A surface treating apparatus that suppresses occurrence of defects is provided. A treatment solution is accumulated in a tank 15 through a treatment solution collecting port/air discharging port 13 in a lower portion of a body 4. An air heated by the treatment solution flows toward an upper portion (portion without the treatment solution) of the tank 15 via the treatment solution collecting port/air discharging port 13 in the lower portion of the body 4, and is discharged via an exhaust duct 17. In this way, the air that is heated and tends to flow upward in the body 4 is discharged from the lower portion thereof and is replaced with an external air from the upper portion thereof. Accordingly, the air in the body 4 can be maintained at a uniform temperature. Thus, the treatment solution that reaches a lower portion of a substrate 54 from an upper portion thereof can be maintained at a uniform temperature. The air is caused to flow toward the lower portion from the upper portion in the body 4, so that the substrate 54 is pulled downward, and swinging of the substrate 54 can thus be reduced. Therefore, the substrate 54 can be less likely to contact an inlet 44 and an outlet 46.

There is provided a powder supply apparatus that prevents powder from scattering as much as possible. There is provided the powder supply apparatus that supplies a powder containing a metal used for a plating to a plating solution. This powder supply apparatus includes a plating solution tank, a feed pipe, a gas supply line, and a spiral-air-flow-generating component. The plating solution tank is configured to house the plating solution. The feed pipe is configured to feed the powder into the plating solution tank. The gas supply line is configured to supply a gas. The spiral-air-flow-generating component is configured to receive the gas from the gas supply line to generate a spiral air flow heading toward the plating solution tank inside the feed pipe.

Method and apparatus are provided for electroplating a surface area of an internal wall defining a cooling cavity present in a gas turbine engine airfoil component.

Method and apparatus are provided for electroplating a surface area of an internal wall defining a cooling cavity present in a gas turbine engine airfoil component.

Durable seamless replication tools are disclosed for replication of seamless relief patterns in desired media, for example in optical recording or data storage media. Methods of making such durable replication tools are disclosed, including preparing a recording substrate on the inner surface of a support cylinder, recording and developing a relief pattern in the substrate, creating a durable negative relief replica of the pattern, extracting the resulting durable tool sleeve from a processing cell, and mounting the tool sleeve on a mounting fixture. Apparatus are disclosed for fabricating such seamless replication tools, including systems for recording a desired relief pattern on a photosensitive layer on an inner surface of a support cylinder. Also disclosed are electrodeposition cells for forming a durable tool sleeve having a desired relief pattern. The replication tool relief features may have critical dimensions down to the micron and nanometer regime.

Durable seamless replication tools are disclosed for replication of seamless relief patterns in desired media, for example in optical recording or data storage media. Methods of making such durable replication tools are disclosed, including preparing a recording substrate on the inner surface of a support cylinder, recording and developing a relief pattern in the substrate, creating a durable negative relief replica of the pattern, extracting the resulting durable tool sleeve from a processing cell, and mounting the tool sleeve on a mounting fixture. Apparatus are disclosed for fabricating such seamless replication tools, including systems for recording a desired relief pattern on a photosensitive layer on an inner surface of a support cylinder. Also disclosed are electrodeposition cells for forming a durable tool sleeve having a desired relief pattern. The replication tool relief features may have critical dimensions down to the micron and nanometer regime.

There is disclosed an improved leak checking method which can accurately test a sealing performance of a substrate holder more than conventional leak check techniques. The leak checking method includes: holding a substrate with a substrate holder, the substrate holder including a first holding member and a second holding member, the second holding member having an opening through which a surface of the substrate is exposed; pressing a sealing projection of the second holding member against the surface of the substrate when holding the substrate with the substrate holder; covering the surface of the substrate, exposed through the opening, and the sealing projection with a sealing cap; forming a hermetic space between the sealing cap and the substrate holder; introducing a pressurized gas into the hermetic space; and detecting a decrease in pressure of the pressurized gas in the hermetic space.

A system and method for automated single tank surface treatment, the system including a process tank, a manifold fluidly coupled to the process tank, a controller coupled to the manifold, and a plurality of holding tanks in fluid communication with the process tank via the manifold. The process tank may include a conductive support configured to hold a workpiece to be anodized and electrically coupled to a power supply source, and one or more cathodes electrically coupled to the power supply source, wherein the power supply source is configured to apply a voltage between the one or more cathodes and the workpiece via the conductive support. The system may also include a pH sensor, a temperature sensor, a cooling coil, a heating element, a level sensor, a vacuum outlet, a pressurized air inlet, and a pressure sensor.

A system and method for automated single tank surface treatment, the system including a process tank, a manifold fluidly coupled to the process tank, a controller coupled to the manifold, and a plurality of holding tanks in fluid communication with the process tank via the manifold. The process tank may include a conductive support configured to hold a workpiece to be anodized and electrically coupled to a power supply source, and one or more cathodes electrically coupled to the power supply source, wherein the power supply source is configured to apply a voltage between the one or more cathodes and the workpiece via the conductive support. The system may also include a pH sensor, a temperature sensor, a cooling coil, a heating element, a level sensor, a vacuum outlet, a pressurized air inlet, and a pressure sensor.

An electrolytic plating composition for superfilling submicron features in a semiconductor integrated circuit device and a method of using the same. The composition comprises (a) a source of copper ions to electrolytically deposit copper onto the substrate and into the electrical interconnect features, and (b) a suppressor comprising at least three amine sites, said polyether comprising a block copolymer substituent comprising propylene oxide (PO) repeat units and ethylene oxide (EO) repeat units, wherein the number average molecular weight of the suppressor compound is between about 1,000 and about 20,000.