The object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for electroplating without requiring ancillary facilities or anolyte control, while using an anode which can be relatively easily produced without requiring an expensive metal or special metal. When electroplating an article with metal, decomposition of an organic compound additive in a plating bath can be suppressed by using, as an anode, a conductive substrate having a layer comprising oxide or nitride of nickel and iron formed on a surface thereof.

An electroplating device includes a process chamber, a paddle plate and a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is used for driving the paddle plate to move back and forth to make the paddle plate stir the electroplating solution in the process chamber when a substrate is electroplated. The electroplating device further includes a cleaning assembly and a connecting bracket. The cleaning assembly is used for spraying a cleaning solution onto the electroplated substrate. One end of the connecting bracket is connected to the paddle plate, and the other end of the connecting bracket is connected to the driving mechanism, and the driving mechanism drives the paddle plate to move back and forth via the connecting bracket. The connecting bracket is opened with a hollowed-out area, and the cleaning solution sprayed onto the substrate is collected after passing through the hollowed-out area.

According to the invention an electrochemical deposition or polishing clamber including: a support for a substrate, the support having an in-use position; a housing having an interior surface and a fluid outlet pathway for removing an electrolyte from the chamber, wherein the fluid outlet pathway includes one or more slots which extend into the housing from at least one slotted opening formed in the interior surface; a seal for sealing the housing to a peripheral portion of a surface of a substrate position on the support in its in-use position; and a tilting mechanism for tilting the chamber in order to assist in removing electrolyte from the housing through the fluid outlet pathway.

According to the invention an electrochemical deposition or polishing clamber including: a support for a substrate, the support having an in-use position; a housing having an interior surface and a fluid outlet pathway for removing an electrolyte from the chamber, wherein the fluid outlet pathway includes one or more slots which extend into the housing from at least one slotted opening formed in the interior surface; a seal for sealing the housing to a peripheral portion of a surface of a substrate position on the support in its in-use position; and a tilting mechanism for tilting the chamber in order to assist in removing electrolyte from the housing through the fluid outlet pathway.

Disclosed are an electrodeposition system and method with an anode assembly comprising a capacitor comprising a first conductive plate (i.e., an anode) with a frontside having a surface exposed to a plating solution, a second conductive plate on a backside of the first conductive plate, and a dielectric layer between the two conductive plates. During a non-plating mode, a power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first and second conductive plates, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) relative to the second conductive plate to prevent degradation of the anode and/or plating solution. During an active plating mode, another power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) and a cathode, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the anode relative to the cathode in order to deposit a plated layer on a workpiece.

Disclosed are an electrodeposition system and method with an anode assembly comprising a capacitor comprising a first conductive plate (i.e., an anode) with a frontside having a surface exposed to a plating solution, a second conductive plate on a backside of the first conductive plate, and a dielectric layer between the two conductive plates. During a non-plating mode, a power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first and second conductive plates, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) relative to the second conductive plate to prevent degradation of the anode and/or plating solution. During an active plating mode, another power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) and a cathode, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the anode relative to the cathode in order to deposit a plated layer on a workpiece.

Disclosed are an electrodeposition system and method with an anode assembly comprising a capacitor comprising a first conductive plate (i.e., an anode) with a frontside having a surface exposed to a plating solution, a second conductive plate on a backside of the first conductive plate, and a dielectric layer between the two conductive plates. During a non-plating mode, a power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first and second conductive plates, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) relative to the second conductive plate to prevent degradation of the anode and/or plating solution. During an active plating mode, another power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) and a cathode, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the anode relative to the cathode in order to deposit a plated layer on a workpiece.

Disclosed are an electrodeposition system and method with an anode assembly comprising a capacitor comprising a first conductive plate (i.e., an anode) with a frontside having a surface exposed to a plating solution, a second conductive plate on a backside of the first conductive plate, and a dielectric layer between the two conductive plates. During a non-plating mode, a power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first and second conductive plates, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) relative to the second conductive plate to prevent degradation of the anode and/or plating solution. During an active plating mode, another power source, having positive and negative terminals connected to the first conductive plate (i.e., the anode) and a cathode, respectively, is turned on, thereby polarizing the anode relative to the cathode in order to deposit a plated layer on a workpiece.

Disclosed are novel electrolytes, and techniques for making and devices using such electrolytes, which are based on compressed gas solvents. Unlike conventional electrolytes, disclosed electrolytes are based on compressed gas solvents mixed with various salts, referred to as compressed gas electrolytes. Various embodiments of a compressed gas solvent includes a material that is in a gas phase and has a vapor pressure above an atmospheric pressure at a room temperature. The disclosed compressed gas electrolytes can have wide electrochemical potential windows, high conductivity, low temperature capability and/or high pressure solvent properties. Examples of a class of compressed gases that can be used as solvent for electrolytes include hydrofluorocarbons, in particular fluoromethane, difluoromethane, tetrafluoroethane, pentafluoroethane. Also disclosed are battery and supercapacitor structures that use compressed gas solvent-based electrolytes, techniques for constructing such energy storage devices. Techniques for electroplating difficult-to-deposit materials using compressed gas electrolytes as an electroplating bath are also disclosed.

There is provided a method of adjusting a plating module, wherein the plating module comprises a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, an anode placed to be opposed to the substrate holder, and a plate placed between the substrate holder and the anode to serve as an ionically resistive element. The method comprises: providing a plating module of initial setting, which is initially set in such a state that a porosity in an outer circumferential portion of the plate is adjusted to reduce a plating film thickness in an outer circumferential portion of the substrate to be smaller than a film thickness in another portion; and adjusting a distance between the substrate holder and the plate so as to flatten a distribution of plating film thickness of the entire substrate by adjustment of the distance between the substrate holder and the plate such as to increase a film thickness in the outer circumferential portion of the substrate according to a film thickness distribution of the substrate that is plated in the plating module.