International Business Machines Corporation

Frank A Spera

Madhav Datta

Derek B Harris

Denis J Brophy

Frank S Ryan

Lubomyr Taras Romankiw

Panayotis Constantinou Andricacos

John Owen Dukovic

Matteo Flotta

Kwong-Hon Wong

Kirk G Berridge

Otto P Schick

Jeffrey S Richter

Helmut R Poweleit

Jose Ordonez

An electroetching tool using scanned localized application of flowing electrolyte against a workpiece such as a large area mask having high density features for the fabrication of microelectronic components. A masked molybdenum plate is suspended in a vertical direction within a tank which functions as a reservoir for a recirculating electrobyte. The electrolyte in the reservoir is filtered and pumped to a pair of travelling cathode assemblies from which the flowing electrolyte is simultaneously applied through respective charged orifices to both sides of the workpiece. The workpiece is masked on its opposite sides with mirror imaged mask apertures having corresponding opposite-sided features in registration with each other. Each orifice through which the electrolyte is applied comprises an open groove in the surface of a block of polyvinal chloride material which groove extends in a vertical direction relative to the tank. The bottom of the groove is adjacent to a conductive plate. The open top of the groove is held closely against the masked plate as the cathode assembly is moved along the guide rails. The fresh electrobyte is introduced to the groove at the upper end thereof while the used electrolyte exits from the groove at the lower end thereof and into the tank reservoir for recirculation.

Tool and method for electroetching

Electroetching tool using localized application of channelized flow of

An electroplating cell includes a floor, ceiling, front wall, and back wall forming a box having first and second opposite open ends. A rack for supporting an article to be electroplated is removably positioned vertically to close the first open end and includes a thief laterally surrounding the article to define a cathode. An anode is positioned vertically to close the second open end, with the assembly defining a substantially closed, six-sided inner chamber for receiving an electrolyte therein for electroplating the article. The article and surrounding thief are coextensively aligned with the anode, with the floor, ceiling, front and back walls being effective for guiding electrical current flux between the cathode and the anode. In a preferred embodiment, the cell is disposed as an inner cell inside an outer cell substantially filled with the electrolyte, and a paddle is disposed inside the inner cell for agitating the electrolyte therein. The rack is removable and installable vertically upwardly which allows for automated handling thereof.

Vertical paddle plating cell

Growing community of inventors

Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Frank A Spera