic acids as additives in pure metal and metal alloy sulfonic acid electroplating baths has a number of unexpected benefits including wider useful current density range, improved appearance and in the case of tin improved oxidative stability. An additional significant appearance is to reduce the overall costs of this type of bath with the more economical salts of alkyl and alkanol sulfonic acids. The metals and metal alloys include but are not limited to tin, lead, copper, nickel, zinc, tin/lead, tin/lead/copper, tin/zinc and zinc/nickel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignees: Technic, Inc., Specialty Chemical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hyman D. Gillman, Brenda Fernandes, Kazimierz Wikiel
  • Patent number: 6179985
    Abstract: The use of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts of alkyl and alkanol sulfonic acids as additives in pure metal and metal alloy fluoroborate electroplating baths has a number of unexpected benefits including wider useful current density range and improved appearance. The metals and metal alloys include but are not limited to tin, lead, copper, cadmium, indium, iron, tin/lead and tin/lead copper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignees: Technic, Inc., Specialty Chemical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hyman D. Gillman, Brenda Fernandes, Kazimierz Wikiel
  • Patent number: 6099713
    Abstract: Disclosed is a tin-silver alloy electroplating bath containing: (A) stannous salt; (B) silver salt; (C) one kind or two or more kinds of acids selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, hydroxycarboxylic acid, alkanesulfonic acid, and alkanolsulfonic acid; (D) thiourea; (E) nonionic surface active agent; and (F) one kind or two or more kinds of additives selected from the group consisting of a mercapto group containing aromatic compound, dioxyaromatic compound, and unsaturated carboxylic acid. The electroplating using the above electroplating bath is allowed to form a homogeneous tin-silver alloy plated film having a good external appearance by eliminating preferential deposition of silver and substitutional deposition of silver on an anode and the plated film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: C. Uyemura & Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Yanada, Masanobu Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 6086742
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of producing layered materials for sliding bearings and an electroplating bath for carrying out this method. According to the method, an electroplating bath with a non-ionic wetting agent and a benzene derivative is used for depositing a binary layer on a bronze layer on which the lead- or tin-based binary layer and a molybdenum-based initial layer are deposited galvanically in succession. When the binary layer has been deposited and before the initial layer is deposited, at least one surface layer of the binary layer is anodically activated. The layered material comprises a steel support shell (1) and a cast leaded bronze (2) to which an intermediate layer (13) is applied galvanically. When the layer (3) has been applied galvanically, the surface region (5) is altered by anodic activation, whereupon the molybdenum oxide layer (4) is applied galvanically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Glyco-Metall-Werke, Glyco B.V. & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hans-Ulrich Huhn, Dietmar Wiebach, Klaus Muller
  • Patent number: 6045682
    Abstract: A tungsten alloy electroplating bath. Highly ductile tungsten alloy deposits are facilitated using a sulfur co-depositing ductility additive such as: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of H.sub.1, alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxy, halogen, carboxy and carbonyl;"AR" designates a benzene or naphthalene moiety;R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of H, or an alkyl sulfonic acid, a Group I or Group II salt of an alkyl sulfonic acid, a benzene, a sulfonate, a naphthalene sulfonate, a benzene sulfonamide, a naphthalene sulfonamide, an ethylene alkoxy, a propylene alkoxy; and R.sub.2 may be attached to "AR" to form a cyclic moiety; andR.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of a benzene, a naphthalene, an unsaturated aliphatic group; and a benzenesulfonate group.The additive provides ductility improvements in tungsten alloy electroplates deposited from the solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Enthone-OMI, Inc.
    Inventor: Danielle Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 5965002
    Abstract: A method of codepositing iron and manganese having a high proportion of manganese incorporates use of a new electrochemical cell. The deposit comprises up to 38% manganese from a solution of wide ranging pH from an aqueous bath of sulfate, phosphate salt or any other type of bath, The deposits may subsequently be nitrided, phosphatized or carburized to produced an amorphous surface comparable to Hadfield steel. The manganese alloy deposit exhibits a bright, shiny surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Inventor: Bassey J. Udofot
  • Patent number: 5944977
    Abstract: A method of pretreating a hydrogen-occluding alloy, by electrically plating the hydrogen-occluding alloy with a Co--V alloy or a Co--Mo alloy. A nickel-hydrogen secondary battery manufactured using the pretreated hydrogen-occluding alloy has an increased initial activation rate and an increased high rate discharge characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Display Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki-ho Kim
  • Patent number: 5882498
    Abstract: A method for electroplating a silicon substrate in manufacturing a semiconductive device is provided. Electroplating process chamber contacts or fingers used in positioning a silicon substrate or wafer during an electroplating process are plated with a metal layer to prevent oxidation of the contacts. Oxidation of the contacts may result in increased and varying resistance of the contacts and thus nonuniform plating of the silicon wafer and possibly even deplating of a seed layer. A 20 mA/cm.sup.2 current is applied to the contacts which are immersed in an electrolyte solution before loading a silicon wafer. A silicon wafer is then loaded into the electroplating process chamber containing the electrolyte solution. The preplating of the contacts enables the formation of a uniform metal layer on the silicon substrate. Additionally, voltage then may be applied to the contacts after unloading the silicon wafer to reduce oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Valery Dubin, Takeshi Nogami
  • Patent number: 5853556
    Abstract: A process for tungsten alloy plating wherein a tungsten replenisher concentrate of tungsten ions pre-complexed with a hydroxy carboxylic acid is used for maintenance additions to the bath. A preferred additive includes from about 100 to about 120 g/l of tungsten ions complexed with from about 120 to about 220 g/l of citric acid. The process provides consistent cathode efficiency and produces ductile deposits of tungsten alloy electroplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Enthone-OMI, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter J. Wieczerniak
  • Patent number: 5827413
    Abstract: A low hydrogen overvoltage cathode is provided which comprises an electroconductive base material coated with an alloy layer containing cobalt and tin at least at a content of tin ranging from 0.01 to 95% by weight. A process is also provided for producing the low hydrogen voltage cathode, wherein cobalt and tin at least are electrolytically co-deposited onto a surface of an electroconductive base material from a plating bath containing cobalt ions, tin ions, and a complexing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Tosoh Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Yamaguchi, Kanji Yoshimitsu, Satoshi Yoshida, Kazumasa Suetsugu, Takashi Sakaki
  • Patent number: 5582927
    Abstract: Certain alloys of CoFeCu are provided in film and laminate form which have a unique combination of electromagnetic properties which enable them to be used as magnetic thin films in magnetic recording heads, shields and flux guides. The films and laminates thereof are electrodeposited from a plating bath in a DC or pulsed current electrodeposition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Panayotis C. Andricacos, Jei-Wei Chang, Wilma J. Horkans, Judith D. Olsen, Bojan Petek, Lubomyr T. Romankiw
  • Patent number: 5562814
    Abstract: A novel electroplating bath is described which comprises an alkane or alkanol sulfonic acid, tin, lead or tin-lead metal alloy and either an alkali carbonate or alkali bicarbonate salt. The addition of the alkali carbonate or bicarbonate salts reduces tin oxidation and thus decreases the amount of sludge formation in the bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Dale Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: John Kirby