An electrochemical plating apparatus for depositing a conductive material on a wafer includes a cell chamber. The plating solution is provided from a bottom of the cell chamber into the cell chamber. A plurality of openings passes through a sidewall of the cell chamber. A flow regulator is arranged with each of the plurality of openings configured to regulate an overflow amount of the plating solution flowing out through the each of the plurality of openings. The electrochemical plating apparatus further comprises a controller to control the flow regulator such that overflow amounts of the plating solution flowing out through the plurality of openings are substantially equal to each other.

An apparatus for electroplating includes a cup configured to support a substrate, and a cone including at least three distance measuring devices arranged on a lower surface thereof and facing the substrate. Each distance measuring device is configured to transmit a laser pulse towards the substrate, the laser pulse impinging the substrate, receive a reflected laser pulse from the substrate, calculate a turnaround time of the laser pulse, and calculate a distance between the distance measuring device and the substrate using the turnaround time for determining an inclination of the substrate.

A material, such as a flexible sheet, including a metal or metal alloy, wherein the metal or metal alloy has at least one porous metal oxide layer thereon. In some examples, the at least one metal oxide layer has a three-dimensional disordered network of channels in which the pores have non-constant diameters. Methods of preparing the materials are also disclosed.

A material, such as a flexible sheet, including a metal or metal alloy, wherein the metal or metal alloy has at least one porous metal oxide layer thereon. In some examples, the at least one metal oxide layer has a three-dimensional disordered network of channels in which the pores have non-constant diameters. Methods of preparing the materials are also disclosed.

In a plasma electrolytic oxidation apparatus and a method of plasma electrolytic oxidation using the plasma electrolytic oxidation apparatus, the plasma electrolytic oxidation apparatus includes a chamber and an electrode unit. The chamber is configured to receive an electrolyte. The electrode unit is configured to receive the electrolyte from the chamber and to treat an object with a plasma electrolytic oxidation treatment. The electrode unit includes an electrode, an enclosing part and a cover. The electrode is configured to receive a voltage from outside, and to form a receiving space in which the electrolyte is received between the electrode and the object. The enclosing part is configured to enclose a gap between the electrode and the object. The cover is configured to cover the electrode.

In a plasma electrolytic oxidation apparatus and a method of plasma electrolytic oxidation using the plasma electrolytic oxidation apparatus, the plasma electrolytic oxidation apparatus includes a chamber and an electrode unit. The chamber is configured to receive an electrolyte. The electrode unit is configured to receive the electrolyte from the chamber and to treat an object with a plasma electrolytic oxidation treatment. The electrode unit includes an electrode, an enclosing part and a cover. The electrode is configured to receive a voltage from outside, and to form a receiving space in which the electrolyte is received between the electrode and the object. The enclosing part is configured to enclose a gap between the electrode and the object. The cover is configured to cover the electrode.

A device for measuring electrical properties of electrical contacts within an electroplating apparatus has a disc-shaped structure like that of a wafer. Multiple conductive pads are formed to collectively circumscribe an outer periphery of the disc-shaped structure. Adjacently positioned ones of the conductive pads are electrically isolated from each other. The device includes a current source that supplies electric current at a first terminal and sinks electric current at a second terminal. The device includes measurement circuitry, having first and second input terminals, that determines a value of an electrical parameter based on signals present at the first and second input terminals. The device includes switching circuitry for connecting selected ones of the conductive pads to the first and second terminals of the current source and to the first and second input terminals of the measurement circuitry at a given time. The device also includes an onboard power supply.

One object of the present disclosure is to flexibly and promptly save a processing solution in an apparatus for processing a substrate. An apparatus for processing a substrate is configured to change over a transfer time table between an ordinary mode that has a maximum throughput of the apparatus for processing the substrate and a processing solution saving mode that saves a processing solution in at least one of processing tanks. The apparatus for processing the substrate determines whether or not the apparatus for processing the substrate is in a slack period that has a small demand output by the apparatus for processing the substrate, based on a rate-controlling point that limits a processing speed of the entire apparatus for processing the substrate, and sets the transfer time table to the processing solution saving mode when it is determined that the apparatus for processing the substrate is in the slack period, while setting the transfer time table to the ordinary mode when it is determined that the apparatus for processing the substrate is not in the slack period.

One object of the present disclosure is to flexibly and promptly save a processing solution in an apparatus for processing a substrate. An apparatus for processing a substrate is configured to change over a transfer time table between an ordinary mode that has a maximum throughput of the apparatus for processing the substrate and a processing solution saving mode that saves a processing solution in at least one of processing tanks. The apparatus for processing the substrate determines whether or not the apparatus for processing the substrate is in a slack period that has a small demand output by the apparatus for processing the substrate, based on a rate-controlling point that limits a processing speed of the entire apparatus for processing the substrate, and sets the transfer time table to the processing solution saving mode when it is determined that the apparatus for processing the substrate is in the slack period, while setting the transfer time table to the ordinary mode when it is determined that the apparatus for processing the substrate is not in the slack period.

Provided is a technique for appropriately handling a substrate holder depending on a use state of the substrate holder. The substrate holder for holding a substrate that is a plating target in a plating apparatus is suggested. The substrate holder includes an RFID tag, and the RFID tag includes a storage region in which a use attribute is stored, the use attribute including an attribute indicating a state of being used for plating processing.