The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 17, 2000
Filed:
May. 16, 1997
William M Stone, Norton, MA (US);
Technic, Inc., Pawtucket, RI (US);
Abstract
An electroplating system includes a tank that holds an electrolytic bath solution. An anode within the tank receives a first voltage having a first potential. A substrate cathode, immersible in the solution within the tank, spaced from the anode, receives a second voltage having a second potential, opposite to that of the first potential. A shield is immersible in the solution within the tank between the anode and cathode. The level of shielding provided by the shield is variable and controllable. In one embodiment, the shield includes a conductive element that receives a third voltage having the first potential, the magnitude of the third voltage being controllable. In another embodiment, the shield includes at least one louver, the physical orientation of which is controllably adjustable. The shield is sufficiently spaced from the substrate cathode to be substantially outside an area of sparging and is fixed between the anode and cathode. In an embodiment of the electroplating system, the substrate cathode is movable in horizontal directions toward and away from the anode while the shield is stationary in such horizontal directions.