A film that contains Ni.sub.2O.sub.3H as a main component.

The present disclosure relates to a device for and a method of interfacial electrofabricatio of freestanding biopolymer membrane. The present disclosure also relates to the freestanding biopolymer membrane fabricated using the method provided in the present disclosure and applications of the presently disclosed freestanding biopolymer membrane.

A belt conveyer 7 includes a metal belt-shaped conveyer main body 9 and a metal clip 8 held on the conveyer main body 9, and clamps an end part on one side of a work 14 by the spring force of the metal clip 8. A roller conveyer 6 includes multiple conveying rollers 10 that rotate in synch with the belt conveyer 7 and supports the work 14 from below where an end part on the other side of the work 14 clamped by the belt conveyer 7 is placed on the plurality of conveying rollers. The work 14 is conveyed in a horizontal position and is subjected to plating, with the end part on the one side of the work 14 clamped by the belt conveyer 7 and end part on the other side of the work 14 placed on the roller conveyer 6.

A method of forming a lithium metal film is provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a deposition cell comprising an anode and a substrate provided within the deposition cell. A lithium ion containing electrolyte is flowed across a surface of the substrate, and a voltage is applied to the substrate to deposit a lithium metal film onto the substrate from the lithium ion containing electrolyte. The voltage is controlled to be substantially constant within a range of −3.7 to −4 volts relative to an AgCl/Ag reference electrode or a constant current is used that stabilizes within a voltage range of −3.7 to −4 volts relative to an AgCl/Ag reference electrode. The present method can advantageously form a lithium metal film that has an optically smooth surface morphology and nano-rod structures.

High purity lithium and associated products are provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a lithium metal product in which the lithium metal is obtained using a selective lithium ion conducting layer. The selective lithium ion conducting layer includes an active metal ion conducting glass or glass ceramic that conducts only lithium ions. The present lithium metal products produced using a selective lithium ion conducting layer advantageously provide for improved lithium purity when compared to commercial lithium metal. Pursuant to the present disclosure, lithium metal having a purity of at least 99.96 weight percent on a metals basis can be obtained.

A film formation apparatus for forming a metal film includes an anode, a solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and a substrate that serves as a cathode, a power supply device that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode, a solution container that contains a solution between the anode and the solid electrolyte membrane, the solution containing metal ions, and a pressure device that pressurizes the solid electrolyte membrane to the cathode side with a fluid pressure of the solution. The film formation apparatus includes an auxiliary cathode disposed in a peripheral area of the film formation region when the surface of the substrate is viewed in plain view, the auxiliary cathode having an electric potential lower than an electric potential of the anode.

A solid electrolyte membrane is disposed between an anode and a substrate, and voltage is applied between the anode and the substrate while the solid electrolyte membrane is pressed onto the substrate so as to form a metal film on the substrate. In this film forming method, there is used the solid electrolyte membrane that includes: a first portion made of an ion permeable material; and a second portion made of a material having an electric insulating property and having a low permeability of metallic ions, the second portion being embedded in the first portion so as to be exposed from a surface of the solid electrolyte membrane, the surface of the solid electrolyte membrane facing the substrate.

An electroplating apparatus for electroplating metal on a substrate includes a plating chamber configured to contain an electrolyte, a substrate holder configured to hold and rotate the substrate during electroplating, an anode, and an azimuthally asymmetric auxiliary electrode configured to be biased both anodically and cathodically during electroplating. The azimuthally asymmetric auxiliary electrode (which may be, for example, C-shaped), can be used for controlling azimuthal uniformity of metal electrodeposition by donating and diverting ionic current at a selected azimuthal position. In another aspect, an electroplating apparatus for electroplating metal includes a plating chamber configured to contain an electrolyte, a substrate holder configured to hold and rotate the substrate during electroplating, an anode, a shield configured to shield current at the periphery of the substrate; and an azimuthally asymmetric auxiliary anode configured to donate current to the shielded periphery of the substrate at a selected azimuthal position on the substrate.

Methods and electroplating systems for controlling plating electrolyte concentration on an electrochemical plating apparatus for substrates are disclosed. A method involves: (a) providing an electroplating solution to an electroplating system; (b) electroplating the metal onto the substrate while the substrate is held in a cathode chamber of an electroplating cell of electroplating system; (c) supplying the make-up solution to the electroplating system via a make-up solution inlet; and (d) supplying the secondary electroplating solution to the electroplating system via a secondary electroplating solution inlet. The secondary electroplating solution includes some or all components of the electroplating solution. At least one component of the secondary electroplating solution has a concentration that significantly deviates from its target concentration.

Various embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for electroplating material onto a semiconductor substrate. In some cases, one or more membrane may be provided in contact with an ionically resistive element to minimize the degree to which electrolyte passes backwards from a cross flow manifold, through the ionically resistive element, and into an ionically resistive element manifold during electroplating. The membrane may be designed to route electrolyte in a desired manner in some embodiments. In these or other cases, one or more baffles may be provided in the ionically resistive element manifold to reduce the degree to which electrolyte is able to bypass the cross flow manifold by flowing back through the ionically resistive element and across the electroplating cell within the ionically resistive element manifold. These techniques can be used to improve the uniformity of electroplating results.