An apparatus and method for plating magnetic cores by periodically transferring a plate directly back and forth between a metal plating environment and an insulation deposit environment. This direct metal to insulation to metal plating is enabled by a nano-scale insulation layer that provides an imperfect coverage of the metal layer while still keeping sufficient insulation to prevent eddy current formation—even during high-frequency current applications. Therefore, this invention enables the practical creation of magnetic cores having layers with widths even under one nanometer and can generate cores having a layer scale that can be varied to suit a variety of uses in the microelectronic industry.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes metal electroplating on a surface of a first electrode formed on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate with a plating solution which contains aggregates of a supercritical fluid and a solution of a plating metal ion and an electrolyte. The first surface includes a recess. The surface is along with a shape of the recess. The recess has a first dimension and a second dimension, and assuming that an aspect ratio of the recess is given as a ratio of the second dimension to the first dimension, a median of a particle size distribution of the aggregates is greater than the first dimension.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes metal electroplating on a surface of a first electrode formed on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate with a plating solution which contains aggregates of a supercritical fluid and a solution of a plating metal ion and an electrolyte. The first surface includes a recess. The surface is along with a shape of the recess. The recess has a first dimension and a second dimension, and assuming that an aspect ratio of the recess is given as a ratio of the second dimension to the first dimension, a median of a particle size distribution of the aggregates is greater than the first dimension.

A method for forming an assembly is provided. The method includes depositing a colloidal template onto a substrate, wherein the colloidal template is porous, depositing a metal layer onto and within the colloidal template, depositing a cap structure onto the colloidal template opposite of the substrate, and removing the colloidal template from between the substrate and the cap structure to form a metal inverse opal structure disposed therebetween. The method continues by depositing an electrical isolation layer in contact with the cap structure opposite the metal inverse opal structure, and attaching the electrical isolation layer to a cooling device.

A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

A hydrogen evolution assisted electroplating nozzle includes a nozzle tip configured to interface with a portion of a substructure. The nozzle also includes an inner coaxial tube connected to a reservoir containing an electrolyte and an anode, the inner coaxial tube configured to dispense the electrolyte through the nozzle tip onto the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes an outer coaxial tube encompassing the inner coaxial tube, the outer coaxial tube configured to extract the electrolyte from the portion of the substructure. The nozzle also includes at least one contact pin configured to make electrical contact with a conductive track on the substrate.

A method for decorating metallic or non-metallic surfaces treated with Physical Void Deposition, PVD, comprising: an electrochemical activation action of the decoration by means of an electrical circuit with electrodes in electrical contact and for at least one thereof with the mediation of an electrolytic solution towards a surface being treated; an electrically conductive surface facing one of said electrodes to form said surface being treated; at least one masking resistant to the electrochemical activation action of the decoration and interposed between the facing electrode and the surface being treated; and has the electrochemical action of activating the decoration of the treated surface occurs by electrochemical oxidation of the metallic oxide layer normally present on the electrically conductive surface whether it is placed below the PVD coating layer, i.e., performed before such PVD coating, or such electrochemical oxidation action is performed above said vacuum metallic coating, electrically conductive PVD layer; the electrochemical oxidation acts with the surface of the treated metal, its natural oxide, or the PVD coating itself, i.e., on the oxides, carbides, nitrides forming it, without any removal of metallic material but with the aesthetic modification of the treated surface in the shape determined by the aforesaid masking.

Exemplary methods of electroplating include contacting a patterned substrate with a plating bath in an electroplating chamber, where the pattern substrate includes at least one opening having a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces. The methods may further include forming a nanotwin-containing metal material in the at least one opening. The metal material may be formed by two or more cycles that include delivering a forward current from a power supply through the plating bath of the electroplating chamber for a first period of time, plating a first amount of the metal on the bottom surface of the opening on the patterned substrate and a second amount of the metal on the sidewall surfaces of the opening, and delivering a reverse current from the power supply through the plating bath of the electroplating chamber to remove some of the metal plated in the opening on the patterned substrate.

Exemplary methods of electroplating include contacting a patterned substrate with a plating bath in an electroplating chamber, where the pattern substrate includes at least one opening having a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces. The methods may further include forming a nanotwin-containing metal material in the at least one opening. The metal material may be formed by two or more cycles that include delivering a forward current from a power supply through the plating bath of the electroplating chamber for a first period of time, plating a first amount of the metal on the bottom surface of the opening on the patterned substrate and a second amount of the metal on the sidewall surfaces of the opening, and delivering a reverse current from the power supply through the plating bath of the electroplating chamber to remove some of the metal plated in the opening on the patterned substrate.

A plating apparatus (10) is disclosed including a plating tank (9), cathodes (1a to 1f), a holding mechanism (2), at least one anode (3), and a rotation mechanism (4). The plating tank (9) contains an annularly or helically wound substrate (90) together with a plating solution. The cathodes (1a to 1f) are placed inside the plating tank (9). The holding mechanism (2) holds the cathodes (1a to 1f) at positions electrically connected to the outer periphery of the substrate (90) and holds the substrate (90) via the cathodes (1a to 1f). The anode (3) is placed at least on the inner periphery side of the substrate (90) held by the holding mechanism (2). The rotation mechanism (4) rotates at least either the substrate (90) and cathodes (1a to 1f) held by the holding mechanism (2) or the anode (3), or both, around the axis of the wound substrate (90).