Uniformity in plated film thickness in a plating apparatus is improved. A plating apparatus for plating a substrate by making electric current flow from an anode to the substrate is provided. The plating apparatus comprises: plural anode-side electric wires which are electrically connected to the anode via plural electric contacts on the anode; plural substrate-side electric wires which are electrically connected to the substrate via plural electric contacts on the substrate; plural variable resistors positioned, in at least one of the anode side and the substrate side, in middle positions in the plural anode-side electric wires or the plural substrate-side electric wires; and a controller constructed to adjust each of resistance values of the plural variable resistors.

Uniformity in plated film thickness in a plating apparatus is improved. A plating apparatus for plating a substrate by making electric current flow from an anode to the substrate is provided. The plating apparatus comprises: plural anode-side electric wires which are electrically connected to the anode via plural electric contacts on the anode; plural substrate-side electric wires which are electrically connected to the substrate via plural electric contacts on the substrate; plural variable resistors positioned, in at least one of the anode side and the substrate side, in middle positions in the plural anode-side electric wires or the plural substrate-side electric wires; and a controller constructed to adjust each of resistance values of the plural variable resistors.

A system and methods are provided for electrochemical grinding a workpiece. In one embodiment, a method includes controlling potentials to grinding tool and the workpiece, controlling applying electrolyte, and controlling grinding of the workpiece by the grinding tool. The method may also include determining screen replacement when there is sufficient metal plated.

A system and methods are provided for electrochemical grinding a workpiece. In one embodiment, a method includes controlling potentials to grinding tool and the workpiece, controlling applying electrolyte, and controlling grinding of the workpiece by the grinding tool. The method may also include determining screen replacement when there is sufficient metal plated.

The disclosure provides a Sn—In electroplating bath that is Pb-free, environmentally safe, operates at room temperature, and does not require changes in existing plating assemblies. Room temperature aging and limited thermal cycling tests show that the electroplated Sn—In alloy film on a Cu substrate effectively mitigates whisker growth.

The disclosure provides a Sn—In electroplating bath that is Pb-free, environmentally safe, operates at room temperature, and does not require changes in existing plating assemblies. Room temperature aging and limited thermal cycling tests show that the electroplated Sn—In alloy film on a Cu substrate effectively mitigates whisker growth.

Graphene electrodes-based supercapacitors are in demand due to superior electrochemical characteristics. However, commercial applications have been limited by inferior electrode cycle life. A method to fabricate highly efficient supercapacitor electrodes using pristine graphene sheets vertically-stacked and electrically connected to the carbon fibers which results in vertically-aligned graphene-carbon fiber nanostructure is disclosed. The vertically-aligned graphene-carbon fiber electrode prepared by electrophoretic deposition possesses a mesoporous three-dimensional architecture which enabled faster and efficient electrolyte-ion diffusion with a specific capacitance of 333.3 F g.sup.−1. The electrodes have electrochemical cycling stability of more than 100,000 cycles with 100% capacitance retention. Apart from the electrochemical double layer charge storage, the oxygen-containing surface moieties and α-Ni(OH).sub.2 present on the graphene sheets enhance the charge storage by faradaic reactions. This enables the assembled device to provide a gravimetric energy density of 76 W h kg.sup.−1 with a 100% capacitance retention even after 1,000 bending cycles.

Graphene electrodes-based supercapacitors are in demand due to superior electrochemical characteristics. However, commercial applications have been limited by inferior electrode cycle life. A method to fabricate highly efficient supercapacitor electrodes using pristine graphene sheets vertically-stacked and electrically connected to the carbon fibers which results in vertically-aligned graphene-carbon fiber nanostructure is disclosed. The vertically-aligned graphene-carbon fiber electrode prepared by electrophoretic deposition possesses a mesoporous three-dimensional architecture which enabled faster and efficient electrolyte-ion diffusion with a specific capacitance of 333.3 F g.sup.−1. The electrodes have electrochemical cycling stability of more than 100,000 cycles with 100% capacitance retention. Apart from the electrochemical double layer charge storage, the oxygen-containing surface moieties and α-Ni(OH).sub.2 present on the graphene sheets enhance the charge storage by faradaic reactions. This enables the assembled device to provide a gravimetric energy density of 76 W h kg.sup.−1 with a 100% capacitance retention even after 1,000 bending cycles.

To improve uniformity of a plating film-thickness formed on a substrate.

A plating module 400 includes a plating tank 410 for housing a plating solution, a substrate holder 440 for holding a substrate Wf, an anode 430 housed within the plating tank 410, an anode mask 460 arranged between the substrate Wf held by the substrate holder 440 and the anode 430 and provided with an opening 466 in a center, and an ionically resistive element 450 arranged at an interval from the anode mask 460 between the substrate Wf held by the substrate holder 440 and the anode mask 460 and provided with a plurality of holes.

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.