At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

David A Nicol

Thomas John Miller

Donald Dinella

Sudarshan Lal

Douglas W Monroe

David B Steele

Kim L Morton

Disclosed is a method for testing solder mask material for suitability with an electroless plating process. The Emix potential of the electroless bath is measured. A test substrate including the mask material is then immersed in an electrolyte, and a constant potential at least equal to the Emix potential is applied to a pair of electrodes also immersed in the electrolyte. The test substrate is then inspected to determine adherence of the mask material.

Method for testing solder mask material

Disclosed is a method for removal of contaminants and replenishment of an electroless copper plating solution in order to allow reuse of the solution. Copper oxide is dissolved in the spent solution and this is followed by an electrodialysis which removes formate and carbonate ions.

Regeneration of spent electroless copper plating solution

A fluorine-doped silica soot cylinder (11) is consolidated by containing it within an encapsulation structure (29) within a furance (21). The atmosphere within the encapsulation structure is kept substantially stagnant during the consolidating, and the volume enclosed by the encapsulation structure (29) is only slightly greater than the volume of the soot cylinder (11). A gap (52) between the volume enclosed by the encapsulating structure and the furnace is kept small enough to impede gas flow to a sufficient extent that the atmosphere within the encapsulating structure (29) is substantially stagnant during consolidation. During consolidation, fluorine concentration within the encapsulation structure (29) is uniformly distributed within the soot cylinder (11).

Method for consolidating doped glass using an encapsulating structure

A fluorine-doped silica soot cylinder (11) is consolidated by containing it within an encapsulation structure (29) within a furnace (21). The atmosphere within the encapsulation structure is kept substantially stagnant during the consolidating, and the volume enclosed by the encapsulation structure (29) is only slightly greater than the volume of the soot cylinder (11). A gap (52) between the volume enclosed by the encapsulating structure and the furnace is kept small enough to impede gas flow to a sufficient extent that the atmosphere within the encapsulating structure (29) is substantially stagnant during consolidation. During consolidation, fluorine concentration within the encapsulation structure (29) is uniformly distributed within the soot cylinder (11).

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Trenton, NJ, United States of America

David A Nicol