Electrolysis: processes – compositions used therein – and methods – Electroforming or composition therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2001-10-23
Gorgos, Kathryn (Department: 1744)
Electrolysis: processes, compositions used therein, and methods
Electroforming or composition therefor
C205S110000, C205S206000, C205S208000, C205S210000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306274
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the apparatus and method for making electrodeposition blades, and more particularly electrodeposition blades each having same coarseness on its opposite sides.
2. Related Arts
Referring to
FIG. 7
, cutting means
33
having an electro-deposition blade attached thereto is used in a semiconductor wafer dicing apparatus
30
. In dicing a semiconductor wafer W it is
16
attached to a carrier F by means of an adhesive tape T, and the carrier F is sucked on the chuck table
31
. Then, the chuck table
31
is moved in an X-direction to be put below the alignment means
32
of the dicing apparatus
30
for detecting the dicing area in the semiconductor wafer W. Then, the chuck table
31
is moved in the X-direction, thereby allowing the cutting means
33
to cut the semiconductor wafer W.
Referring to
FIG. 8
, the cutting means
33
comprises a spindle unit
35
having an electrodeposition blade
34
attached thereto, a blade monitor
36
for detecting cracks breaking, if any in the blade and a coolant supply
37
for supplying the blade with cooling water.
Referring to
FIG. 9
, the spindle unit
35
includes a spindle
39
rotatably supported in its housing
38
, and a mount flange
40
which is fastened to the tip of the spindle
39
with an associated nut
44
. A washer-like electrodeposition blade
41
is sandwiched between the mount flange
40
and the counter flange
42
to be fastened with a blade locking nut
43
.
A semiconductor wafer W can be cut with the electrodeposition blade
41
when the spindle
39
is rotated.
FIG. 10
shows a similar spindle unit
35
having a hub-like electrodeposition blade
45
attached thereto.
Washer-like electrodeposition blades such as shown in
FIG. 9
can be made by an apparatus for making electrodeposition blades as shown in FIG.
11
. As shown, an electrolytic cell
15
contains an electrolyte
11
such as nickel sulfate in which pulverized grindstone such as pulverized diamond is suspended. In the electrolyte bath an electrodeposition object
51
and an electrolytic metal
17
such as nickel are immersed, and the electrodeposition object
51
is connected to the minus terminal of an electric source
16
whereas the electrolytic metal
17
is connected to the plus terminal of the electric source
16
.
In making a washer-like electrodeposition blade a ring-like object
51
is used as shown in FIG.
12
. It is made of aluminum, and its inner and outer circumferences
52
and
53
are covered with masking material, thus leaving its flat annular surfaces
54
to be exposed.
When a predetermined voltage is applied between the electrolytic plate
17
and the electrodeposition object
51
, pulverized diamond
12
and ionized metal particles are deposited on the exposed surfaces
54
of the electrodeposition object
51
, thus allowing an electro-deposit
55
of pulverized diamond
12
and metal particles to grow thereon.
When the composite layer
55
has reached a desired thickness, the electrodeposition object
13
having the composite layer
55
formed on its surface
54
is taken out from the electrolyte bath
11
, and then, the composite layer
55
is removed from the electrodeposition object
51
. Thus, the washer-like electrodeposition blade
41
(
FIG. 9
) results.
As seen from the enlarged fragment view of
FIG. 11
, the surface
54
of the electrodeposition object
51
on which an electo-deposit is formed is flat, and therefore, the resultant electrodeposition blade
41
has a flat surface formed on one side, on which electrodeposition was started, as indicated by dot-and-dash lines in FIG.
13
. In contrast, particles of pulverized grindstone
12
project significantly on the other surface
57
of the electrodeposition blade
41
, on which electrodeposition was finished. When a selected workpiece is cut with such electrodeposition blade whose opposite surfaces have different degrees of coarseness, one surface of the workpiece on which it was cut with the less-coarse surface of the electrodeposition blade is different significantly in appearance or physical characteristics from the other surface on which the workpiece was cut with the coarse surface of the electrodeposition blade.
In order to make the deposition-starting surface
56
as coarse as the deposition-finishing surface
57
of the electrodeposition blade it is necessary to effect another electrodeposition on the deposition-starting surface
56
of the resultant electrodeposition blade or to effect etching on the deposition-starting surface
56
to the depth as indicated by dot-and-dash lines
58
, thereby exposing as much particulate projections as on the other surface
57
. Disadvantageously such extra processing lowers the efficiency with which electrodeposition blades can be made.
There has been, therefore, an increasing demand for facilitating the producing of both coarse-sided electrodeposition blades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for making both coarse-sided electrodeposition blades efficiently.
An apparatus for making an electrodeposition blade comprising at least an electrolyte bath containing an electrodeposition object and pulverized grindstone, an electrolytic metal immersed in the electrolyte bath, and an electric source whose positive and negative terminals are connected to the electrolytic metal and electrodeposition object respectively, is improved according to the present invention in that the surface of the electrodeposition object, on which a required electro-deposit is to be formed, is of a predetermined coarseness, which is provided by forming minute irregularities thereon.
The irregularities of the predetermined coarseness may be shorter than the particle size of pulverized grindstone in terms of the valley-to-peak height.
The irregularities of the predetermined coarseness may be 10 to 80% of the particle size of pulverized grindstone in terms of the valley-to-peak height.
The particle size of pulverized grindstone may be equal to 10 or less &mgr;m.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for making both coarse-sided electrodeposition blades efficiently
A method for making an electrodeposition blade using an apparatus for making an electrodeposition blade comprising at least an electrolyte bath containing an electrodeposition object and pulverized grindstone, an electrolytic metal immersed in the electrolyte bath, and an electric source whose positive and negative terminals are connected to the electrolytic metal and the electrodeposition object respectively, is improved according to the present invention in that said method comprises at least the steps of: forming minute irregularities on the surface of the electrodeposition object, on which a required electro-deposit is to be formed, thereby providing a predetermined coarseness on the electrodeposition object; immersing the electrodeposition object in the electrolyte bath to grow an electro-deposit on the surface of the electrodeposition object by permitting electric current to flow in the electrolyte; and taking the electrodeposition object having an electro-deposit formed on its surface away from the electrolyte bath to remove a selected part or the whole of the electrodeposition object, thus leaving the electro-deposit.
The whole of the electrodeposition object may be removed to provide a washer-like electrodeposition blade in the form of electro-deposit.
A selected part of the electrodeposition object may be removed to provide a hub-like electrodeposition blade in the form of electro-deposit.
The step of forming minute irregularities on the surface of the electrodeposition object may include the step of: cutting or scratching the surface with the sharp tool of a lathe machine by feeding the tool a controlled radial distance and by cutting a controlled depth; sandblasting or chemical etching to provide a predetermined coarseness on the electrodeposition object.
The coarseness may be so determined that the valley-to-peak height of t
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Disco Corporation
Gorgos Kathryn
Leader William T.
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