A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web transport path in an in-track direction, including a liquid application system for applying a liquid to at least one surface of the web of media. An air skive is positioned along the web transport path downstream of the liquid application system, wherein the air skive directs one or more streams of air onto the web of media thereby removing at least some of the liquid that is being carried along with the web of media. A vapor source adds a vapor into the one or more streams of air provided by the air skive before the one or more streams of air are directed onto the web of media.

Atomic layer etching (ALE) enables effective filling of small feature structures on semiconductor and other substrates, such as contacts and vias, by bottom-up fill, for example electroless deposition (ELD) of cobalt.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotation driving mechanism configured to rotate a rotary table configured to hold a substrate; an electric heater provided in the rotary table to be rotated along with the rotary table and configured to heat the substrate; a power receiving electrode provided in the rotary table to be rotated along with the rotary table and electrically connected to the electric heater; a power feeding electrode configured to be contacted with the power receiving electrode and configured to supply a power to the electric heater via the power receiving electrode; an electrode moving mechanism; a power feeder configured to supply the power to the power feeding electrode; a processing cup surrounding the rotary table; at least one processing liquid nozzle configured to supply a processing liquid; a processing liquid supply mechanism configured to supply at least an electroless plating liquid; and a controller.

Method and apparatus for producing metal-coated optical fiber involves providing a length of optical fiber having a glass fiber with or without a carbon layer surrounded by a liquid-soluble polymeric coating. The optical fiber is passed through a series of solution baths such that the fiber will contact the solution in each bath for a predetermined dwell time, the series of solution baths effecting removal of the polymer coating and subsequent electroless plating of metal on the glass fiber. The optical fiber is collected after metal plating so that a selected quantity of the metal-coated optical fiber is gathered, Preferably, the glass fiber passes through the series of solution baths without contacting anything except for the respective solution in each.

Systems and methods for nickel plating include providing a tank that retains a plating bath into which a substrate is submerged, and creating a horizontal flow of processing solution in the plating bath to assist in carrying contaminants out of the plating bath. A sparger box may be positioned in the tank to deliver the processing solution into the plating bath in a horizontal direction. The processing solution, which carries the contaminants, may exit the plating bath through a plate member that includes a plurality of orifices and is also positioned in the tank. The orifices may have a variable opening size to help control outflow of the processing solution.

The invention eliminates defects generated in a metal filling a through hole of a printed board by changing an angle at which a plating solution is sprayed or by changing a posture of the printed board at a time point in a process of precipitating the metal from the plating solution and filling the through hole with the precipitated metal while the plating solution or air bubbles are being sprayed onto the printed board.

A system for electroless deposition on a substrate is provided, including the following: a chamber; a substrate support configured to receive a substrate having a conductive layer disposed on a top surface of the substrate, the top surface of the substrate having an edge exclusion region and a process region, wherein the substrate support is configured to rotate the substrate; a solution container configured to hold an electroless deposition solution; a dispenser configured to provide a flow of the electroless deposition solution; a controller, the controller configured to direct the flow of the electroless deposition solution toward the edge exclusion region while the substrate is rotated, the flow being directed away from the process region, the electroless deposition solution plates metallic material over the conductive layer at the edge exclusion region, to produce an increased thickness of the metallic material that reduces electrical resistance.

A single-substrate electroless (EL) plating apparatus including a workpiece chuck that is rotatable about rotation axis and inclinable about an axis of inclination. The chuck inclination may be controlled to a non-zero inclination angle during a dispense of plating solution to improve uniformity in the surface wetting and/or plating solution residence time across the a surface of a workpiece supported by the chuck. The angle of inclination may be only a few degrees off-level with the plating solution dispensed from a nozzle that scans over a high-side of the chuck along a radius of the workpiece while the chuck rotates. The angle of inclination may be actively controlled during dispense of the plating solution. The inclination angle may be larger at commencement of the plating solution dispense than at cessation of the dispense.

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include one or more of a container, a first magnet assembly, and a second magnet assembly. The container includes an open top and is configured to hold a liquid chemical solution. The first magnet assembly includes a first magnet having a first polarity and a cover, coupled to the first magnet. The cover is configured to be movable between an open and a closed position and limit evaporation of the solution when the cover is in the closed position. The second magnet assembly includes a second magnet having a second polarity. In response to a command, the second magnet assembly is configured to move the cover to the open position without direct contact to the first magnet assembly in response to a command.

Provided is a substrate plating apparatus capable of simultaneously circulating and stirring a plating solution and removing air bubbles. The plating apparatus includes a hybrid paddle disposed in front of a substrate in a plating bath to stir the plating solution. Here, the hybrid paddle includes a spray assembly for spraying the plating solution toward the substrate and a suction assembly for suctioning air bubbles formed on the substrate during plating, and the spray assembly and the suction assembly are coupled into one body and perform a reciprocating movement along a surface of the substrate to stir the plating solution.