Abstract: The present invention relates to a method to electroplate or electropolish a metal on a substrate wherein an ionic liquid selected from the group of N+R1R2R3R4X? or N+R5R6R7R8Y? is employed as electrolyte, and a metal salt added to the ionic liquid is employed as the metal source or a metal anode is used as the metal source, wherein any one of R1 to R8 independently represents a hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or aralkyl group that may be substituted with a group selected from OH, Cl, Br, F, I, phenyl, NH2, CN, NO2, COOR9, CHO, COR9, or OR9, at least one of R5 to R8 is a fatty alkyl chain, and one or more of R5 to R8 can be a (poly)oxyalkylene group wherein the alkylene is a C1 to C4 alkylene and the total number of oxyalkylene units can be from 1 to 50 oxyalkylene units, and at least one of R1 to R8 is a C1 to C4 alkyl chain, R9 is an alkyl or cycloalkyl group, X- is an anion having an N-acyl sulphonylimide anion (—CO—N?—SO2—) functionality, Y? is an anion compatible with the N+R5R6R7R8 ammonium cation, s

Abstract: Disclosed herewithin is an apparatus for fabricating a stent which involves processing a tubular member whereby no connection points to join the edges of a flat pattern are necessary. The process includes the steps of: a) preparing the surface of a tubular member, b) coating the outside surface of the tubular member with a photo-sensitive resist material, c) placing the tubular member in an apparatus designed to simultaneously rotate the tubular member while passing a specially configured photographic frame negative between a light source and the tubular member, d) exposing the tubular member to a photoresist developer, e) rinsing the excess developer and uncured resist from the exposed tubular member, f) sealing the inner lumen of the tubular member, and g) treating the tubular member with a chemical or electro-chemical process to remove uncovered metal. By modifying the photographic negative, this process can be employed to fabricate a virtually unlimited number of stent designs and configurations.

Abstract: A process for reworking of PGA chip carriers where one or more I/O pins is unplated. The process includes electrolytically etching the I/O pins which removes any corrosion product from the unplated I/O pins and removes the top gold layer from the remaining I/O pins. The etchant includes a metal-providing compound selected from the group consisting of a silver salt, copper cyanide, silver cyanide, gold cyanide or mixtures thereof, at a concentration in the range from about 2.7 to about 4.1 g/l as metal; potassium or sodium carbonate at a concentration in the range from about 10 to about 100 g/l; and potassium or sodium cyanide at a concentration in the range from about 29 to about 35 g/l.

Abstract: Process of smoothing or polishing a diamond surface to reduce asperities reon to a level as low as about 20 nm from the horizontal by implanting the diamond surface with ions to form a non-diamond carbon damage layer on or below the diamond surface below the disparity depth and dissolving the non-diamond carbon by submerging the non-diamond carbon in a liquid having sufficient electric field to dissolve the non-diamond carbon.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a process for manufacturing a lead frame by polishing a blank for a lead frame electrolytically and plating the electrolytically polished surface of the blank with a metal, which process enables the electrolytic polishing of the blank to be continued for a long time by employing a contactless electrolytic polishing apparatus, and can form an electrolytically polished surface which is sufficiently smooth to allow it to be plated with a very good metal coating.The contactless electrolytic polishing apparatus is employed for applying a direct current with ripples having a frequency of 40 to 120 Hz alternately to the anode and cathode in an electrolytic polishing tank filled with an electrolytic polishing solution, so that the time for which the blank positioned between both electrodes functions as the anode may be at least 3.3 times longer than that for which it functions as the cathode, and the blank is, then, plated with a metal by employing a customary method.

Abstract: A silicon substrate is etched by dipping it in a NH.sub.4 F solution while charging it with a potential more negative than an open-circuit potential. The NH.sub.4 F solution preferably has NH.sub.4 F concentration of 10M or less. The potential applied to the silicon substrate is controlled within the range of from the open-circuit potential to a more negative potential by -1.5 V vs. SCE. Since the etched silicon substrate has flatness in atomic order, it is suitable for the precise fabrications to manufacture high-density ir high-functional semiconductor devices.