Importance

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Abstract

A heated platen or chuck is employed in connection with a wet chemistry process cell, such as a plating cell for plating a flat substrate. A flow of electrolyte or other wet process solution is introduced into the cell across the surface of the substrate which is mounted on a the chuck or holder. A cathode ring may be disposed to make electrical contact with the substrate. The cathode ring can include a thin metal thieving ring. A fluid-powered rotary blade or wiper may be employed to draw bubbles or other impurities from the substrate, and a megasonic transducer can apply megasonic acoustic energy to the solution. The cell can be used for electroless or galvanic plating. A heater in the chuck heats the substrate to a temperature significantly above that of the electrolyte. Heating the substrate during plating improves the grain structure of the plated metal.

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First Claim