Tdk Corporation

Toyoaki Tanaka

Satoshi Inoue

Yoshiro Nakagawa

Fujimi Kimura

Takashi Abe

Akihiko Dobashi

A method of electroplating an object to be plated attached to a lower portion of a plating bath constituted by draining used plating solution and supplying new plating solution at every plating procedure. The method has a step of supplying additional current so that the object to be plated always has cathode potential, while the object to be plated is being dipped in the plating bath and electroplating is not carried out.

Electroplating apparatus

An electrode assembly including a first cathode member provided with a hole enclosed by a frame portion. The frame portion surrounding the hole has a contact surface that comes into contact with an object to be plated at one of its surfaces, and an insulating member is provided with holes and enclosed by a frame portion, with one surface of the frame portion placed on top of another surface of the frame portion of the first cathode member. A second cathode member also provided with a hole enclosed by a frame portion, with one surface of the frame portion placed on top of one surface of the other frame portion of the insulating member. The smallest bore diameter at the hole of the second cathode member is larger than the smallest bore diameter at the holes and of the insulating member.

Electrode assembly, cathode device and plating apparatus including a gap configured to eliminate a concentration of a line of electrical force at a boundary between a cathode and plate forming surface of an object

An electrode assembly, including a cathode member is provided with a hole enclosed by a frame portion and a contact surface that comes into contact with an object to be plated at one surface of the frame portion. The cathode member include a conductive material such as copper plate. The cathode member is provided with a lead conductor. An insulating member is provided with holes and enclosed by frame portions, with the frame portions and placed on another surface of the frame portion of the cathode member. The frame portion of the first insulating member covers the internal circumferential edge of the cathode member over a width W

Electrode assembly, cathode device and plating apparatus including an insulating member covering an internal circumferential edge of a cathode member

Electroplating method

After applying a metal film on a surface of a substrate, the metal film is patterned in such a manner that the surface of the substrate is exposed in a pattern that corresponds to the pattern of the required indented portion. Then, the substrate is immersed in an etchant which etches the substrate selectively to form the indented portion in the surface of the substrate using the metal film as a mask. The method makes it possible to define the depth and the pattern of an indented portion where a magnetic transducer is provided with a high degree of accuracy, to prevent a reduction in pattern accuracy due to re-adhering and to advance industrial productivity.

Growing community of inventors

Sakui, Japan

Toyoaki Tanaka